Marty Bauman
Classic Communications
404.572.7200
classic.pr@verizon.net

ATLANTA (April 20, 2002) -Heidi White of Unionville, PA rode Northern Spy to a penalty-free cross country ride to take the lead in the 2002 MBNA Foxhall Cup, the National Championship of Eventing, at Foxhall Farm just outside Atlanta, GA.

White started Saturday’s cross country phase in fifth place after receiving a score of 50.00 penalties in the opening dressage phase on her own 9-year-old English Thoroughbred. With many riders making concessions to the unseasonable Georgia heat, there was a large number of time penalties. Among those who did was five-time U.S. Olympic veteran Bruce Davidson of Unionville, PA on his mount Welton Tangle who had held the lead with a score of 47.21 after dressage. Davidson and Welton Tangle completed cross country with no jumping penalties, but their 3.2 time penalties gave them a score of 50.41 and left them in second place.

“I knew I had a good horse under me today and that it was the day to ride well,” said White who rides with Phillip Dutton, the two-time Australian Olympic team Gold Medalist from West Grove, PA. “He’s really good in all three phases and he’s the sweetest, nicest horse.”

White noted that she took all the short routes with the horse she’s had for two years. “I could tell by the third fence that he was on today.”

Davidson pointed out that this event marks only the third time he’s been on Welton Tangle, an 11-year-old British Thoroughbred owned by Amy Ruth DeWind of Unionville. “I was riding a horse I don’t know that well and while I wanted to be as competitive as I could be, I also wanted to be sure of what I had. I took the long route at the bottom of the hill and that’s what cost me. Given the chance to do it again, I’d probably do it differently.”

Moving into third place was Bonnie Moser of Coatesville, PA who had a clean ride on Jenga, her own 9-year-old English Thoroughbred. Moser has a score of 51.20 penalties. Amy Tryon of Redmond, WA moved into fourth place with a penalty-free day on Woodstock, an 8-year-old American Thoroughbred owned by the Woodstock Group. The 1999 Pan American Games fourth-place finisher has a score of 52.01.

Established in 2000 by Jim Richards, the MBNA Foxhall Cup is a three-star level eventing competition designated by USA Equestrian as the National Championship of Eventing and by the U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) as its three-star Spring Championship. The title sponsor of this event is the MBNA America Bank. The MBNA Foxhall Cup donates proceeds to Shepherd Center, an Atlanta based catastrophic care hospital that treats individuals with acquired brain and spinal cord injuries.

The MBNA Foxhall Cup CCI*** is the first of five 2002 selection trials for USET riders hoping to qualify to represent the United States at the Eventing World Championships to be contested at the World Equestrian Games in Spain in September. The World Equestrian Games are held every four years and, other than the Olympics, is the world’s most important equestrian competition. The Foxhall Cup Championship concludes with the stadium jumping phase on Sunday, a day that also features the conclusion of Foxhall’ s $20,000 Grand Prix Freestyle Dressage competition.

The inaugural Foxhall Flower Show is also being held in conjunction with the MBNA Foxhall Cup. Based on the spirit, tradition and elegance of outdoor European flower shows, the event is the largest open-air flower show in the eastern United States and offers over $100,000 in prizes. Proceeds benefit botanical gardens of Georgia. For more information on the flower show, please visit www.foxhallflowershow.com.

For more information on the MBNA Foxhall Cup, including full results and how to purchase tickets, please visit www.foxhallcup.com.