Syracuse, NY – October 29, 2009 – The 126th National Horse Show wrapped up the professional hunter divisions today in Syracuse, NY. Four championships were awarded, along with the Grand Champion Open Hunter and Leading Hunter Rider titles. Francesca, owned by Pony Lane Farm of Bluffdale, UT, and ridden by Maggie Jayne of Elgin, IL, were the Grand Hunter Champions after they won two hunter division championships. Jayne was named the Leading Hunter Rider.

The National Horse Show holds classes for hunters through Friday, October 30, and their highlight event, the ASPCA Maclay National Championship, will be held on Saturday, October 31. The 126th National Horse Show is featured at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, which holds jumpers classes through Sunday, November 1 in the War Memorial at the Oncenter Complex.

Jayne had an incredible two days with her hunters at the 126th National Horse Show. She and Francesca, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, finished as the Green Conformation and Regular Conformation Hunter champions. For their Green Conformation Hunter championship, they were presented with the “Call You Raise You” Challenge Trophy, donated by Mrs. Stephen Clark and Cismont Manor Farm. The reserve champion in the division was South Beach, ridden by Jennifer Alfano for Bright Star 158 LLC.

Francesca and Jayne swept the Regular Conformation Hunter division ribbons and won the Regular Conformation championship, for which they were presented with the German Challenge Trophy, donated by The Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany. The sweep of all five blue ribbons easily gave them the Grand Champion Open Hunter title, and they were presented the “Isglide” Challenge Trophy, donated by Mr. and the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler.

Francesca and Maggie Jayne were the Green Conformation champion, Regular Conformation champion, and Grand Champion Open Hunter.

Jayne said that Francesca has improved since two summers ago when her father Alex found the mare in Europe. “She’s gotten better and quieter because she used to do a little bit of jumpers. I think she’s in the routine. It’s all about the program, and she’s definitely got a nice, easy program. She doesn’t take a lot of prep. We show her in a couple of divisions, and it’s easy and nice.”

Jayne was reserve champion in the Regular Conformation Hunters on Early Applause, also owned by Pony Lane Farm. Jayne noted, “It’s great. The horses have been really solid. I’m excited for the owners, and for the horses to go this well.”

This is Jayne’s first hunter championship at the National Horse Show and feels that her wins here are “very special.” She continued, “All the horses went great. I think to be leading rider you have to have a lot of horses, and they all consistently have to be to on your side or it’s never going to happen.”

Jayne was named the Leading Hunter Rider and won the Leading Hunter Rider Challenge Trophy, donated by Scott Stewart in memory of Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler – originally donated by Mr. and the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler.

Jennifer Alfano of Buffalo, NY, also had a great day in the hunter divisions. Starting out, she won the Green Working Hunter championship on Kid Rock, owned by Bright Star 158 LLC. They were presented with the “S. Craig Lindner Family” Challenge Trophy, donated by Craig and Frances Lindner, for their win in the stake class today. For the championship, they were awarded the “Ashford Castle” Challenge Trophy, donated by Craig and Frances Lindner. The reserve champion was Bengale, ridden by Jeffrey Ayers for Gerald A. Camera.

“I was thrilled with him,” Alfano said of Kid Rock. “He started making a name for himself this summer, and he’s just gotten better and better and better. I thought he was just incredible here, every class. He just went in every time as good as he could be. This summer, I said he was going to be one to keep your eye on and I think he’s turning into that.”

Alfano was most pleased about Kid Rock’s maturity and development this year. “He’s always had the ability, and he’s incredibly scopey. He was just inconsistent and a little baby-ish,” she explained. “This summer he has really grown up and sort of all of a sudden this light bulb when on, and he was like ‘I want to win all the classes.’ I’d like to say it was something I did, but it was on his own.”

Alfano picked up the Regular Working Hunter championship on Kid Rock’s “big brother,” Rock Star, who is also owned by Bright Star 158 LLC. They finished the week with a win in the stake class. The reserve champion was Overseas, ridden by Hunt Tosh for Laura Wasserman.

“He just felt so great in the stake today,” Alfano said. “I’m happy to have him, since a little over a year ago he had colic surgery and it was pretty bad. It’s great just to have him back showing, and it’s really special for me. He’s always been a special horse, but to have him come back and be champion here is just amazing.”

The 126th National Horse Show continues tomorrow with the conclusion of the amateur-owner hunter divisions and two championship presentations. The four junior hunter divisions wrap up on Friday. The ASPCA Maclay National Championship will run on Saturday, October 31.

For more information on the National Horse Show, please visit www.nhs.org . For more information on the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse tournament, please visit www.syracuseinvitational.com .