For The Music Hits All The Right Notes as Grand Champion Hunter at the Metropolitan National Horse Show in New York City

New York, NY – November 3, 2004 – For The Music, owned by Krista Weisman of Sherborn, Massachusetts, and ridden by Ken Berkley won the Craven Cup Trophy on Thursday, November 4, at the Metropolitan National Horse Show at Pier 94 and The Show Piers in New York City.

The Craven Cup, named for long time National Horse Show manager and ringmaster Clarence “Honey” Craven, is awarded annually to the horse accumulating the most points in any of the rated hunter divisions.

For The Music’s points came from the Regular Conformation Hunter division. Mandarin and Joie Gatlin were Reserve in the Regular Conformation.

Scott Stewart, who would normally be piloting For The Music but has been limited by a broken ankle sustained in a fall at the Capital Challenge said that his partner, Ken Berkley did a masterful job. “I had every confidence that he could ride these horses for me. He’s a great hunter rider and I knew if he focused he could do very well and he really put a lot of effort in and focused hard and was rewarded for the fabulous effort.”

Ken Berkley was thrilled with his performance at the Metropolitan and the entire fall tour as well. “This has been fantastic. I’ve never really been a leading hunter rider at any major show and to be Champion at Capital Challenge, a few points off the top rider at Harrisburg, and then Leading Hunter Rider at Washington and Grand Champion at New York – are you kidding? This is by far the best indoors I’ve ever had,” laughed Berkley.

In the First Year Green Working Hunter section, Scott Stewart took Championship honors with Dynamic, owned by Carolyn Kelly of New York City. It was one of two horses that Scott rode at the Metropolitan following his fall. Cool Blue, a horse owned by Scott Stewart, and ridden by Ken Berkley finished up as the Reserve Champion.

Scott, reflecting on the fall indoor tour and the Metropolitan success for both he and Ken said, “I think the thing that stands out, the thing that is most exciting about all this, more than my comeback or my championship, more than Ken’s catch riding, is the quality of the group of horses that we’re showing. We’ve had most of them since they were three year olds so it’s totally rewarding to see them win, no matter who is riding them.”

Was Ken worried that Scott was returning to action too soon? “Scott lives and breathes to ride and show,” Berkley said. “He was very frustrated sitting in the grandstands at Washington and Harrisburg and he just felt he had to get back in the saddle for New York and now he feels he can do the whole string at the National in Wellington, Florida. It’s been great fun for me, but if he feels he’s ready and the doctors aren’t prohibiting him from riding, then I’m truly happy to give them back to him.”

In the Second Year Green Working Hunters it was Southern Lights and Samantha Darling picking up the Championship, this following their tri-color in the First Year Green section last year. The win for Southern Lights also put an end to Peter Pletcher’s championship streak with Ocean Park. Pletcher’s string of high point honors began at the Capital Challenge in early October and stretched through stops at the Pennsylvania National at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and The Washington International in Washington, DC. Ocean Park picked up the Reserve Champion ribbon.

Beating Peter Pletcher, the 2004 WCHR Rider of the Year, is never easy, explained Samantha Darling, “Peter is always on the job, so there’s no room for error there. You’ve always got to go as good as you can and hope for the best when Peter’s got a mount in the class.”

Sam’s husband Leo Conroy, who is also the trainer for Southern Lights, commented on the battle between these two fine second year horses. “They are both lovely horses with Ocean Park having a bit of an edge because normally he’s the under saddle winner. Our horse was second to him yesterday and should have been, so that is sometimes tough to overcome. Peter is such a fabulous rider, so you know coming into today, they didn’t come to lose, they were going to go for the gold, but in the end it all went our way and I couldn’t be happier.”

Southern Lights has been a part of the Conroy string for over three years Samantha said, “It’s an honor to be champion here again. I was a little nervous earlier today, but it all fell into place, thankfully. We’ve had Southern Lights ever since he was a Pre-Green horse, but last year he really began to be competitive. As a First Year horse he was champion at every indoor horse show we competed at.”

‘Fred’ as he’s known in the barn is a real pet, Samantha went on to say, “He loves his treats and Leo’s kids even taught him how to bow. He’s so great around the kids – they just love him.”

Leo Conroy said that early on, he knew he had something special with Southern Lights, “I thought he was pretty special when he was young, as much as you can know those things. He had all the qualities that, to me, make a top show hunter. I compare him to ones I’ve recently had, like Overdressed, and I think what was most exciting about him was his jumping style – the first time we saw this horse, it put in mind that same kind of jumping style.”

Asked about the Metropolitan National Horse Show’s second year, Conroy said, “I’m proud to be on the Board of Directors of the show and we were very impressed with the job the people did here last year and this year it’s tremendously better. I hope this is a new tradition that’s going to continue for many years. There is nothing like being in New York. There’s no place like New York.”

The Championship in the Green Conformation Hunter division was awarded to Protégé, owned by the All Seasons Farm of Cincinnati, Ohio, and ridden by Elizabeth Towell. Just Jack, ridden by Cookie Beck for Lisa Cudahy of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was Reserve Champion.

In the Regular Working Hunters it was Mandarin, owned by Jane Fraze of Tucson, Arizona, taking the 2004 title. Joie Gatlin of San Juan Capistrano, California, rode Mandarin to the championship. The tri-color here in New York City follows Grand Championship honors last week at the Washington International Horse Show.

Gatlin is thrilled to come East with such success. “We had a great Pennsylvania National Horse Show, he was fantastic at Washington winning the Grand Championship, and here at New York a champion and reserve is just amazing.”

“My success with Mandarin started at the Desert Circuit in Indio,” Gatlin said. “The first time Mandarin’s trainer Archie Cox asked me to ride the horse was Week One and we ended up champion and then champion again and again. When the circuit came to an end we were circuit champion. Ever since, all through the summer, he’s been super, super consistent and he’s on top for Horse of the Year.”

Joie is back in New York for the first time in 20 years. “It’s fun to be back in New York City. The last time I was here was when I rode in the ASPCA Maclay Finals way back in 1984 at Madison Square Garden, the same year I was Rookie of the Year. That was a great year for me, and it’s so cool to be back in New York,” Gatlin said.

The Amateur Owner Hunters got underway Thursday afternoon at the Metropolitan. In the 35 and Under section, it was La Cara and Leah Schwendeman winning both classes. This duo continues to dominate this division. These two wins follow Amateur Owner Championships at the Capital Challenge, Harrisburg and Washington.

In the Amateur Owner 36 and over division, wins went to Teri Kessler and Pavarotti and Kimberley Quinn with Gershwin.Amateurs wrap up their competitions on Friday as the Junior Hunters get underway.

More than 80 hunter and jumper events will be contested and $310,000 in prize money is at stake. The Metropolitan National Horse Show features five days and five nights of action, November 3-7, 2004, at Pier 94 and the Show Piers on the Hudson in New York City. Tickets and passes are available in a variety of packages and can be reserved by calling 866-NHS-SHOW or on the web at www.nhs.org