June 30, 2004 – Darien, Connecticut – JustWorld International rider representative Ray Texel emerged victorious in the $50,000 Ox Ridge Grand Prix held Sunday, June 20, in Darien, Connecticut.

The 75th annual event saw 22 riders attempt the test set by award-winning course designer Richard Jeffery of Great Britain. Seven succeeded, including Texel and Roxana, a 10-year-old bay Hessen mare he has been riding since last fall. Competing fifth in the jump-off order, Texel overtook the lead from Eric Hasbrouck and remained unscathed as the two riders left to challenge, Olympic gold medallist Joe Fargis and Kent Farrington, both had rails in their attempt to surpass Texel.

“I knew the jump-off would be fast and if I wanted to win, I had to go for it,” explained Texel of Bedford, NY. “I haven’t shown Roxana a lot since the winter circuit in Florida, so I was a little unsure of how fast I should go. But, if you make it to the jump off in any grand prix, you have to make your best effort. It was one of those days where we really were in synch.”

Texel, 30, used to work and train out of the Ox Ridge Hunt Club, and had previously challenged the Grand Prix, making his first grand prix victory in the event, and with Roxana, extra-special. Texel was especially pleased with Roxana, who is owned by Old Salem Farm, where he is now based.

“She is wonderful,” praised Texel, who represented the United States at the 2001 and 2002 World Cup Finals. “She is even-tempered, strong willed and she tries to please you each day. It suits her character to do well. She is very consistent to work with, which makes my job easier.”

Ray Texel won the $50,000 Ox Ridge Grand Prix wearing his JustWorld International signature jacket, signifying that he is one of a handful of top international riders representing JustWorld International, a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization whose mission is to prepare and empower students to become visionary leaders and work for social justice.

“I’ve been witness to the many successes recently of the JustWorld riders and I am pleased to be a part of that,” notes Texel, who will donate a portion of his prize money to the non-profit organization.

Other JustWorld International rider representatives experiencing success include Eric Navet, the newly-crowned French National Champion; Kevin Babington of Ireland, who won the Grand Prix and Herve Godignon of France, who sits on the ‘Jump for a Just World’ Advisory Board, who won the Speed Derby, both at La Baule, France, in May; and Eric Lamaze of Canada, who recently laid claim to the RBC Capital Markets Cup during the Spruce Meadows National tournament in Calgary, Canada, in June.

Jessica Newman, Executive Director of JustWorld International, was returning from a trip that saw Junior JustWorld rider representatives Natalie Johnson and Jessica Speiser visiting a project site in Honduras when she received the news of Texel’s win.

“I was thrilled to learn about Ray’s victory!” enthused Newman, 28, who sacrificed her own grand prix riding career in order to concentrate on forming JustWorld International after working with street children in Honduras. “Ray has been with JustWorld International from the very beginning. When I introduced my idea about launching the ‘Jump for a Just World’ initiative last fall, he immediately jumped on board! JustWorld seeks to partner with riders who have integrity and values in order to be spokespeople for the organization, and Ray certainly embodies those characteristics! He is a very positive person and has led the way, encouraging several other people to get involved.”

JustWorld International offers fellowship programs for students from around the globe to learn leadership skills, the tools that they can use to make a positive difference in the world. With several project sites already located in such underprivileged nations as Honduras, Cambodia, Senegal and Tanzania, students have the opportunity to work for change in a wide variety of environments on behalf of JustWorld International. For further information on JustWorld International, please visit www.justworldinternational.org.