Leesburg, VA ‘ (September 7, 2007) ‘ The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), a world-class championship event that draws leading equestrian riders from around the nation and the world, kicks off Local Weekend today. Local Weekend offers horse and rider combinations from the Washington, DC metro area with the opportunity to qualify to compete in Local Finals at the WIHS. More than 70 riders competed today at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA.
Today’s event included the following divisions: Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35, Adult Amateur Hunter 36 & Over, Baby-Green Hunter, Open Hunter and Pre-Green Hunter. The top four in each Adult Amateur Hunter section will qualify for Local Finals at the WIHS at the Verizon Center.
Fierce competition throughout the day resulted in the following highlights:
Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35:
Champion – Damascus ridden by Lynley Reilly
Reserve Champion – Trebuchet ridden by Samantha Rizzi
Adult Amateur Hunter 36 & Over:
Champion – On The Air ridden by Lysa Burke Horkan
Reserve Champion – Surfs Up ridden by Cindy Schmidt
For a complete list of results, visit https://www.horseshowing.com/horseshowingcgi/results.pl?show=115.
To conduct interviews with today’s winners, contact Nicole Halsey/Brittany Fowler at 443-797-7674/301-904-1521, respectively.
About The Washington International Horse Show (www.wihs.org):
The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization benefiting local and national charities, is a world-class championship event, drawing leading equestrian riders from around the nation and the world. Each year riders participate in qualifying shows to earn the honor of riding at the WIHS. The WIHS welcomes more than 600 horse and rider duos to compete to win some of the most coveted and prestigious awards in the world, including more than $400,000 in prize money. The show takes place every October in Washington, DC, attracting the attention of the equestrian world, non-equestrian world, celebrities and politicos alike with events such as show jumping, dressage, barrel racing and terrier races. October 2008 will mark the 50th anniversary of the WIHS.
