NEW YORK, NY - November 5, 2004 - It was a big night for the hometown girl, Georgina Bloomberg, 21, of New York City, who won the Round 2 Phases in both the $50,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Liberty Cup and the $100,000 Tavern on the Green Metropolitan Cup. "I didn't think I'd stay awake, it's past my bedtime," Bloomberg joked as the clock neared midnight to close the evening session of the Metropolitan National Horse Show in Manhattan. Winning two big classes in the same night kept her energy up however. "It's good. It doesn't happen very often like that so you have to appreciate it when it does!" she said.

Bloomberg started off her winning evening competing in Round 2 of the Liberty Cup, the $12,500 Jump Off Class. Going in reverse order of the finish from last night's Round 1 Speed Class, 26 riders participated. Bloomberg aboard Action owned by Gotham Enterprizes bested the field and topped a six-horse jump-off to claim victory. Junior rider Blythe Marano, of Danville, New Jersey, placed second riding River. Katherine Protasiewicz of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, aboard McGrath placed third.

Bloomberg, daughter of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a student at Gallatin, a school at New York University in Manhattan. She has been riding Action, a 13-year-old stallion, for four years. "I've had him the longest of any of my horses, so I probably know him the best," said Bloomberg. She has successfully shown Action to consistent wins in the High Amateurs. "Every single show he has won a class for me, so he's been great."

The amateur-owners and juniors jumped a first round course of 12 jumps designed by Linda Allen in a Time Allowed of 74 seconds. Six horses went clean and returned for the jump-off over a shortened course of seven efforts with 42 seconds Time Allowed.

Dr. Nick Ellis of Southern Pines, North Carolina, riding Gepardieu, a horse he owns with his wife, was first to attempt the short course and had two knockdowns and six time faults for a final score of 14 faults in 42.74 seconds, ending in sixth place. Gabby Slome of Riverdale, New York, aboard Salsa had the second fence down for four faults in 30.96 and finished in fourth place. Blythe Marano and River had the first clear round, setting the pace at 31.60, but the time did not hold up and she ended up with the red ribbon. Katherine Protasiewicz aboard McGrath put the pedal to the metal and had the time, clocking in at 30.55, but tumbled the fifth fence and had to settle for third. Amanda Forte of Glenmore, Pennsylvania, riding Minuet chased the leader but could only manage 31.21 and lowered the fourth fence to finish fifth. Last to go, Georgina Bloomberg and Action raced around the course clocking in clear at 30.27 seconds to win.

"He's a very quick horse. In the air he jumps a lot quicker than most other horses. He's also very good on the turns. Coming around to the last jump I took a little bit of a shot and I just hoped that the footing would hold up and that he'd see the jump and it paid off," Bloomberg said. She acknowledged that she chose a tight take-off spot at that fence, but that Action jumps best in that situation. "He's a very careful horse and I know what he can and can't do and where I can get away with little mistakes."

Bloomberg is now the highest ranked rider going in to tomorrow's Round 3 of the Liberty Cup, in which the order of go will be in reverse of their standing. "I've been in that position before. I've done a couple of the Young Rider Championships where you're put in the same position - the better you do, the more pressure you face," she said with a laugh. "It is pressure, but I think I ride best under pressure so I'm looking forward to it. " She will again ride Action.

Bloomberg said that she did not feel pressure to perform well as 'New York's hometown girl'. "I am still around the same [horse show] people and the great thing about the horse show world is that I know I'm going to see them again at the next show, so if I mess up here, it's not like the only time they're going to see me ride," she said, adding, "But absolutely, I have lots of friends and family here and it means a lot more to win here than it would probably at a show in Pennsylvania."

The Liberty Cup is a three-phase competition with the third and final phase, the $12,500 Two Round Final, to be held tomorrow night, November 6. In this Modified World Cup Format, the winner of the $50,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Liberty Cup will be determined when the overall results from the three classes are tallied. An additional $12,500 will be divided among the top eight competitors in the overall ranking. Bloomberg earned $3,900 for tonight's win.

