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New York City Venue Announced By National Horse Show Association

New York, New York (April 15, 2003) -- The National Horse Show Association of America announced today that its venue for the new Metropolitan National Horse Show of 2003 in New York City will be Manhattan’s Pier 94 and the adjacent Show Piers on the Hudson, just west of 12th Avenue (West Side Highway) at 54th Street. The dates are Wednesday, October 29, through Sunday, November 2.

Joining the National’s president, Alan F. Balch, and Eugene R. Mische, chairman, in making the announcement, were Kenneth J. Podziba, Commissioner of the New York City Sports Commission, and Chuck Newman, representing Pier 94 and the Show Piers on the Hudson (www.showpiers.com).

Balch commented, “Our very thorough investigation over the last year of all possible venues in Manhattan and the other New York boroughs led us to many possibilities, but none approached this one’s overall feasibility. We looked at a variety of indoor and outdoor venues, well over 20 in all, and each presented opportunities. Pier 94 and the Show Piers, however, not only presented us with possibilities for great innovation, but also will make for some of the nicest indoor conditions that our competitors will ever have enjoyed, anywhere.”

“Our complex,” stated Newman, “provides one of the biggest clear-span indoor locations in Manhattan. The organizers of the National have paid us countless visits now with officials, architects, technical and operations people, and vendors, and we’re happy that we have exceeded their standards of feasibility. We were confident we would from the first day we were approached. Our complex includes what were originally built as freight shipping and ship passenger terminals on the Hudson River, so the spaces available are gigantic, and include all necessary amenities for some of New York’s most attractive events.” Other events held at the complex have included the Architectural Digest Home Show, and numerous fashion and trade shows. “Horses will be a first for us,” laughed Newman, “but we’re easily accessible from everywhere in the tri-state area. We can handle tens of thousands of spectators over the week of the show, with immediately adjacent parking for both spectators and exhibitors, trucks included. We’re also walking distance from the subway and bus lines, very near the Theatre District, as well as to many fine hotels and restaurants.”

“For New York City, this is a great result,” said Podziba. “It brings back to Manhattan a special showcase for one of the Olympic sports in a new format, and one that has historically contributed a great deal to both our economy and culture.” He added jokingly, “we worked so hard on this at times I thought we were going to have to open a special horse show division, so it’s great that our commitment paid off for the National.”

At least 320 stalls, all indoors, are expected to be available in the complex, or nearly twice the number of stalls as at Madison Square Garden. Horses will be unloaded adjacent to the stable area, all at street level. The schooling area, next to the arena, will measure approximately 100 ft. by 150 ft., with separate sections reserved both for flat work and jumping. The arena itself, seating several thousand spectators, will measure approximately 85 ft. by 270 ft., and no posts will obstruct viewing. Additional thousands visiting in adjacent General Admission bar/restaurant lounges and vendor areas, from which spectators can see schooling and preparations in the stables, will be able to watch the show on closed-circuit television. A variety of exclusive seating and social VIP amenities are planned as well, for major donors and sponsors.

The event will be “AA” rated for Hunters by USA Equestrian, the sport’s National Federation, and will feature the ASPCA-Maclay Horsemanship National Finals on Sunday morning and afternoon (November 2), said Balch. “We’re so pleased to be able to get back into a multi-discipline 5-day format, and that just wasn’t available at the Garden because of all their other scheduling priorities. This means not only that we won’t have to apply for any modifications to the rules, but also that we can add whole sections and divisions to what could recently be done in New York. Once our show committee brainstorms some more, we will be announcing some exciting innovations, and the entire list of classes offered.”

The new Metropolitan National in New York will be the first of 3 events produced by the not-for-profit National Horse Show Association in November this year. The 120th National Horse Show Indoor Championships will be presented later, November 19th – 23rd, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Outdoor Championships will be in Palm Beach, Florida, during Thanksgiving week, November 25th – 30th. Prize Lists will be available early in July, and tickets to the public will go on sale in mid-July. For additional information as it becomes available, visit the National’s website at www.nhs.org.


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