New York City, NY - September 8, 2003 - The first three of eight regional finals for the prestigious American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)-Maclay National Horsemanship Championship took place over this past weekend.

At the Long Island Classic in Old Westbury, NY, Abigail Carpenter of Greenwich, CT guided her horse Cooper Union to the blue ribbon. Taking second place was Anna McKnight of Whitehall, MD.

Nicole Nord of St. Louis, MO and Know Secret took the win at the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show in Wentzville, MO. Sarah Mechlin of Wright City, MO was second.

Brittany Thomas of Langley, British Columbia rode to the top placing on Corvester at the Northwest Autumn Finals in Monroe, WA. Second place was awarded to Nicole Bourgeois of Sherwood, OR. The top ten results for each of the above regional finals follows this story.

The remaining regional finals to qualify for the ASPCA-Maclay Championship include the Grand Fall Classic in Westbrook CT; Camden Fall Classic in Camden, SC; Kentucky National in Lexington, KY; High Prairie Fall Classic in Parker, CO; and The Oaks Fall Classic in San Juan Capistrano, CA.

The ASPCA-Maclay National Horsemanship Championship will return to New York City at the new Metropolitan National Horse Show. The Metropolitan National Horse Show will take place from October 29 to November 2, 2003 at Pier 94 and the Showpiers on the Hudson Complex in Manhattan. The closing date for entries to the show is September 16. Pier 94 and the Showpiers Complex has played host to many top-class events including gift shows, entertainment extravaganzas, and as a location for major motion picture filming and fashion shows.

The ASPCA-Maclay Finals have long been the proving ground for future top international stars. Such notable equestrians as William Steinkraus, Frank Chapot, Conrad Homfeld, Leslie Howard, Peter Wylde, Ray Texel, and Nicole Shahinian-Simpson won the ASPCA-Maclay National Championship prior to going on to international equestrian success.

The three judges named to officiate the 2003 ASPCA-Maclay Championship at the Metropolitan National Horse Show are Hap Hansen of Encinitas, CA, Matt Collins of Culpeper, VA, and Julie Winkel of Reno, NV.

The National Horse Show Association of America (NHSAA) is managing three shows this year. After the Metropolitan National Horse Show, the National Horse Show Indoor Championships will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV on November 19 to 23. The final show of the three events organized in 2003 by the National Horse Show Association of America is the National Horse Show Outdoor Championships in Wellington, FL from November 26 to 30. All three shows will be rated "AA" by the national federation. Started in 1883, this is the 120th year for the National Horse Show Association of America.

Prize lists and qualification information about the three shows may be downloaded from the Internet at the NHSAA website, www.nhs.org. Tickets are now on sale for all three shows. Ticket order forms may be downloaded at the National Horse Show website at www.nhs.org. To order tickets, please write to The National Horse Show Box Office, Pier 92, 711 12th Avenue, NY, 10019 or fax your order form to (917) 591-9082 or (212) 977-8826. At this time, advance orders may only be accepted through the mail or by fax. For further information, you may call the box office at (212) 315-1882 or toll free at (888) 674-2733.

Details on qualification for National Horse Show Association events and related information may be obtained by contacting the National Horse Show Association, PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548, telephone (516) 484-1865, e-mail NationalHS@aol.com, or by consulting the official website at www.nhs.org. Further information may also be obtained by contacting show manager Bob Bell at bbell@classiccompany.com. Media inquiries can be directed to Hallie McEvoy at NationalHSNews@aol.com.

Weekend Results of Regional ASPCA-Maclay Finals*

* A Top Ten Placement Does Not Guarantee Qualification for the ASPCA-Maclay National Horsemanship Championship at the Metropolitan National Horse Show

Long Island Classic - Old Westbury, NY
1) Abigail Carpenter - Greenwich, CT
2) Anna McKnight - Whitehall, MD
3) Miasha Fisher - New York, NY
4) Kate Landau - Purchase, NY
5) Chris Karpowicz - Huntington, NY
6) Addison Phillips - New York, NY
7) Brianne Goutal - New York, NY
8) Emily Bohler - Stirling, NJ
9) Leigh Healy - Lumberton, NJ
10) Whitney Roper - Rumson, NJ

St. Louis National Charity Horse Show - Wentzville, MO
1) Nicole Nord - St. Louis, MO
2) Sarah Mechlin - Wright City, MO
3) Jane Ehrhart - St. Louis, MO
4) Andrew Welles - Long Lake, MN
5) Whitney Linders - Manhatten, KS
6) Alex Becksteet - Magnolia, TX
7) Erin Seeds - Dallas, TX
8) Megan Daniels - Bartlett, IL
9) Anna Schierholz - Chesterfield, MO
10) Alexandra May - Des Moines, IA

Northwest Autumn Finals - Monroe, WA
1) Brittany Thomas - Langley, British Columbia, Canada
2) Nicole Bourgeois - Sherwood, OR
3) Stephanie Kelly - Richmond, British Columbia
4) Erin Rurak - Vancouver, British Columbia
5) Laura Stadum - Camas, WA
6) Jill Folkestad - Wilsonville, OR
7) Natalie Jones - Maple Ridge, British Columbia
8) Chelsea Jones - Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia
9) Betsy Christianson - Kenmore, WA
10) Vanessa Holsberry - Sherwood, OR