The Nation’s Top Hunter Champions Face Off at the 121st Annual National Horse Show in Wellington, Florida

Wellington, FL - November 17, 2004 – The nation’s finest equestrians return to Florida for The 121st National Horse Show, to be held at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida, November 30th through December 5th, 2004. The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Center is the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival and the site of the first outdoor Nations Cup held in the United States. This is third consecutive year The National Horse Show has been held in Florida.

The hunter competition this year should be one of the best and most competitive ever. The First Year Green Working Hunter division is loaded with fast rising stars in the hunter division including a number of this year’s fall tour champions. Indian Summer, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Caristo and ridden by Sandy Ferrell, was the First Year and Grand Hunter Champion at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in October and earlier in the year swept all the First Year classes at the Devon Horse Show.

Stable mates Ken Berkley and Scott Stewart split the riding duties on three champions, Dynamic, Cool Blue and Truly. Dynamic, owned by Carolyn Kelly and ridden by Scott Stewart, was Champion at the Metropolitan National Horse Show in New York City in early November while Cool Blue, owned by Stewart and ridden by Ken Berkley, picked up the Reserve. Truly, owned by Molly Ohrstrom and exhibited by Ken Berkley, was First Year Champion at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Maryland, Green Conformation Hunter Champion at The Pennsylvania National Horse Show at Harrisburg and Washington International in Washington, DC. Ken Berkley was the Leading Hunter Rider at Washington and at The Metropolitan.

Last year’s National Horse Show First Year Champion Attache, moves up to lead the way this year in the Second Year Green Working Hunters. Attache is owned by Ellen Toon and ridden by Shachine Belle. Eyewitness, owned by Wattership Downs and ridden by Ken Smith, along with Good Point, from Fashion Farms and shown by Ken Berkley, will provide the competition.

In the Green Conformation Hunter division, Tribute, owned by Krista Weisman and ridden by Scott Stewart, is returning to defend their 2003 Championship. Tribute, in addition to being named the Grand Champion Hunter at last year’s edition of The National was Green Conformation Champion at this year’s Capital Challenge. Ken Berkley and Truly are also top contenders in this section.

Ellen Toon’s In Disguise, ridden by Shachine Belle, headlines the Regular Conformation Hunter division. In Disguise was champion last year in the Second Year Green as well as Reserve in the Green Conformation at The National Horse Show. This year, In Disguise, Circuit Champion at the Winter Equestrian Festival and Champion at Devon, returns to Wellington as this year’s Capital Challenge Grand Champion Hunter. For the Music, owned by Krista Weisman and ridden by Scott Stewart, will battle In Disguise all the way. For The Music was Regular Conformation Champion at the Washington International and comes in on a roll as the Grand Hunter Champion at The Metropolitan National Horse Show in New York City. Last year’s Reserve Champion, Westcliffe, owned by Elizabeth and Christy Russo and ridden by Ken Smith, make this a very competitive section.

The Regular Working Hunters at the 121st National Horse Show should be great fun to watch. Defending National Horse Show Open Hunter Champion and Regular Working Hunter Champion, Carmen ridden by Ken Smith for Millridge, LLC, returns to defend his title.

Coming all the way from California, Joie Gatlin travels the furthest for this year’s show. Gatlin will be competing on one of the most successful horses on the fall tour, Mandarin, owned by Jane Fraze. Mandarin was Grand Hunter Champion at the Washington International and then Regular Working Hunter Champion at The Metropolitan in New York City, sweeping the division. Fiddler’s Bridge, owned by Stephanie Riggio and ridden by Sandy Ferrell, was Reserve at The Metropolitan in New York and will be in Wellington for The National. These two will be joined by the Grand Champion from the 2002 National Horse Show, Prove It, ridden by Scott Stewart and owned by Alexa Weisman. Prove It was Reserve Champion at Washington. Winning Style with Danny Robertshaw, Carmen and Ken Smith, Lexus and Todd Minikus and Lucky with Rob Bielefeld are also slated to join the battle.

Amateur Owner Hunters at this year’s edition of The National include entries ridden by Betty Oare, Clara Lindner, Laura Sexton, Dee Thomas, Donald Graves, Ellen Toon, Joe Fellingham and Katie Robinson and many more.

Top junior riders from across the country will make this year’s Junior Hunter divisions at The National Horse Show some of the most competitive. The 15 and Under Junior division features fall tour champions, Lexy Reed with Double Cinco, Haylie Jayne and Clemintine, Cool Blue ridden by Carolyn Kelly and Caped Crusader with Nicoletta Von Heidegger. Clemintine was Champion here last year and Grand Junior Champion at Washington. Double Cinco garnered tri-color honors at Harrisburg and New York.

The 16-17 Year old section is headlined by Megan Young and Navigator, owned by Manhattan Mortgage. This will be Young’s final Junior competition. Young rode Navigator to championship honors at all of the fall shows, including Capital Challenge, the Pennsylvania National, Washington and the Metropolitan in New York. In addition, Young won the North American Equitation Championship, The USEF National Hunter Seat Medal Finals and the ASPCA Maclay National Championship.

A Junior Champion last year, Stephanie Danhakl comes to Wellington from Pacific Palisades, California and brings her top junior hunters which include Washington International Champion, Callaway, Harrisburg Reserve Champion, Bellingham Bay and Metropolitan Reserve Champion, Lifetime. Her string also includes In Synch and Galatea.

Megan Edrick, another Californian, will be showing Fernwalk. Edrick and Fernwalk were Champion at The Pennsylvania National and at the Capital Challenge. Last year’s National Horse Show Equitation Champion, Charlie Jayne will compete at The National in his final junior competition, as well. He’ll ride Metropolitan Junior Hunter Reserve Champion, Calumet, owned by Alex R. Jayne.

Rounding out the hunter schedule are the best of the Small, Medium and Large Pony divisions and top Adult Hunter riders.