Opening Day of 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival Features First Rounds of $150,000 National Horse Show Hunter Championship

Wellington, FL – November 30, 2004 – The 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival opened today with the first rounds of the Open Division of the $150,000 National Horse Show Hunter Championship in the Internationale Arena. The next two rounds of Phase One will be contested December 1-2 to determine the top 12 that will move on to Phase Two – the final two rounds on December 4 that ultimately determine the National Horse Show Hunter Champion. A highlight of today’s hunter competition – Shachine Belle aboard In Disguise won the Regular Conformation Hunter Round 1. In Disguise was Green Conformation Hunter Champion at last year’s National. “With In Disguise you have to kick him a little bit in the beginning but once he’s rolling, he’s simple,” said Belle. “It never gets old riding him; he’s just an amazing horse.”

The 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival runs from November 30th through December 5th at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. More than 500 of the nation’s top horses are entered to compete. Total prize money for the event is over half a million dollars. The $341,000 Jumper Division begins tomorrow, December 1. The 3rd Annual Zada Enterprises LLC Dressage at the National starts on Friday, December 3.

Stadium Jumping, Inc., producer of the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival, announced today that VIP seating in the Diamond Horseshoe is sold out (66 tables of six). The Reserved Boxes (eight seats per box) are sold out for Friday night’s Jumping Under the Stars, but a limited number of Reserved Boxes are still available on other days of the week – call 561-793-5867. General Admission tickets are available daily at the Spectator Entrance Gate and can also be reserved by calling 866-NHS-SHOW or on the web at www.nhs.org.

Eight Olympians are competing in the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival – Norman Dello Joio, Margie Engle, Alison Firestone, Nona Garson, Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Todd Minikus, and McLain Ward. The Jumper Division kicks off tomorrow, December 1, highlighted by the $25,000 Palm Beach Post National Welcome Qualifying Stake. Featured competitions in the Jumper Division are the $100,000 Lexus National Horse Show Jumper Championship, CSI-W presented by Chesapeake Petroleum on Friday night, December 3, and the $100,000 Budweiser AGA Championship, CSI*** presented by Chesapeake Petroleum on Sunday, December 5.

Popular stops for fans at the show grounds today were the 40 vendor displays featuring quality merchandise, services, and topnotch holiday shopping. National Horse Show aficionados were also attracted to the stabling area to view the Friesians who will perform in exhibition this week for the third consecutive year. Shaana Pritchard, who heads up Frieze Frame Friesians, encourages visitors to pat the 12 beautiful black horses and talk to the riders. The Friesian ensemble will perform five times over three days: Friday, December 3, at 6:30 PM for the opening ceremonies of Jumping Under The Stars; on Saturday, December 4, at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM; and on Sunday, December 5, at 11:00 AM and during the course change for the $100,000 Budweiser AGA Championship, CSI*** presented by Chesapeake Petroleum.

Upcoming attractions on Saturday, December 4, include the Children’s Fair from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; the Taste of Wellington from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; and The I.V. Technologies, Inc. Ladies’ Side Saddle Over Fences and Hack classes.

For more information about the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival, write to National Horse Show, PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548. E-mail: NationalHS@aol.com; Phone: (516) 484-1865; Fax: (516) 484-1982. Web: www.nhs.org.