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Annville, PA-November 28, 2006-Equestrian sport's best hunters and jumpers converged at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, to compete for top honors in the 2006 North American League (NAL) Finals, October 12-21. The finalists qualified based on performances over the previous 12 months in NAL classes.

The NAL runs season-long series in six hunter-jumper divisions - Adult Hunter, presented by Practical Horseman, Children's Hunter, Open Jumper Speed, Adult Jumper, Children's Jumper and Pony Jumper. Each division's series culminates with a championship final in Harrisburg in October. All horses competing in the NAL Finals earn U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse-of-the-Year points.

NAL Adult Hunter Final, presented by Practical Horseman

Lara McPherson of McLean, VA, and Tenerife capped off a dream year to win the $10,000 NAL Adult Hunter Final, presented by Practical Horseman. McPherson and "Henry," as he is called around the barn, arrived in Harrisburg as the top qualifiers in the Adult Hunter division. They continued their winning ways in the first round, receiving the highest score out of 31 competitors.

"It was a relief," said McPherson, who scored 87 points in the first round. "It's always nice to have a good first round. I knew after the first jump that we were going to have a good day."

The pair scored an 83 in the second round, bringing their combined tally to 170 points and keeping McPherson and Tenerife at the top of the leader board.

"He was perfect," said McPherson of her seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood. "He couldn't have done anything more."

This was the fourth appearance in the NAL Finals for McPherson. Her previous record included two seventh place finishes and a fifth in last year's Final.

"The NAL is great," said McPherson. "Harrisburg is one of my favorite horse shows and the NAL program gives us a chance to get there."

Lissa Bachner of Baltimore, MD, came close to unseating the champions. Bachner and her mount, Maddox, were the judge's favorite in the second round, and they received 84 points, but their first round score of 83 left the pair with a combined score of 167 points and second place.

NAL Children's Hunter Final

Catherine Tyree rode Peppercorn to the win in the $10,000 NAL Children's Hunter Final. The 12-year-old resident of Chicago, IL, was ranked third following the first round with a score of 85 points, but she managed to snag the top score of 87 in the second round to finish with a combined score of 172 points.

"He came back a little more relaxed in the second round," said Tyree of her eight-year-old Warmblood. "I was a little worried at first because he was still a little spooky, but once I took the first fence I knew it was okay. I'm so happy!"

Tyree may have been happy with her win in her first year competing in the NAL series, but her mother was ecstatic. "I am so proud of her," said Mary Tyree. "The Pennsylvania National Horse Show is such a special show, and the NAL is such a great program."

NAL Children's Jumper Final

Nicole Bellissimo, 12, of Wellington, FL, was "bellissima" aboard Coach to win the $10,000 NAL Children's Jumper Final. Bellissimo had one of four clean rounds in the jump-off, and her time of 32.885 seconds was the fastest of the four. She gives all the credit to her nine-year-old Warmblood gelding.

"He's really good," said Bellissimo. "He is a very careful horse. I just had to make sure I gave him leg. In the first round, there were no tight turns and you could really take your time, but in the jump-off, you had to really keep your leg on him for all of the really tight turns."

The Conrad Homfeld-designed course was somewhat friendly in the first round, yielding 14 clean trips for the jump-off. Bellissimo made the cut with two of her three mounts, going first in the jump-off with Curastella and having a rail down. She hopped right on Coach to come back fifth in the line up, going clean and fast, forcing the rest to catch her.

"There were a lot of good riders in the class," she said. "I was hoping I could win, but I didn't know if I could. It was fun."

NAL Pony Jumper Final

Wilhelmina Horzepa of Englishtown, NJ, took top honors in the $5,000 NAL Pony Jumper Final riding Exhilaration. Out of the four horse-and-rider combinations that made it to the jump-off, only Horzepa and Exhilaration were double clear. Their time of 33.963 seconds edged Kasey Cannon of North Wales, PA, and Cute As A Button, who were second with four faults in a time of 38.012 seconds. Third went to Meg O'Mara of Rumson, NJ, on Wild Wild West with four faults in a slower time of 44.432 seconds.