Georgina Bloomberg And Nadia Win Round 2 Of $100,000 Tavern On The Green Metropolitan Cup

Wrapping up the evening horse show, riders competed in Round 2 of the $100,000 Tavern On The Green Metropolitan Cup. Riding Nadia owned by Gotham Enterprizes, Bloomberg bested a field of 19 horses to win the $25,000 Jump Off Class. Laura Linback of Mundelein, Illinois, placed second aboard Quintin owned by Woodrun Farm. Ken Berkley of Flemington, New Jersey, aboard Maestro owned by River's Edge Farm was third. The order of go was in reverse of last night's Round 1, $25,000 Speed Class.

Course designer Linda Allen set a 15-effort track for the first round with Time Allowed set at 75 seconds. Nine riders went clean and moved on to the six-effort jump-off with Time Allowed set at 38 seconds.

All but two of the nine riders in the jump-off went clean, so it was a heated speed battle for the win. Bloomberg was the third rider on course, and the third rider to put in a clear trip, but her time of 25.74 bumped the previous riders out of the lead and was unbeatable for all the riders who chased her afterwards. Coming closest was the last rider to go, Laura Linback aboard Quintin, who produced a clear in 26.97 seconds. Ken Berkley and Maestro had set the early pace at 27.36 seconds going second in the tiebreaker but had to settle for the red ribbon.

Nadia is a nine-year-old, bay Dutch warmblood mare that Bloomberg has owned for three years. "She is one of my most rewarding horses when she goes well because we got her as a six-year-old and made her ourselves," said Bloomberg. "She's turning out to be a great horse. She's still a little green over the bigger jumps so when she goes well it really pays off, especially indoors when a lot of horses are a little spooky." Bloomberg said she had a lot of wins with Nadia in the High Amateurs when she moved the mare up to that level and earned championships at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Bloomberg was on the USET Developing Riders Team in Europe this summer with Nadia and noted, "My biggest win with her was at the Derby in Drammen, Norway, because everything there is very spooky stuff."

With nearly half the class tonight going clear for the jump-off, Bloomberg said she had a definite strategy for her ride. "I wanted to take a little risk because you never know what they're going to do," Bloomberg explained. "You can't really go for the slow clear because if everybody else goes clear you're going to be sixth or seventh." She also noted that because Nadia has a big stride and feels slower than Action, who feels very fast and turns very fast, she tends to gallop more with the mare, which added to her speed. "But I honestly don't know where I was faster than everybody else because I didn't watch anybody else go!" she laughed.

In the Speed Phase, Round 1 of the Metropolitan Cup last night, Bloomberg rode Lumina to an 11th place finish. After tonight's performance with Nadia in Round 2, she has decided that it will be Nadia that she rides tomorrow night in Round 3. "So many were clear tonight that the course will probably be bigger tomorrow night and Nadia is a bit more scopey. I've had her longer, and with the bigger jumps she's a little more trustworthy," Bloomberg explained.

The Metropolitan Cup is conducted in a three-phase, modified World Cup format. The $25,000 Two Round Final will be held tomorrow evening, November 6. The winner of the $100,000 Tavern On The Green Metropolitan Cup is based on the overall result of the three performances. The top 12 competitors will divide an additional $25,000 based on overall ranking. For tonight's win, Bloomberg earned $7,500.

During the intermission between the Liberty Cup and Metropolitan Cup competitions, the Northeast Friesian Horse Club Drill Team performed. The eight-horse team of black Friesians executed synchronized patterns such as The Leap Frog, The Snake, The Pinwheel, and Thread The Needle. Performers were: Debra Hinds (Lead Rider & Captain) riding Renee; Maria Gadaree (Lead Rider) with Charisma; Nicole Byers riding Hamil; Marti Aman (Manager) with Janny; Jenny Wells (Coach) riding Shakespeare; Meredith Russo aboard On Parade of Lindisfarne; Charmane Delisle and Theunis; and Eugene Sweeney riding Teake. Bonnie Aman is the Team's Alternate and Assistant Coach.

The Metropolitan National Horse Show

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

Directions

Pier 94 and The Show Piers is located at Twelfth Avenue (West Side Highway) and 54th Street. Use any access point to New York City, including the Lincoln, Holland, or Queens Midtown tunnels, or the George Washington Bridge, and proceed to the West Side Highway in Manhattan at 54th Street. Ample parking is available at Ship Terminal, Pier 92.

Public Transportation

Subway: A, C, E, to 50th Street, Manhattan

Bus: M31, M11, M50, Manhattan

Livery Cars: On standby at Pier 94 Entrance during show hours

Information

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