Wellington, FL – November 21, 2003 – Horse sport enthusiasts attending the upcoming National Horse Show in Wellington, Florida, will be treated to five days of topnotch competition as more than 500 horses vie for titles, trophies, and prize money in hunter, jumper, dressage, and ladies’ side saddle competitions. A host of entertaining performances and exhibitions also highlight the Thanksgiving Weekend event. The 120TH National Horse Show will be held November 26-30, 2003, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club show grounds in Wellington, Florida.

Three of the most spectacular athletic feats featured are the $100,000 National Horse Show Jumper Championship presented by Lexus on Friday, November 28; the Grand Prix de Dressage on November 28; and the $100,000 AGA Championship Grand Prix presented by Chesapeake Petroleum on Sunday, November 30.

Top gun Aaron Vale, the current record holder of most Grand Prix wins in a single year with 16 under his belt, is entered in both the show jumping Grand Prix classes and is looking to notch two more victories. Defending champion Lauren Hough will attempt to make history by winning the Jumper Championship for an unprecedented third consecutive year with her Olympic mount Clasiko. Dressage aficionados will be ringside for the 2nd Annual Zada Enterprises, LLC Dressage at the National, November 28-30, as five-time Olympian Robert Dover makes his return to the Grand Prix ring aboard two Olympic mounts, Rainier and FBW Kennedy.

Jumping Under The Stars on Friday, November 28, begins at 7:00 pm and features the $100,000 National Horse Show Jumper Championship, as well as the final round of the National Horse Show Hunter Championship with defending champion Scott Stewart aiming to retain his title, plus jumping astride in the Ladies Side Saddle Hunter Hack.

Frieze Frame Friesians will present daily exhibitions showcasing the beautiful black stallions. Titled The Baroque Review, this year’s expanded exhibition features 16 horses including Andalusians and Lusitanos appearing in colorful costumes ranging from The Renaissance and Medieval eras to Lord of the Rings and Darth Vader. At Friday’s Jumping Under The Stars, a quadrille of eight Friesian stallions will perform to music in the dark, illuminated only by tiny lights on their outlines – sure to take your breath away!

Mexican charro Gerardo Diaz will astound audiences at Friday evening’s Jumping Under The Stars as well as at the Children’s Fair on Saturday, November 29, and the $100,000 AGA Grand Prix on Sunday, November 30. In his renowned one-man show, Diaz performs in traditional silver-studded charro attire, combining Mexican mariachi music and his precision roping maneuvers with his horses’ skills in dancing, tricks, dressage, and reining.

The tantalizing Taste of Wellington, on Friday, November 28, from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm in The Special Events Pavilion offers delectable samplings of cuisine gratis from participating restaurants: Nicole’s, Players Club, Charlie’s Steamers, Hoffman’s Chocolates, Anthony’s, Bamboo Club, House of Cappuccino, Panda Garden, and Tree’s Wings & Ribs.

The Children’s Fair sponsored by Wellington Show Stables on Saturday, November 29, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on the Great Lawn, will delight children with a host of entertainments specially booked for them – clowns, the Cowboy Stiltwalker, face-painting, bouncy houses, a super slide, a rock climbing wall, mechanical bull ride, Petting Zoo, and Pony Rides. Carnival concessions will offer cotton candy, popcorn, peanuts, and hot dogs.

The 120th National Horse Show wraps up on Sunday, November 30, in spectacular style featuring festivities in the Internationale Arena that include performances by the Palm Beach County Mounted Color Guard and the Royal Palm Beach Marching Band. The finale is the hotly contested $100,000 AGA Championship Grand Prix with AGA Rider of the Year and crowd favorite Margie Goldstein Engle heading up the stellar roster.

Stadium Jumping Inc., the horse show management company that produces the annual 10-week Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club show grounds, is producing The National Horse Show at this venue for the second consecutive year.

Tickets

Children age 12 and under are always free. General admission seating for adults, Wednesday through Saturday (on Friday, there will be separate day and evening tickets), will be $10/each, with Sunday priced at $15/each; children over the age of 12 and seniors (65 and older) will be $7/each. Diamond Horse Shoe Club and box seating information and reservations can be obtained by calling (800) 237-8924 or the Special Events office at (561) 753-3389.