NAL Adult Jumper Final

Sandra Willekes of Sparta, NJ, riding Juvenafee, won the $10,000 NAL Adult Jumper Final by less than three tenths of a second in a heart-stopping jump-off.

Willekes was one of only six out of a starting field of 31 who turned in a clear round over the 12-obstacle first-round course. First to go in the jump-off was Stephanie Dixon of New Egypt, NJ, with Santa's Rocket. The pair turned in a clean round over the shortened, six-obstacle course with a time of 31.340 seconds. Raymond Coutley was up next aboard Ferns Ruby. Coutley, of Lexington Park, MD, also had a fault-free ride, but his time of 32.130 seconds left him in second place with four more horse-and-rider combinations to go in the jump-off.

Willekes and Juvenafee flew through the course, keeping all the rails in the cups. Their time of 30.270 seconds put them in first place and added to the pressure on the remaining three entries to run fast and clean. Hayley Carlson of Northport, NY, was next to go. Carlson also went clear, but her time of 30.551 seconds aboard Gracia left her just behind Willekes in second place.

Kali Jerman of Wintersville, PA, and Canon had a lightning-fast round, finishing in 29.101 seconds, but a rail down at the fifth fence spoiled their chance at top honors. Emily Straw-Colella of Mequon, WI, was last to go in the jump-off. She piloted Filibuster to a clean round in 31.622 seconds, putting her in fourth place.

NAL Open Jumper Speed Final

Brianne Goutal, 18, of New York, NY, won the $25,000 NAL Open Jumper Speed Final by two tenths of a second, riding Onira. The result surprised everyone, including Goutal.

"I really thought McLain (Ward) was going to beat me," said Goutal. He's so fast, and he rides so well. Then I thought Laura (Chapot) was going to win. I got a little bit lucky."

Indeed. Goutal went 19th in the line-up and by that time there were already five clear rounds. Molly Ashe of Wellington, FL, was the fastest of the five finishing in a time of 57.674 seconds on Lutopia. Ashe had already shown her penchant for speed earlier in the week winning the Keystone Speed Challenge. It looked like Goutal was easily going to beat Ashe until the last fence when she held Onira back, costing her precious time.

"I saw a long spot and a short one," said Goutal. "Earlier I saw someone go for it and knock it down, so I just pulled. The last fence was the biggest on the course and it looked a little tricky."

Goutal stopped the clock clean in a time of 57.075 seconds, but yet to go was Athens Olympic Team Gold Medalist and two-time winner of the NAL Open Jumper Speed Final, McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, on Goldika 559. Ward and Goldika had just won the Pennsylvania Big Jump the night before, and it looked like they were on their way to a second victory until they crossed the wire in a time of 57.096 seconds.

Still one remained to go, the Series' top qualifier, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, riding Sprite. Unfortunately, Chapot had some bad luck early, knocking a rail down on the third fence and giving Goutal a win in one of her favorite events.

"I love this class," said Goutal. "The NAL gives you a really good chance to learn to trust your stride and scope. You are challenged, but not overfaced."

Results from the 2006 North American League Finals appear below:

