Upper Marlboro, MD – October 4, 2003 – Leslie Howard was the last of seven riders to tackle the jumpoff in the $30,000 Ariat Congressional Cup Grand Prix and in true Howard style the two-time Olympian nailed the twisting course and stopped the clock in a blistering 37.2 seconds to win the class for the second consecutive year.

The Ariat Congressional Cup Grand Prix, a FEI World Cup Qualifier, drew 46 entries and is the show jumping highlight at the Capital Challenge Horse Show held September 27 – October 5 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Last year Howard piloted Clover Leaf to the head of the class, while this year she rode Cocu, an eleven-year-old grey mare owned by Jane Clark.

Howard started riding the Holsteiner last winter and had never ridden Cocu indoors before. She was pleased with the mare’s performance.

“It worked out just like I planned,” said Howard. “I saw my distance to the Liverpool and that worried me a little. I just landed and turned and there it was.”

She added, “The first round was a little sticky in places, but she actually felt quite good in the jumpoff. She was right there for me in the turns. She waited when I asked her to wait, and she moved up when I asked her to move up.”

The rider who gave Howard a run for her money was Molly Ashe riding Lutopia. The pair finished second after navigating the Conrad Homfeld-designed course fault-free in 39.08 seconds. The ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare gave Ashe a wild ride between the first a second jumps when Lutopia cut right after the first oxer causing Ashe to lose her stirrup.

“I had a beautiful plan for a galloping sweeping turn,” she explained laughing. “Unfortunately my cutting horse had her own plan which left me doing my sweeping turn and her doing the cutting horse turn. I had no stirrup, hanging off the side of her until about a stride before the next jump. When I started kicking for the oxer somehow the stirrup ended up back on my foot.”

The Congressional Cup is one of two new World Cup Qualifier classes held indoors on the East Coast, which is something Howard has been a proponent of.

“We have two additional World Cup indoors which I think will be helpful to us when we go to the finals,” said Howard who would also like to see standardized prize money for World Cup classes and a one horse per rider rule.

The Capital Challenge Horse Show wraps up on Sunday, October 5, with classes in three rings. The junior and children’s hunters will run throughout the day. The highlight of the final afternoon will be the two World Champion Hunter Rider challenge classes and the junior/amateur-owner jumper prix. Admission is free. For more information please contact the show office at 301-952-7944/7945 or look for scheduling, results, photos and more on the show’s official website – www.capitalchallengehorseshow.com