“Park Avenue Team” Wins Dressage Night’s Continental Cup

New York, NY – November 3, 2004 – Joie Gatlin of San Juan Capistrano, California, riding SunCal’s King for owner Canyon Capital Insurance won the $25,000 Open Jumper at the evening session of the Metropolitan National Horse Show tonight in New York City. Gatlin topped a roster of 12 horses and earned $7,500. The Table II.2b class required riders to clear the Linda Allen-designed course of 11 jumps in order to move on immediately to the eight-obstacle jump-off. Six riders went clean in the first round, but only Gatlin was able to produce a double clear performance for the win. Georgina Bloomberg of New York City placed second aboard Nadia owned by Gotham Enterprizes. Ken Berkley of Flemington, New Jersey, placed third aboard Ratina Z owned by Carolyn Kelly.

The Metropolitan National Horse Show features five days and five nights of action, November 3-7, 2004, at Pier 94 and the Show Piers on the Hudson in New York City. Tickets and passes are available in a variety of packages and can be reserved by calling 866-NHS-SHOW or on the web at www.nhs.org

“It’s very, very exciting because this is my first time back here at The National,” said Gatlin, 37, who had competed as a junior at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden. “I was so thrilled to be able to come here and show, so it makes it extra special to win.”

Gatlin went eighth in the order, when Georgina Bloomberg was holding down first place with Nadia and second place with Lumina 2, who eventually finished in fourth place. Gatlin took over the top spot and held it, with only the final rider, Ken Berkley able to shake the final outcome. “The course was very inviting. Linda Allen is totally professional,” commented Gatlin. “She set a very nice course for our first time around out there. It was a nice start for the week.” Gatlin credited her win to her horse’s performance in the jump-off. “In the first round he was a little bit hard to ride, a little excited, a little strong. After he got the first round out of his system then he settled down in the jump-off and was a little bit smoother.”

SunCal’s King is a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding that Gatlin has had the ride on since the end of March. “He was the horse that I did the Olympic Trials on,” noted Gatlin. “He’s a very scopey horse. We’ve just been constantly working on the ride-ability – lots of flatwork, lots of gymnastics and small jumps. All that hard work is starting to pay off.”

G atlin and her husband Morley Abey own a business in California with 30 horses competing in classes from hunters and equitation to Grand Prix.Gatlin said she chose to make the trip across the U.S. to compete in the Metropolitan National Horse Show because of the prize money and the computer points for the omputer list, but also “just to do something different.” She was favorably impressed with Pier 94 and The Show Piers on the Hudson. “I really like it. The stabling is great. There’s a nice size warm-up and a beautiful size ring. It’s very nice. It’s really kind of exciting – you’re right on the water and that’s a very unique thing at a horse show.”

Dressage Night And The Continental Cup

Prior to the $25,000 Open Jumper, the evening session opened with the second annual Dressage Night featuring the Continental Cup – a team Musical Freestyle competition. A rider at Grand Prix, Intermediaire I, and First Level made up each of three teams. The riders on the “Park Avenue Team” won the Gold Medal with a total score of 239; the team consisted of Cynthia Payne of Jupiter, Florida, aboard Laredo scoring 81% in the Grand Prix; Gabriel Armando of Argentina who resides in Flemington, New Jersey, riding Euclid scored 80% in the Intermediaire I; and Isabelle Leibler, 9, of Greenwich, Connecticut, riding her German pony Get the Picture scored 78%.

The Silver Medal went to the “Madison Avenue Team,” with 221 points. Making up the team were: Paige Finnegan of Chelmsford, Pennsylvania riding Karola I who earned 67% in the Grand Prix; Silke Rembacz of Readington, New Jersey, aboard Bulgari, scored 76% in the I-I; and Chelsea Allen, 11, of Eire, Pennsylvania, riding Don’t Tell Daddy earned 78% at First Level.

The Bronze Medal went to the “Fifth Avenue Team” comprised of Silke Rembacz aboard Connecticut who scored 73% in the Grand Prix; 1976 Montreal Olympian Dorothy Morkis of Dover, Massachusetts, aboard Mr. Big who earned 79% in the I-I; and Rachel Chowanec, 10, of Columbia, Connecticut, riding Hakunamatata scored 62% at First Level.

Individual ribbons were awarded to the riders based on their individual scores, with Chelsea Allen taking the blue for First Level (the tie was broken on the technical score of the freestyle); Gabriel Armando was the top scorer at Intermediaire I; and Cynthia Payne was the high score at Grand Prix.

“What I loved about my performance was that Laredo really rises to occasions like this,” said Payne. “He really enjoys the spotlight and I love that. He gives 200% every time out and tonight was another 200% night. I’m very proud of him.” The duo has been together for four years and come up through the ranks from Fourth Level. They trained with Dutch Olympian Anky Van Grunsven and later with Bert Rutten, the coach of the Dutch Olympic Team. This was Payne’s first experience with the National Horse Show. “This has been a real treat. It’s a privilege to do this for a living and a privilege to be in such a great horse show,” she said.

Silke Rembacz was competing in her second Continental Cup, and this year rode two horses, filling in at the last moment for injured rider Courtney King. “I enjoy coming because it is a very old, prestigious competition,” said Silke. “I enjoy the fact that this is something that jumpers and dressage can do together a little bit. I also enjoy coming in to Manhattan. The audience is really great. It’s fun that we’re invited to come here and show a little bit of what we do.”

“It’s good to come back to the city and show,” enthused Gabriel Armand, a former Manhattan banker who is now a professional rider and competed for Argentina in the 2003 Pan American Games. “I think the public of New York need to get closer to dressage and when they do, I think they will enjoy it. This is a show that people can come to and enjoy. I brought 20 people who were there clapping for me. Next year I’ll bring more!”

The Dressage Night competition was by invitation only. The riders were selected and teamed up by two-time Olympian Lendon Gray who also acted as announcer for the night’s freestyles. The judges were Margaret Freeman of Mt. Kisco, New York, and Heather Mason of Lebanon, New Jersey.