Presented by Practical Horseman

Plc HORSE; Rider

1 TENERIFE; Lara McPherson

2 MADDOX; Lissa Bachner

3 EYE REMEMBER RIO; Victoria Watters Leblond

4 EBONY; Lissa Bachner

5 LORDANTE; Dee McDuffee

6 DUBYA; Elizabeth Sponseller

7 TAPESTRY; Donna Struve

8 RIESLING; Cheryl Rubenstein

9 WALKABOUT; Rosalie Morton

10 MOONSHINE; Cara Walinsky

11 OVERSEAS; Mindy Wurzburg

12 TALISKER; Jessica Ianello

NAL CHILDREN'S HUNTER FINAL

Plc HORSE; Rider

1 PEPPERCORN; Catherine Tyree

2 ALL IN; Allan Palmer

3 BLING BLING; Sarah Ward

4 JUST ONE LOOK; Adele Norton

5 ULTRA GLIDE; Danielle Menker

6 STRA SONG; Ragen McGowen

7 MCIVER; Angel Stein

8 MELANDA; Salli Slack

9 GIZMO; Hannah Gorman

10 BERT; Abigail McArdle

11 DONNERKIND; Ryan Umberger

12 HENNESSEY; Bristol Markward

NAL CHILDREN'S JUMPER FINAL

Plc HORSE; Rider

1 COACH; Nicole Bellissimo

2 MANUELA DEL JUNCAL; Heather Timm

3 KEEPEN POSTED; Mara Kranz

4 QUITO II; Anders Keitz

5 MARKIES; Paulena Johnson

6 IBIZA DE MALIE; Alise V. Oken

7 I LOVE LUCY; Michael Hughes

8 CURASTELLA; Nicole Bellissimo

9 KARONA; Kellie Grush

10 VOTE FOR PEDRO; Alexandra Sonnenberg

11 DOCTRO; Alexandra Weber

12 AK MICKEY; Mackenzie Keck

NAL PONY JUMPER FINAL

Plc HORSE; Rider

1 EXHILARATION; Wilhelmina Horzepa

2 CUTE AS A BUTTON; Kasey Cannon

3 WILD WILD WEST; Meg O'Mara

4 INDIGO; Paige Coles

5 THE WATERBOY; Amber Siegelman

6 GOLDBUG; Haley Binder

7 C'EST LA VIE; Kasey Cannon

8 AMBER; Mary Elizabeth Horzepa

9 MYSTIC RAINBOW; Samantha Schaefer

10 FRENCH MINT; Betsy Beasley

NAL ADULT JUMPER FINAL

Plc HORSE; Rider

1 JUVENTAFEE; Sandra Willekes

2 GRACIA; Hayley Carlson

3 SANTA'S ROCKET; Stephanie Dixon

4 FILIBUSTER; Emily Straw-Colella

5 FERNS RUBY; Raymond Coutley

6 CANON; Kali Jerman

7 IMA GOOD 1-2; Patty Van Housen

8 PRIMEUR; Kelly Adams

9 MAXIMUS; Hannah Stonefield

10 THE BIG EASY; Susan Visser

11 KICK THE CLOUDS; Rebecca Forbes

12 SHAKER; Visse Wedell

NAL OPEN JUMPER SPEED FINAL

Plc HORSE; Rider

1 ONIRA; Brianne Goutal

2 GOLDIKA 559; McLain Ward

3 LUTOPIA; Molly Ashe

4 INTEGRITY; Beezie Madden

5 MARENGO; Norman Dello Joio

6 HOUSTON; Caitlyn Shiels

7 QUIK; Todd Minikus

8 SPRITE; Laura Chapot

9 UP CHIQUI; Kent Farrington

10 HIDDEN CREEK'S CALIPPO 12; Margie Engle

11 MARLO; Jimmy Torano

12 VDL MASERATIE; Chris Kappler

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show has hosted the North American League Finals since 1995. According to Lloyd Longenecker, Administrator of the NAL series, the program is bigger and better than ever.

"Membership is up and entries are up," said Longenecker. "The series is something we can do to give back to the horse community."

McLain Ward, who has won the NAL Open Jumper Speed Final twice, is a huge fan of the NAL program. "The NAL series is fantastic," said Ward. "It's been very, very good to me."

The NAL qualifying period runs from September 1 through August 31. Riders need not be members of the NAL to compete in any qualifying classes, but only current members earn points toward year-end finals.

For more information on the North American League and a list of qualifying competitions for the 2006-2007 season, please visit the Ryegate Show Services website at www.Ryegate.com.