Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series to Hold Championship at National Horse Show in Wellington

Wellington, FL—November 15, 2002—For the first time ever, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series will hold a year-end championship final for the series’ top horse-and-rider combinations in the Junior Jumper and Amateur-Owner Jumper divisions. The final will be held at the National Horse Show, November 26-December 1, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. This is the first year that riders from the East and West conferences will compete against one another in one series final.

On Sunday, December 1, 2002, the nation’s top horse-and-rider combinations in the Junior Jumper division and Amateur-Owner Jumper division will challenge each other in the Internationale Arena at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club. The competition will be fierce as horses and riders who have earned the top spots in their conference throughout the qualifying period will challenge the other top competitors from both conferences.

Local amateur rider, Danielle Torano of Fort Lauderdale, who won the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series East Conference Championship last year aboard Lojana, will compete this year aboard Von Pilot. Junior rider, Shelby Walter, a competitor in the West Conference, who also topped her conference last year, is looking to prove herself against the East Conference riders at the finals.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, which is sponsored in part by a grant from the National Horse Sports Foundation, holds classes at 51 horse shows across the country. The Series is designed to give Amateur-Owner and Junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for many riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition.

For more information about the 2002 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, please visit the Show Jumping Hall of Fame website at www.showjumpinghalloffame.net.

The 119th National Horse Show runs Tuesday, November 26, through Sunday, December 1, with competition beginning at 8:00 am and continuing throughout each day. Friday evening’s “Jumping Under the Stars” competition begins at 7:00 pm. Tickets, Tuesday through Saturday, are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors; on Sunday tickets sell for $15 for adults and $7 for seniors. Children 12 & under are always admitted free. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, admission is free to all. Tickets are available at the gate or by phoning (800) 237-8924 or (561) 753-3389. Entrance to the Equestrian Center is on Pierson Road in Wellington, where parking is free on all days