Wellington, FL-September 26, 2001-The 30th annual Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival will host the United States' first-ever outdoor Nations' Cup (international team show jumping competition) as part of its expanded 2002 edition which runs January 23 - April 7 in Wellington and Tampa, FL.

The Nations' Cup will take place during the Cosequin Wellington Finale CSIO, March 6-10, the final week of the Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival's seven-week stay at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL.

The new CSIO (official international show jumping team event), recognized by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), is sure to attract some of Europe's leading horses and riders to do battle with the top U.S. competitors.

"We are very excited to be able to offer this new Nations' Cup to our country's show jumping fans," said Eugene R. Mische, president of Stadium Jumping, Inc., the nation's leading producer of hunter-jumper horse shows which is responsible for the Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival. "As we see in the Olympics every four years, there is an added air of excitement when teams compete on behalf of their countries and we think the International Arena at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club is the perfect setting for this."

Wellington is only the fifth U.S. location for a Nations' Cup since the first Nations' Cup was held in London, England in 1909. The first Nations' Cup in the U.S. was at the National Horse Show in New York in 1911. The National Horse Show continued to host Nations' Cups through 1998, missing only the years 1914-1924 and 1942-1945. Other U.S. cities to host Nations' Cups are Boston (1929-1932), Harrisburg (1948-1963, 1965-1966, 1969-1972) and Washington D.C. (1973-present).

Generally, there is only one Nations' Cup per country in a given year, although there are exceptions to this. Canada, for example, hosts Nations' Cups at both Calgary and Toronto and the U.S. has generally hosted two. This will be the first time the U.S. has hosted two since the National Horse Show last hosted one in New York in 1998.

In addition to its seven weeks of hunter-jumper competition in Wellington, the 2002 Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival will also host two weeks of show jumping competition in Tampa, culminating with the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational in Raymond James Stadium on March 30. The Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival returns to Wellington for the American Grandprix Association Show Jumping Championship, April 3-7. The Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival also hosts three weeks of dressage competition in Wellington including the WEF Dressage Classic CDIY***, also recognized by the Federation Equestre Internationale.

Further information on the 2002 Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival is available online at www.stadiumjumping.com.