Tampa, FL - February 26, 2002 - Christine Tribble and Cody Baird took top honors on the opening weekend of the 2002 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series.
Offering, for the first time, separate series for amateur-owner riders and for junior riders, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series started its 2002 season at the Zada Enterprises Wellington Masters at the Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival on February 23 - 24.
The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series is sponsored in part by a grant from the National Horse Sports Foundation. The Series holds classes at 51 horse shows across the country with, for the first time in 2002, a year-end championship Final at the National Horse Show. Also for the first time this year, the National Horse Show is accepting its amateur-owner jumper and junior jumper entries based on Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series standings.
Tribble, of Suffield, CT, up on Madonna, took top honors in the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Amateur Owner Jumper Classic in the internationale arena at Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club. Tribble and Madonna were flawless over course-designer Olaf Petersen's jumping courses with a jump-off time of 45.576 seconds, defeating 56 other horse-and-rider combinations for the blue ribbon.
Second place went to Robin Sweely of Madison, VA up on Carlow Clover. The duo, one of twelve pairs to advance to the jump-off round, rode double clear rounds and had a jump-off time of 47.095 seconds. Tahedl Alexander and Pablo 4, the other entry of the only three to go clean in the jump-off round, clocked in at 49.251 seconds.
Baird, of Greenwich, CT, topped a field of 29 junior entries in the $15,000 BET on Jazz High Junior Jumper Classic on Orlandia. She was the last to go of the 15 in the jump-off and she claimed the win by finishing fault free in 24.788 seconds.
Placing second with a time of 25.771 seconds on Just Dreamin' was Paige Johnson of Middleburg, VA.
The Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL was established in 1987 and formally opened in 1989. It was organized to promote the sport of show jumping and to immortalize the legends of the men, women and horses who have made great contributions to the sport.
The Show Jumping Hall of Fame also conducts the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, held under Grand Prix rules and specifications. This gives Amateur-Owner and Junior riders an opportunity to compete at higher levels and serves as a proving ground for many riders who aspire to someday represent the United States in international competition.
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 National Horse Sports Foundation, please call (914) 454-5555.