Torano, Haas & Fauth Lead Show Jumping Hall Of Fame Jumper Classic Series Conferences

TAMPA, FL-September 10, 2001- Three riders sit atop the leader boards in the National Horse Sports Foundation Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. Danielle Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, FL leads the East Conference with 128 points; Erin Haas of Chelsea, MI leads the Central Conference with 58 points; and Morgan Fauth of Wayzata, MN leads the West Conference with 43 points.

East Conference Action
Torano and Lojana continue to sit in first place after their domination of July events. Caitlin Venezia of Marstons Mills, MA and Maykel jumped into second place with 76 points, while Paige Rassas of Northfield, IL is in third with 60 aboard Chica Bay.

August competition began at the Sugarbush Horse Show in Waitsfield, VT. Paige Johnson of The Plains, VA defeated 20 competitors to claim her first East Conference win of the year. Riding Dominique, she topped a jump-off field of eight after riding clear with a time of 34.513 seconds. Lindsay Dawn Curtis of Boston, MA and Costello finished second in a time of 35.599 seconds, while Katelyn Denby of Chatham, MA took third place honors in 38.510 seconds aboard Pablo.

A week later, Darby Toben of Princeton, NJ and Logan's Peak secured top honors at the Sussex Farm & Horse Show after being the only rider to cleanly navigate the 12-fence course, doing so in 76.08 seconds. Venezia and Maykel finished with four faults in a time of 74.74 seconds to take second. Third place honors went to Torano and Sir Ruly, Inc.'s horse, Lojana, who finished with four faults in 77.34 seconds.

The following day at the Mad River Festival in Waitsfield, Johnson won her second East Conference class of the month aboard her horse, Beach Bum. Johnson was the first to go in the three-man jump-off, setting the pace early with a clean round in 33.588 seconds. Amy Shafmaster of Portsmouth, NH and Emillion went second and rode a clean ride in 35.927 seconds. Jeff Brandmaier of Bedford Hills, NY was unable to beat pace and took third place honors aboard Captiva after finishing the jump-off with four faults.

Central Conference Action
Erin Haas leaped into the leader position in the Central Conference after winning one of two August competitions. Chrissy Renz of Lake Geneva, WI, slipped to second aboard Boo-Dah with 53 points, while Amy Van Houten and Alma Cogan sit in third with 34 points.

Central Conference action in August kicked off at the Chicago Equifest II. Ashley Fleishhacker of Maple Plain, MN and Arcola Bay took top honors, winning the two-man jump-off in 32.424 seconds. Fauth and Cohiba took second with a time of 35.461 seconds. Charlie Jayne of Wellington, FL and Melbourne finished third.

The following week at the Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show, Haas moved into the winner's circle after defeating a field of 29. Haas was the first rider in the 10-competitor jump-off to ride clear, posting a clean ride in 31.899 seconds. That time proved to be unbeatable among the three other riders who turned in a fault-free ride. Jessica Saalfield of The Plains, VA and Lavaro took home second place honors in 33.628 seconds, followed by Erin Davis of Weatherford, TX and October Hill's Ravina, who finished third in 33.906 seconds.

West Conference Action
With no competitions in August, Morgan Fauth continues to hold the lead that she secured after winning the Rocky Mountain Classic in July. Overall, Fauth sits atop the leader board with 43 points, followed by Summer Bruington of Boerne, TX with 34 points and Megan Kindred of Fairview, TX with 30 points. The NHSF Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, which runs February through November, is divided into three geographical conferences: the East Conference hosting 22 shows, the Central Conference hosting 8 shows and the West Conference hosting 5 shows. Conference point standings are calculated separately and updated after all shows. At the end of the series, a championship is awarded for each conference with East and Central Conference champions honored at the National Horse Show in New York and the West Conference champion honored at the Los Angeles National Horse Show in Burbank, CA.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series gives Amateur-Owner and junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition.