Contact:
Stephanie Shertzer Lawson (717) 898-5874 (717) 898-1458 fax

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show, held October 11 to 20 at the Farm Show Arena, Harrisburg, PA, is not just the country's largest multi-breed indoor horse show. It's also the setting for the country's fiercest equestrian competition, as ten coveted national titles will be decided during the show's ten day run.

One of only three USA Junior Olympics-Equestrian events is the American Horse Shows Association/Black Entertainment Television National Junior Jumper Championship. Teams of the top four riders under age 18 from each zone, or region, of the US, compete over jumps for Junior Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals on Friday night, October 12. The young riders compete for individual titles on Thursday and Saturday, October 11 and 13.

The Junior Jumper championships precede by one day the American Horse Shows Association/Eisers and Pessoa National Hunt Seat Equitation Medal Championship. More than two hundred top young riders under age 18, from nearly every state and Canada, vie for their ultimate prize, the Medal that recognizes the best young equitation rider in the country. Riders endure a grueling day of competition and advanced tests over fences as they are judged on their horsemanship and control. The field is slowly narrowed until a handful of finalists is given a final test, which may be as difficult as jumping a challenging course without coaching and on a horse they've never before ridden. The list of riders who have won over the past 53 years reads like a Who's Who of American equestrian sports, many of whom have gone on to represent the US internationally in Olympic and World Cup competition.

One of the country's largest organizations for amateur, professional and junior riders, the North American League holds its year end championships at the Pennsylvania National. The NAL's 1,500 members take 38,000 rides over the course of the year; the 20 to 30 most successful horse and rider combinations are invited to compete for the championship in six divisions at the Pennsylvania National.

A national title for Grand Prix jumper riders will be held for the fourth year on Friday evening, October 19. The North American League Open Jumper Speed Series $25,000 Championship showcases top professional riders on the true speedsters of the open jumper ranks--those who jump high and go fast. Riders have qualified for the finals by competing successfully throughout 2000 over fences 4'9" high at shows from Florida to Ontario and in the midwest. The North American League Pony Jumper Championship will be held on Thursday evening, October 11. This championship is open to the top 20 riders under 18 who have qualified on their ponies (14.2 hands and under) over the past year.

Other national titles decided at the show are the North American League Children's Jumper Finals and the North American League Children's Hunter Finals, Tuesday, October 16, the North American League Adult Jumper Finals, Saturday, October 20, and the North American League Adult Hunter Finals, Friday, October 19. These championships are for amateur adults and children, competing over fences no higher than 3'6". Qualifying points are earned by horses and riders as a team--a rider at the top of the standings must compete in the championship on the horse on which he or she earned the points. About four hundred qualifying classes are held at shows in the east, midwest, California and Colorado.

Pennsylvania is home to more foxhunting clubs than any state except Virginia, so it's only fitting that the North American Foxhunting Horn Blowing Championship be held at the Pennsylvania National. Created by the Master of Foxhounds Association in 1995, the championship will be held during Hunt Night, Monday, October 15. The championship features the winners of regional competitions, who execute the four traditional melodies that communicate to hunters spread over a wide area the movement of the hounds in the hunt field.

Other world class championships are held at the PNHS, among them the $50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix de Penn National, part of the Budweiser/American Grand Prix Series of Showjumping, held Saturday night, October 20, and the $25,000 Pennsylvania Big Jump, Thursday, October 18. Both are used by the US Equestrian Team to pick the horses and riders who will compete internationally under the American flag.

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show, America's largest multi-breed indoor horse show, features competition for more than 1,100 horses from across the US: hunters, jumpers, draft, saddlebred, western pleasure and roadster horses and Hackney ponies. For a free brochure or to order tickets, phone (717) 975-3677.