122nd National Horse Show and Family Festival Sponsors are Integral to Success

Wellington, FL- November 16- The 122nd National Horse Show and Family Festival (NHS), will host the nation’s best horses and riders this November 30-December 4, 2005, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. The horse show is the last stop in a busy year of competition and has been a major production in the fall for the past three years. The National Horse Show could not happen without the generosity and support of its sponsors.

This year, NHS is thrilled to have all ten of its major sponsors return for the fourth consecutive year.

Lexus is the official automobile of the NHS and will sponsor the $100,000 Lexus National Horse Show Jumper Championships, CSI-W on Friday evening, December 2.

Established in the early 1980s and launched in 1989, the Lexus brand soon became associated with quality, luxury and superior customer satisfaction. The brand’s reputation grew quickly until, barely a dozen years after its founding, Lexus became America's best-selling line of luxury motor vehicles. Lexus belongs to the global Toyota family, whose members together constitute the world's third-leading automaker.

The $100,000 Lexus National Horse Show Jumper Championships are presented by Chesapeake Petroleum, who is another generous sponsor at the NHS. In addition, they are also the presenting sponsor for the Budweiser AGA Championship Series Final, CSI 3* on Sunday, December 4 and are the title sponsor of the Chesapeake Petroleum National Speed Classic, CSI on Thursday, December 1 and the Chesapeake Petroleum National Speed Stake, CSI on Saturday, December 3.

Chesapeake Petroleum and Supply Inc. was founded by Rexford A. Davis in October 1961. Now in its 45th year, the company has become the premier distributor of automotive lubricants and other related products in the Mid-Atlantic region. Chesapeake has been headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. since 1967 and added a second distribution center in Upper Marlboro, Md. in 2000. Vice President of the Board and the founder’s daughter, Victoria McCullough, was vital in bringing support to the NHS.

Budweiser, owned by Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is the title sponsor of the main event on Sunday, the $75,000 Budweiser AGA Championship Series Final, CSI 3*, presented by Chesapeake Petroleum. Founded in 1876 by Eberhard Anheuser and led later by Adolphus Busch, their most famous brand name is Budweiser. Nearly one of every two beers sold in the United States is an Anheuser-Busch product. Budweiser and Bud Light are the number one and two best-selling beers in the United States. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is one of the largest and most prominent sponsors of American sport, as well as the equestrian industry.

The official newspaper of the NHS is The Palm Beach Post, which is based in West Palm Beach, Florida. They are the sponsors of the opening event, the $5,000 Palm Beach Post National Horse Show Welcome Stake, CSI on Wednesday, November 30. The paper began as The Palm Beach County, a weekly newspaper established in 1908. In 1916, it became a daily morning publication known as The Palm Beach Post. Today, The Palm Beach Post has nearly one-half-million daily readers and ranks as one of the top 100 newspapers in the country, based on circulation. The Palm Beach Post serves seven counties in Florida: Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Indian River, Hendry, and Glades.

The Palm Beach Daily News, affectionately known as "The Shiny Sheet" because of its high quality newsprint, has been serving Palm Beach since 1897. It was acquired by Cox Enterprises in 1969, and today is headquartered at 265 Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach, FL. The majority of its coverage focuses on the towns of Palm Beach, South Palm Beach, and Manalapan. They include stories about local and regional government, society, fashion, business, and arts and entertainment.

The Shiny Sheet is also the proud sponsor of the Palm Beach Daily News Adult Amateur Jumper Section, which hosts three classes of competition for $11,000 in prize money on Friday through Sunday, December 2-4.

The sponsors of both the Amateur-Owner 18-35 and Amateur-Owner 36 & Over Hunter divisions is Kilkenny Insurance Agency. In 1994, Wellington residents Laura and Michael Whitlow wanted to combine their love of horses and the horse community with a satisfying and profitable business. Now one of the top equine insurance agencies in the country, Kilkenny provides equine insurance to horses and farms involved in the equestrian disciplines of hunters, jumpers, equitation and dressage. Its underwriter, The Insurance Company of Hannover, is a well-known firm in the insurance industry based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Vanessa Symmons Redfern is sponsoring the Regular Working Hunter division in honor of her late husband, William Barlow Redfern. Mr. Redfern was a well-known, amateur equestrian.

Bainbridge Farm will sponsor the Adult Amateur Working Hunter division, which is comprised of three over fences classes and one under saddle class for a total of $10,000 in prize money. Bainbridge Farm is owned by Richard Schechter, who is the president and CEO of The Bainbridge Companies LLC.

The Bainbridge Companies LLC is a Florida-based fully integrated real estate company that has properties in Wellington, Florida. They are engaged in the development, construction, management, acquisition and disposition of commercial and residential real estate. Their apartment community development and acquisition programs are centered in specific markets in Florida, which boasts one of the most vibrant and diverse economies in the United States. These communities are located in high growth areas including the southeast, central, and northeast regions of the state, where significant opportunities exist for their type of multifamily community, either as rental multifamily or conversion to condominium ownership.

The Village of Wellington will sponsor The National Pony Hunter Classic, always one of the most closely-watched classes by enthusiastic parents and friends. It offers three rounds of competition for ponies in the Small/Medium division and the Large division, and it offers $5,000 in prize money.

Acme Improvement District incorporated as the Village of Wellington on December 31, 1995, and held its first elections for council members in March 1996. "Today, the Village of Wellington is both a thriving family-oriented community of 50,000 full-time residents and the winter equestrian capital of the world," said Wellington Mayor Thomas M. Wenham. "Wellington continues to offer its residents and visitors some of the best neighborhood schools, equestrian trails, and more than 30 park locations."

The title sponsor for the 4th Annual Dressage at the National is Zada Enterprises, LLC. Though Zada Enterprises, LLC evolved as a company devoted to sponsorships primarily in the equestrian world, the reach of the support extends to other endeavors as well. In West Palm Beach, Zada Enterprises, LLC sponsors the Sheriff's Football Team and the Southern Florida Lawmen's Softball Teams. Zada Enterprises, LLC also funds handicapped and therapeutic riding centers in Michigan and Colorado and organizations supporting terminally ill AIDS patients.

Along with major class and division sponsors, the 122nd National Horse Show and Family Festival would like to acknowledge their other supporters: Davera Ackenbom/The Hunter Experience (Ladies Side Saddle division), Bella Colina, Blue Star Jets, Brookledge Horse Transportation, Coca-Cola, Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory After Hours Party), Equestrian Properties, Florida Coast Equipment, Hampton Inn, Oster Professional Products (Oster Grooms Award of the NHS), Palm Beach Polo, Platinum Performance, Quantum Group, SSG Gloves, Tara Management, Inc., VIVE Magazine, Wellington Regional Health and Educational Foundation, Inc., and Wild Horse Winery (Official Wine of the NHS).

Photo Credit: Aimee Aron and Corafina 4 winning the $10,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Open Speed Stake at the 2004 National Horse Show and Family Festival. Photo by Flashpoint Photography.