Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence


			FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2001 RECORD NUMBER OF OLYMPIC CHAMPION RIDERS TO COMPETE IN THE NEW ALBANY CLASSIC INVITATIONAL GRAND PRIX & FAMILY DAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Participants include — Local rider Angela Moore, Centerburg Entire 2000 Sydney Olympic Team Mother-Daughter and Husband-Wife duos (Columbus) – The fourth annual New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix is drawing a record number of Olympic medal-winning riders. Approximately 30 of the sport’s best riders from North America will compete for a $50,000 prize purse and a two-year lease on a new Land Rover Freelander, on Sunday, September 23. It is a USA Equestrian, Inc.-sanctioned event being held at the home of Les and Abigail Wexner in New Albany. Riders are invited to participate in the Classic based on United States Equestrian Team computerized rankings. They compete on a Grand Prix course created by award-winning designer Richard Jeffrey. The term Grand Prix is French and is translated as “richest or largest prize.” It is used to describe the most challenging level of competition in a particular sport. Grand Prix jumping is the most difficult of the equestrian jumping sports with fences up to 5’3’’ high, spreads of 5-6 feet wide and horses jumping over 12-16 feet of water. Grand Prix show jumping is the only professional sport where men and women compete on equal grounds. A fundraiser for the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence, The New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix and Family Day is a unique event for riders as they ride only one horse in the competition. Often riders compete on numerous horses in the same class. Gates for the event open at 10 a.m. and there is entertainment on the Classic Stage from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Grand Prix Jumping Competition begins at 3 p.m. and the awards ceremony is at approximately 5:30 p.m. The day offers a range of activities and attractions for all ages including: clowns, jugglers, face painting, petting zoo; a hay maze; carnival rides, antique carriage rides; the world champion boomerang thrower; activities by COSI on Wheels, the Wexner Center for the Arts and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra; and national and local entertainment headlined by the Russian American Kids Circus. Tickets are $25 for adults age 17 and up. Children 16 and under are admitted free with an adult. For tickets call 614-889-6875 or go online to www.thenewalbanyclassic.com. No tickets are sold at the gate. All tickets must be purchased in advance. Riders of note at The New Albany Classic include: ANGELA MOORE, Centerburg, OH – Local Rider Angela Moore fell in love with horses as a young girl and with the support of her parents pursued her dream of riding. At the age of 18, she won the Ohio Professional Horseman’s Equitation Championship and finished second in the country in the 18-30 Amateur Owner’s division. In April 1999, Moore won the Atlanta Spring Classic $7,500 Mini Prix, took second place at the Sweet Charity $25,000 Grand Prix in Indiana and the $25,000 Windy City Grand Prix. Moore’s success led to an invitation by the United States Equestrian Team (USET) to participate in the Developing Rider Clinic led by USET coach George Morris. In 2001, Moore placed fifth in the $75,000 American Jumping Classic in Florence, KY. KAMAL BAHAMDAN, Allison Park, PA – Olympic Team Member International show jumper Kamal Bahamdan has placed consistently in the North American tour this year, finishing fifth at the World Cup in Wellington, FL, and placing at Spruce Meadows in Calgary. In 1996 and 2000, Bahamdan participated in the Olympic Games representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MARGIE GOLDSTEIN ENGLE – Wellington, FL – 2000 Olympic Team Member & Pan Am Medal Winner Margie Goldstein Engle is a five-time Budweiser Grand Prix Rider of the Year. She also holds numerous records with the American Grand Prix Association. She won a silver medal at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnepeg. In 2000, Engle was a member of the 2000 Olympic Team in Sydney. She also took first place in the $150,000 Crown Royal Grand Prix, presented by David Yurman at the Hampton Classic in Bridgehampton, NY. NONA GARSON, Lebanon, NJ – Pan Am Games Medal Winner, Olympic Team Member Nona Garson entered the Grand Prix ranks in 1994, and in 1995 she won the $35,000 M&M’s Chocolate Candies Gold Coast Grand Prix Final Pan American Games Selection. This win gained Garson her first berth on the USET, where she and the U.S. squad won the Team Bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2000, Garson was a member of the Olympic Team at Sydney. This year, Garson placed first in the $50,000 Garden State Grand Prix and $25,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix. LAUREN HOUGH, Ocala, FL – 2000 Olympic Team Member Lauren Hough is the daughter of prominent hunter judges Linda and Champ Hough. She kept the Olympic tradition alive in her family with her participation in the 2000 Games in Sydney. In addition to her Olympic appearance in 2000, Hough placed second in the $100,000 President’ s Cup at the Washington International Horse Show in Washington, DC. She made her grand prix debut in 1993 at 15. LESLIE HOWARD, Westport, CT – Two-Time Olympic & Pan Am Medal Winner A member of the U.S. Equestrian Team squads that won the Team Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the Team Silver Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, “Leapin’ Leslie” Howard entered her first show at age six. In 1983, Howard was a member of the squad that took home the Team Gold Medal at the Pan American Games in Venezuela. In 1999, Howard and Clover Leaf were named to the USET show jumping squads for the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, where they earned the Team Silver Medal. In 2001, Howard placed first in the $100,000 Shell Cup at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, the $100,000 Avis Grand Prix at the HITS Catskills II, the $30,000 Ariat WEF Challenge Cup Series Final in Tampa, FL, and the $25,000 Empire State Grand Prix. LAURA KRAUT, Ocononmowoc, WI – Two-Time Olympic Team Member, Half of Husband-Wife Duo Laura Kraut began riding at the age of three in Atlanta with her mother, Carol Kent. In 1992, she was named as first alternate for the Olympic Games held in Barcelona. Kraut finished third overall in the 2000 Olympic Selection Trials, earning a berth on the show jumping Olympic team, which finished sixth at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. ROBERT KRAUT, Ocononmowoc, WI – Half of Husband-Wife Duo Competing Robert Kraut placed second in the $30,000 Grand Prix of Minnesota and fourth in the $50,000 Sweet Charity Farm Grand Prix in 2000. He is married to jumper Laura Kraut. PETER LEONE, Greenwich, CT – Olympic Medal Winner Peter Leone has been competing successfully on the Grand Prix circuit for two decades. He achieved a lifelong dream in 1996 when he represented the U.S. Equestrian Team in the Atlanta Olympic Games and helped the U.S. win the Team Silver Medal. In 2001, Leone placed third in the $100,001 Cosequin U.S. Open Jumper Championship. LYNNE LITTLE, Frederick, MD – Half of Mother-Daughter Duo Competing Lynne Little began riding after a friend of her father’s gave her a pony when she was three. This year, Little won the $25,000 WEF Challenge I and placed second at the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix. She and her husband Ray manage Raylyn Farm and are involved in breeding sport horses. MARILYN LITTLE, Frederick, MD – Half of Mother-Daughter Duo Competing Marilyn Little, 19-year-old daughter of Lynn Little, is an up-and-coming young rider. In 2000, Little participated in the USET Developing Rider Tour and was awarded the USET’s Maxine Beard Award to travel to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as a guest of the USET. In April of this year, Little was presented with the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy. TODD MINIKUS, Lake Forest, IL – Alternate on the 2000 Sydney Olympic Team Todd Minikus took the show jumping world by storm in 1990 with an unprecedented sweep of all open jumper classes at the Washington International Horse Show, including the President’s Cup. He received a grant from USET to represent the United States on a 1997 European tour. Minikus is a two-time World Cup team member and the winner of the first New Albany Classic in 1998. He served as an alternate on the 2000 Olympic Team in Sydney. Current Press Releases 2000 Press Releases 1999 Press Releases