The Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again welcome the top 40 qualified riders for the 2010 Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal Finals. The THIS Finals will be part of the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com, held on October 2-3, at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The horse show will continue on October 4-10 with competition in the outdoor ring and indoors in the Show Place Arena.

The THIS National Children’s Medal Series is the perfect stepping stone for young riders and offer a great opportunity to compete in an indoor arena with the pressure of a finals competition. Riders must compete throughout the year to qualify for the Finals, which is a great goal for aspiring equitation riders.

The Finals themselves also provide riders a chance to learn with an opening round and a test for the top riders in the class. The National Children’s Medal is a proven leg-up for riders planning to advance to the 3’6” equitation division. Many of the riders who placed well in the Finals in past years have gone on to win numerous equitation finals.

The riders in the National Children’s Medal Finals as well as the Capital Challenge Horse Show have Taylor Harris Insurance Services to thank for their generous support of the class throughout the year and at the Finals. In addition to the competition at Capital Challenge, the qualified young riders, along with parents and trainers, are invited to a Welcome Reception on Saturday, October 2, at 6 p.m. The reception is a way for riders to meet each other, thank their supporters, and recognize THIS.

THIS President Michael Taylor stated, “THIS especially loves to be able to support young riders. I think that Capital Challenge’s initiative in starting this program was very inspired. It is always good to start a journey on the right foot and this is an excellent introduction for children beginning in this fantastic sport.”

Taylor is often at the Capital Challenge Welcome Reception to see the riders that qualify for the Finals. “Seeing anyone competing is fantastic, and seeing someone competing on a horse is very compelling, especially a child. In any sport, the development of children at the beginner stage is critical to the well-being of the sport,” he noted, “and I believe the National Children’s Medal Finals provide a great platform, especially for the children that make it to the Finals.”

He went on to say, “I have been to the Welcome Reception, and I really like the way (show managers) Billy Glass and Oliver Kennedy handle this event. Obviously it is a big deal as a child to be on the national stage, and to reach the Finals is a major accomplishment. It is a reward for a lot of dedication, self-discipline and hard work, and I think this Welcome Reception is geared perfectly in recognizing this. I have also been very impressed by the number of thank you notes we have received from the competitors!”

The best riders in the country in these divisions will come together at the Showplace Arena to compete for prizes and acclaim in these national events. The courses for these finals will be designed by Michael Rheinheimer of Willoughby, OH.

The top 40 young riders in the national standings, including the top rider in each USHJA zone, will be invited to compete in the finals of the THIS National Children’s Medal Series sponsored by Taylor Harris Insurance Services Ltd in association with Great American Insurance Companies.

Riders will have competed in over 600 classes across North America before making the ultimate trip to compete over two days to earn top honors at the Finals. Thanks to the generosity of the series sponsor, the Finals has no entry fee for riders.

Taylor said, “We have been happy to be part of this program for the last few years and hope that this support has eased the way for as many children as possible. It should, after all, be about ‘taking part!’”

Last year’s winner of the THIS National Children’s Medal Series Finals was Sylvia DeToledo of New York, NY. DeToledo won the Finals on Lion King, a horse ridden by two previous Medal Finals winners.

Highlights of the Capital Challenge Horse Show will include the North American Equitation Championship (Oct. 3), the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal Finals (Oct. 3), the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Emerging Pro Challenge (Oct. 6), Future Hunter World Championship (Oct. 6), $2,500 WCHR Amateur-Owner 3’3” Challenge (Oct. 7), the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup (two rounds held on Oct. 8-9), the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals (Oct. 8), and the WCHR Professional  Finals (Oct. 8).

Please join us at the Capital Challenge Horse Show for exciting competition and to see some of the nation’s top horses and riders. As always, if you can’t attend, remember you can log on to www.equestriansport.tv to see all the action live.

In its 17th year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year’s show will take place on October 2-10. Top competitions include the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals and the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, along with the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. In addition to these prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country’s best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes. For more information, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org or visit the  Capital Challenge Horse Show page on Facebook!