NHJC National Finals Will Award Championships in 25 Divisions at Capital Challenge, September 29-October 7

(RHINEBECK, NY) September 28, 2001-The National Hunter Jumper Council
National Finals Horse Show will be held at the Capital Challenge Horse Show
in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, from September 29-October 7, in the Prince
George's Equestrian Center. Marshall & Sterling and Great American Insurance
Company are sponsoring the NHJC Finals. Mary Moeller representing Marshall &
Sterling and Virginia Cardenas representing Great American Insurance will be
on hand to present awards. Champions and Reserves will be pinned in 25
divisions of hunter and jumper classes.

The Zone Leader in each of the 12 Zones of the NHJC was determined by points
earned from December 1, 2000 to August 1, 2001, and invited to compete in the
Hunter and Jumper Divisions of the Capital Challenge. Riders can also
represent their zone and compete in the Equitation Division without separate
qualifying criterion. The winner of the Capital Challenge/NHJC Equitation
Class will receive a special award from the NHJC. Team Awards will also be
presented. Each NHJC Zone is allowed to field one hunter team comprised of a
maximum of up to four horses and riders, and one jumper team comprised of up
to five horses and riders from the Zone leaders competing at the show. Based
on individual championship charts, a Zone Hunter Team Champion and a Zone
Jumper Team Champion will be determined.

"The Capital Challenge is a sold out show, but NHJC Zone Leaders are
guaranteed a spot in each of the 25 divisions they will compete in," said
Susan Pinckney, Executive Director of the National Hunter Jumper Council.
"Each Zone sends one rider. Alaska and Hawaii will not be represented this
year, so we will actually have 10 riders competing in each division. The
Capital Challenge will award their own regular show championships, and the
NHJC will award our own separate championships. Basically, the highest
scoring designated Zone representative will become the NHJC Champion for that
section." NHJC Champions will receive special ribbons, embroidered coolers,
and a unique wood-and-brass coat rack that also features professional photos
from the show.

Ms. Pinckney will attend the Finals along with other Council staff and
representatives from the Council's Board of Directors. The NHJC will have a
booth at the Capital Challenge stocked with educational materials and staffed
with NHJC representatives to answer questions regarding the Council and the
Finals. "More Than Ribbons," a video produced by members of Zone 9, will be
available for viewing. The video illustrates the benefits of working with
horses and is distributed to school administrators and other groups
interested in promoting hunter/jumper sports to young people. The NHJC is
also sponsoring a Continental Breakfast on Saturday, October 6, for
exhibitors at the show.

More than 25,000 members of USA Equestrian (formerly AHSA) selected
'hunter/jumper' as their discipline, automatically including them as members
of the NHJC.

The National Hunter/Jumper Council is the official hunter/jumper discipline
organization of USA Equestrian (formerly American Horse Shows Association).
As such, the NHJC seeks to represent the interests of all hunter/jumper
competitors, horse shows, and organizations in the United States. The NHJC is
divided into 12 geographic zones, with the chairmen and vice-chairmen from
each zone serving on the Council's 30 member Board of Governors. Each
chairman of the six AHSA hunter/jumper discipline committees serves also,
rounding out the 30 member governing board. In addition, the NHJC has many
other committees dealing with specific issues relevant to the hunter/jumper
sport, such as education, grass roots, stewards, judges, show management,
show standards, drugs and medications, young rider and junior jumper
championships, and planning. The NHJC is also committed to communicating with
its hunter/jumper constituency through a variety of media, including "Horse
Show" magazine, the NHJC website (www.nhjc.org), and its quarterly
newsletter, "The Council Connection." For more information, contact Marnye
Langer, Director of Communications.

Marshall & Sterling is a privately owned insurance agency that has provided
asset protection for clients and community since 1864, specializing in equine
assets. American Insurance Company is the nation's largest equine insurer and
offers a complete line of Equine and Farm insurance products.