Two New York City Riders Among Favorites For 2004 ASPCA Maclay Finals at The Metropolitan National Horse Show

New York, NY– October 19, 2004 – While Brianne Goutal and Addison Phillips, both of New York City, are favorites in their hometown to win the 2004 ASPCA Maclay Finals at The Metropolitan National Horse Show, Megan Young of Jacksonville, Florida, might have a say in the final outcome. Young posted her second major equitation win of the fall tour on Sunday, October 17, topping Goutal and Phillips in the USEF Medal Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. These three junior riders will have a chance to battle it out, along with more than 100 other qualified riders, when the ASPCA Maclay Finals will be decided on Sunday, November 7. The Metropolitan National Horse Show is scheduled for November 3-7, 2004, at Pier 94 and the Show Piers on the Hudson. Tickets can be reserved by calling 866-NHS-SHOW or on the web at www.nhs.org

New York’s Brianne Goutal and Addison Phillips along with and Florida’s Megan Young have been the top three placers in recent major East Coast competitions:

Young won the North American Equitation Championship at the Capital Challenge Horse Show on October 3rd and finished third in the USET East Medal Finals at Gladstone, NJ, the following weekend.

Goutal won the USET East Medal Finals at Gladstone and finished second to Young at the North American Equitation Championship at Capital Challenge.

Phillips was fifth at Harrisburg last year and moved up for a third place finish this year. Phillips won the USEF Junior Jumper Individual Gold Medal on Saturday night, October 16, at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show for the second year in a row and was the second place finisher at the USET Medal Finals at Gladstone.

At Harrisburg, riders placing behind Young, Goutal and Phillips were Kendall Handtman of California, who finished fourth; Sloane Coles of Virginia in fifth place; and Haylie Jayne of Illinois was sixth. All of these riders are headed for New York and the 2004 ASPCA Maclay Finals.

George Morris won the USEF Medal and the ASPCA Maclay in the same year back in 1952. Since then, only nine other riders have accomplished that feat with the most recent being Emily Williams in 1999.

Chrystine Tauber, one of the judges for this year's event, pulled off the back-to-back wins at the Medal and Maclay in 1965.

Lauren Kay in 1990 and Peter Lutz in 1991 are the only two riders in history to win both the USET Medal Finals and the ASPCA Maclay Finals in the same year.

No rider in the long history of the sport has been able to win the USEF Medal, the ASPCA Maclay and USET Medal in one competition year.

The ASPCA Maclay Finals have long been a proving ground for future top international stars. Notable equestrians who have ridden to victory in the ASPCA Maclay Finals include 1960 Olympic Gold Medallist William Steinkraus, 1984 Los Angeles Olympians Conrad Homfeld and Leslie Howard, 2004 Athens Olympic Team Silver Medallist Peter Wylde, and 2004 Athens Olympic Show Jumping Team Coach Frank Chapot.

The panel of judges for the prestigious ASPCA Maclay officiating in 2004 is Chrystine Tauber of Pottersville, NJ; Scott Williamson of Middleburg, VA; and 1996 Olympic Course Designer Linda Allen of Salinas, CA.

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

For further information on the Metropolitan National Horse Show, contact the National Horse Show Association of America, Ltd., PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548. E-mail: NationalHS@aol.com; Phone: (516) 484-1865; Fax: (516) 484-1982. Or on the web, visit: www.nhs.org