Tampa, Fl -- July 22, 1999 --- The Show Jumping Hall of Fame recently honored the conference winners of the 1999 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series.

Emily Williams of Loveland, OH rode Abracadabra to win the Midwest Conference. Williams, 17, punctuated her final junior year with the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series honors after a string of notable wins. Williams had strong performances in May topping both Hall of Fame classes at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show and the Kentucky Spring Classic. Williams bested 63 and 64 entries respectively which made the Kentucky classes the largest in the series. In addition to her Hall of Fame success, Williams collected the team Gold Medal in the North American Young Riders' Championships, and became only the 11th rider in history to win the Eisers & Pessoa/AHSA Medal and NHSF/ASPCA Maclay finals in the same year.

In the Eastern Conference it was a close race, but Mary Moricoli of Wilmetto, IL, rode Lisa to finish with top honors. The horse-and-rider collected 65 points on the year, with a Hall of Fame class win on August 8 at the Sugarbush Horse Show in Waitsfield, VT.

The Western Conference was the last to conclude. The final horse show was the Los Angeles National in Burbank, CA. There, Blakely Wickstrom of Rancho Santa Fe, CA piloted Rodeo to third-place which clinched the Western Conference title. Wickstrom and Rodeo led the conference with an impressive 95 points, besting the second-place finisher by 34 points.

The Eastern and Midwest Conference champions were honored in New York City at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden and the Western Conference champion was honored at the Los Angeles National Horse Show in Burbank, CA. The three conference champions were each awarded a Tiffany Crystal for their accomplishments.

George Morris, President of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, said, "We feel the Show Jumping Hall of Fame series is an excellent series for our amateur-owner and junior riders. We are pleased to be running these highly competitive classes throughout the year and across the country, establishing a proving ground for our future grand prix riders."

The Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series opened this past year on March 6 at the Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL and concluded on November 21 at the Los Angeles National Horse Show in Burbank, CA.

The focus of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is to encourage broader interest and participation in the equestrian sport of show jumping, as well as to educate the equestrian and non-equestrian alike by sharing the sport's lore, fundamentals, history and greatest achievements.

or more information please contact Classic Communications by phone (508) 698-6810, by fax (508) 698-6811 or by email, classicomm@aol.com.