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 Manhattans
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 Nationals 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
ones 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 were 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 Yorks 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 were
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. Were 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 its 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 sports National Federation, and will feature the ASPCA-Maclay
Horsemanship National Finals on Sunday morning and afternoon (November
2), said Balch. Were so pleased to be able to get
back into a multi-discipline 5-day format, and that just wasnt
available at the Garden because of all their other scheduling
priorities. This means not only that we wont 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 Nationals
website at www.nhs.org.
.