Foxcroft senior Sloane Coles of The Plains, Va., won the 2006 Bates USA Equitation yearend rider award presented recently at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament last weekend. Coles' trainers, Frank and Stacia Madden of Colts Neck, N.J., were the year-end trainers, based on the November 3, 2006, Bates USA Equitation Ranking that determined this year's overall winners. The rankings, which are published weekly are available at www.batesequitationranking.com.

As the gold medalist, Coles received a Bates Caprilli Close Contact Saddle and was chosen to participate in Horsemanship Training Sessions with George Morris, which will take place in Wellington, Fla., from January 15-20, 2007. The purpose of the training sessions is to help create complete "horsemasters" and develop a pipeline for future U.S. Equestrian Teams. The sessions are hosted by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and Stadium Jumping, Inc.

Coles, who transferred from Highland School last year in part because Foxcroft's Exceptional Proficiency Program enables her to train more seriously while remaining a student in good standing, is a dormitory prefect, a varsity lacrosse player and an officer in the School's FoxHound intramural program.