TAMPA, FL-September 28, 2001- Danielle Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, FL was leading the East Conference with 136 points; and Morgan Fauth of Wayzata, MN leading the West Conference with 43 points as the National Horse Sports Foundation Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series neared the conclusion of its 2001 season. Erin Haas of Chelsea, MI and North Face Farm's mount, Mir, won the Central Conference following the Kentucky National Horse Show on September 23.

Central Conference Action
Haas won the Central Conference series with 88 points, after defeating a field of 18 competitors at the Kentucky National Horse Show, the culminating event of the 8-event series. She also won the National Horse Sports Foundation Show Jumping Hall of Fame class at the Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show in August.

At the Kentucky National Horse Show, Haas was the third to go in the nine-competitor jump-off field. After posting one of only three clean rounds, it was her fast time of 39.686 seconds that put her over the top and clinched her the title. Larry Hollahan and Sky King finished second with a clean round in 42.063 seconds, followed by Amanda Carone of Sylvania, OH and Notorious, who finished in third with a time of 42.852 seconds. East Conference Action

In September, Danielle Torano of Fort Lauderdale, FL broadened her lead in the East Conference with a win at the American Gold Cup. She was in first place with 136 points. Caitlin Venezia of Marstons Mills, MA was second with 76 points, while Paige Rassas of Northfield, IL was third with 60 points. Joy Carrier joined the winning ranks after claiming her first victory at the Quentin Riding Club Fall Horse Show in Pennsylvania. After advancing two horses to the three-competitor jump-off, Carrier had the luxury of going first and third. Riding Down Under, she turned in a four-fault round in 34.642 seconds. Beth Forbes Howard of Stuarts Draft, VA and Stormin Norman proceeded to ride clear in a time of 34.831 seconds. Knowing the time to beat, Carrier reentered the ring with Shindig and turned in a clear ride in 33.000 seconds to claim the win.

At the American Gold Cup, Torano defeated a field of 26 competitors to return to the winner's circle with Von Pilot. Katie Milton of Locust Valley, NY finished in second place with Azur De La Have, followed by Amanda Gumberg of Pittsburgh, PA and Mont Blanc in third. West Conference Action

With only one competition remaining in the Conference, Morgan Fauth held the lead that she secured after winning the Rocky Mountain Classic in July. Overall, Fauth sits atop the leader board with 43 points, followed by Summer Bruington of Boerne, TX with 34 points.

Shelby Walter of Beverly Hills, CA moved into a tie for third place in the Conference standings after winning the Show Jumping Hall of Fame class at the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival Horse Show. As the first to go in the three-competitor jump-off, Walter established the pace with a clear round in 37.725 seconds. Her strong ride proved to be unbeatable as Kiera Steele and Ashlee Bond each earned four faults. Steele of Woodinville, WA and Kilcullen Diamond took second with a time of 30.522, followed by Bond of Hidden Hills, CA and Fabius in third with a time of 33.384 seconds. The NHSF Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, which runs February through November, is divided into three geographical conferences: the East Conference hosting 22 shows, the Central Conference hosting 8 shows and the West Conference hosting 5 shows. Conference point standings are calculated separately and updated after all shows. At the end of the series, a championship is awarded for each conference with East and Central Conference champions honored at the National Horse Show in New York and the West Conference champion honored at the Los Angeles National Horse Show in Burbank, CA.

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series gives Amateur-Owner and junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition.

The focus of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is to encourage broader interest and participation in the equestrian sport of show jumping, as well as to educate the equestrian and non-equestrian alike by sharing the sport's lore, fundamentals, history and greatest achievements.

The National Horse Sports Foundation (NHSF) is a publicly supported charitable and educational organization whose purposes include providing financial and technical support for amateur equestrian programs for adults and children including therapeutic riding and competitions for the disabled.

For more information about the 2001 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, please visit the Show Jumping Hall of Fame website at www.showjumpinghalloffame.net. For more information about the National Horse Sports Foundation, please call (914) 454-5555.