New York City, NY - October 23, 2003 - Before a major equestrian event can take place, many details must be taken care of behind the scenes. One often-overlooked piece of the puzzle is the actual layout and floor design of the facility.

In conjunction with the National Horse Show Association of America (NHSAA), Blackburn Architects, PC, was responsible for the important task of designing the floor plan for the Metropolitan National Horse Show and the National Horse Show Indoor Championships. The Metropolitan National Horse Show takes place on October 29 to November 2 in New York City, NY at Pier 94 and the Show Piers on the Hudson Complex in Manhattan. The National Horse Show Indoor Championships runs from November 19 to 23 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

"Blackburn Architects, PC, is pleased to be the equestrian show floor designer for the New York City and Las Vegas National Horse Show events," stated president John Blackburn. "Widely-known as specialists in the conceptual planning and design of all types of equestrian facilities, Blackburn Architects has exhibited our expertise in site planning and layout design at The Nationals. We are proud to be sponsors of this year's shows."

Founded in 1983, Blackburn Architects, PC, is a design-oriented firm whose primary goal is to serve the client with a high degree of professional skill. For every project to be successful and well designed, the company believes that the client's needs, budget limitations, and site concerns must be brought together in balance with the architect's experience and knowledge of the building type. The company specializes in many areas of design including equestrian, commercial, residential, and renovation and adaptive reuse projects.

The NHSAA is managing three shows this year. After the Metropolitan National Horse Show and the National Horse Show Indoor Championships, the National Horse Show Outdoor Championships kicks off in Wellington, FL from November 26 to 30. All three shows will be rated "AA" by the national federation. Started in 1883, this is the 120th year for the National Horse Show Association of America.

Tickets are now on sale for all three shows. Tickets for the Metropolitan National Horse Show may be purchased by calling toll-free (800) 919-6272 or going to www.tickets.com. To purchase tickets for the National Horse Show Indoor Championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV, please call (702) 284-7777 or go to www.orleansarena.com. Ticket order forms for the National Horse Show Outdoor Championships are available at www.nhs.org.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the National Horse Show Association of America, PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548, telephone (516) 484-1865, e-mail NationalHS@aol.com, or by consulting the official website at www.nhs.org. Additional details may also be obtained by contacting show manager Bob Bell at bbell@classiccompany.com. Media inquiries can be directed to Hallie McEvoy at NationalHSNews@aol.com.