Show Jumping Stars Set To Compete At 2004 Metropolitan National Horse

Show Hometown Favorite Georgina Bloomberg To Ride In New York City Event

New York, NY – October 13, 2004 – The Metropolitan National Horse Show in New York City, scheduled for November 3-7, 2004, at Pier 94 and The Show Piers on the Hudson, will feature topnotch stars of the show jumping world. The Jumper Division high stakes events are the $100,000 Metropolitan Cup and the $50,000 Liberty Cup. Total prize money for the 2004 Metropolitan National Horse Show, which features more than 80 events during five days and nights of competition, is $310,000.

Show jumping stars entered in the $100,000 Metropolitan Cup include 1984 Los Angeles Olympics double Gold Medallist Joe Fargis; 2000 Sydney Olympic team member Nona Garson; and Aaron Vale, who in 2003 notched the most Grand Prix wins in a single year ever recorded. Rising stars in the Grand Prix show jumping arena are also scheduled to compete, including Michael Walton and Danielle Torano – both AGA (American Grandprix Association) ‘Rookie of the Year’ titleholders. They’ll be going up against long-time veterans such as Mark Leone, Ragan Roberts, and Jimmy Torano.

The hometown favorite, 21-year-old Georgina Bloomberg of New York, NY, daughter of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will compete in both the $100,000 Metropolitan Cup and the $50,000 Liberty Cup. Ms. Bloomberg has four horses entered in the Jumper Division – Riviera, Madia, Action, and Curastella, all owned by New York City-based Gotham Enterprizes. An accomplished equestrian, Ms. Bloomberg won the 2004 Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award honoring her competitive records and promise for the future.

The $100,000 Metropolitan Cup and the $50,000 Liberty Cup will be contested in a modified World Cup format scheduled for three evening sessions, November 4th, 5th, and 6th, starting at 7:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, and 7:30 PM on Saturday. Faults are carried over from each previous performance, ending in the Final Round on Saturday night.

Riders entered in the Metropolitan Cup are allowed to bring three horses and show any one of the three horses each evening of The Metropolitan Cup. The other two horses that are not competing in The Metropolitan Cup on that date can compete in one of two $25,000 classes offered – the $25,000 Open Jumper on Wednesday evening, November 3rd, and the $25,000 Open Jumper on Saturday afternoon, November 6th.

Tickets to The Metropolitan National Horse Show are available in a range of prices and packages. To find out about more about premium ticket packages and passes, please phone the National Horse Show Infoline at (866) NHS-SHOW or visit www.nhs.org

Photo by Randi Muster