Wellington, Florida-November 8, 2002-The 119th National Horse Show, to be held at The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club from November 26 through December 1, 2002, will bring together the best horses and riders in the U. S. to compete for some of the most prestigious and lucrative prizes in the equestrian world.

A Who's Who of riders who have represented the United States in the Olympics will be among the competitors in the jumper classes including Olympians such as Margie Goldstein-Engle, Lauren Hough, Laura Kraut, Nona Garson, Norman Dello Joio, Todd Minikus and Leslie Burr Howard.

Hough, winner of the Grand Prix at last year's National, will be seeking to make it two in a row in this year's $100,000 National Horse Show Jumper Championship, a World Cup qualifying event. Dello Joio, currently leading the USA East Coast League World Cup standings, just returned from Europe with a win at the World Cup qualifier in Oslo and a third place finish at the World Cup qualifier in Helsinki. Other well-known jumper riders, such as Alison Firestone, McLain Ward and Marley Goodman, will also be competing at The National in Wellington.

Engle, a Miami native who resides in Wellington, says she is thrilled to be competing at the National Horse Show in Wellington and loves the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club's facilities that are so nice for the horses in terms of stabling, practice rings, turn-out, and the relaxed, country environment. "There is only one National, and it will always be considered the most prestigious horse show in the U.S. I am excited by this year's change in venue."

In the hunter rings, top horses owned by prominent people/families such as Sale Johnson, Craig Lindner, Deeridge Farm (the Jacobs family), Caroline Moran and Salamander Farm (the Johnson family of BET) will be showing at their best. Betty Oare, Dee Thomas and Robin Swinderman, who are the #1-ranked amateur-owner hunter riders, will also be competing having earned the right by virtue of their top status.

Five-time U.S. Olympic dressage rider Robert Dover has announced that he will be coming out of retirement to participate in the dressage competitions at the National. This is the first time in The National's history that a full schedule of dressage competition is included.

For more information on the 119th National Horse Show, please contact Mason Phelps, Jr., Caren Hunter, Barbara Lundy or Beverly Lake Wilkes at (561) 753-3389.