Augusta, NJ-March 31, 1998

Mark Leone is storming back into New Jersey to defend his title as winner of the 1997 Garden State Grand Prix. Mark has spent the first part of 1998 at Florida's Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival getting his horses ready for the challenge of New Jersey's largest hunter- jumper event, the Garden State Horse Show, April 29-May 3. Two of his horses, Loro Piana Artos (pictured) and Loro Piana Casino, have placed in four grand prix in Florida this season.

"The Garden State Horse Show is the next big equestrian event for jumper riders in the east after the Florida circuit," Mark explained. "The show is only 45 minutes away from my home base at Ri-Arm Farm in Franklin Lakes, and I love the show and being able to compete close to home. The Sussex County Fairgrounds is a top-rate facility and the show management puts on a great event. Plus, I'll see a lot of old friends and my parents will come up to the show, which is always very special for me."

Another special part of the horse show for Mark will be watching his new bride, Jane, compete in the event. Mark met his British-born wife in Europe in 1993, and they married this year on January 10. Jane will be showing her horse, Big Whiskey, in the Adult Amateur Jumper Division. Accompanying them will be their two Jack Russells, Nell and George. "We don't go anywhere without them," laughed Mark.

Mark intends to ride three horses, including Loro Piana Karat his winning mount in 1997, in the $35,000 Garden State Grand Prix, a member event of the Cosequin/US Grand Prix League. "We've had Karat since he was two years old and he is truly part of our family," he said of the gray 10 year-old, German- bred, 17.1 hand stallion. "He is a very careful jumper and spirited, but being a stallion he can get distracted by activities going on around him." Although Karat has not been bred to any mares this season, he does have several young offspring from previous breeding seasons, and will stand at stud in 1999.

Mark's other grand prix mounts include Loro Piana Ramira and Loro Piana Crucial. Ramira, a Dutch-bred, aged mare, is a seasoned veteran of the show ring and placed in six grand prix in 1997. Mark has owned the brown, 16.2 hand mare since 1992, and she is always a favorite with spectators. Crucial, 9 years-old, had a high finish in the exciting 1997 Washington International Puissance, and placed in two other grand prix during the year. "Crucial is a little inexperienced but very talented. He is a big-strided, big mover who covers a lot of ground on course." Crucial is a homebred horse, sired by Loro Piana Artos out of a Thoroughbred mare. Artos is one of Mark's most successful jumpers, and is a past winner of the President's Cup at the Washington International Horse Show. Mark, 36, is the youngest of the famous riding brothers of "Team Leone". The oldest brother, Armand, also a resident of Franklin Lakes, has won grand prix competitions across America and Europe. Armand received his medical degree from New York Medical College and attended Columbia Law School. As both a doctor and lawyer, he is pursuing a career in medical law. Middle brother, Peter, of Greenwich, Connecticut, a team Silver Medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, will also be competing at the Garden State Horse Show. Mark and Peter maintain a friendly rivalry in the show ring and are supportive of one another. "If I can't win, he's the next best thing," Mark admiringly said of Peter.

1997 was a great year for Mark with victories in the Grand Prix of Pittsburgh, and at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, as well as the Garden State Grand Prix. Although it will be hard for Mark to top his tremendous 1997 season, this fierce and popular competitor plans to continue his momentum as he gallops into the Garden State Horse Show.