The 2009 Capital Challenge Horse Show will take place September 26-October 4 at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. This year's edition will feature the $40,000 North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup.

The North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup will feature three rounds of jumper competition in a World Cup-type format. The first round, sponsored by Heritage Farm and Kate Considine of Willow Brook Farm, is a $5,000 Faults Converted class. The Time First Round format for the second round will offer $10,000 in prize money and is sponsored by Kocher Tack. The final round, using a Time First Jump-Off format, will hand out $25,000 in prize money and is sponsored by the Oken Family.

The height of the jumps on course will increase with each round in the North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup, starting at 1.35m, moving up to 1.40m, and finishing at 1.45m. Points are given in each round and after the third round the competitor with the highest point total will be named the overall winner.

The overall winner will be awarded the Ariat Congressional Cup, along with a beautiful cooler, Fleece Works show pad, an Essex shirt, a jacket for their groom, a pair of Ariat breeches, a pair of Ariat boots, and an Antares saddle. The winner of the final round receives a medal, a cooler, a shadow box to display their award, a new bit, a Fleece Works show pad, an Essex Classics show shirt, and a pair of Ariat breeches.

Special awards will be given to the junior/amateur jumpers, including the Remy Martin Perpetual Trophy donated by Rolling Acres and Melanie Wright; the Best Junior Jumper Rider Award sponsored by Kingsmeade Farm, Inc., which is awarded to the junior rider earning the most points on a single mount in the Challenge Cup; and the Best Amateur Jumper Rider Award sponsored by Lyman T. Whitehead and Eight Fences, LLC, which is given to the amateur rider earning the most points on a single mount in the Challenge Cup.

The Challenge Cup will give juniors and amateurs the opportunity to compete indoors over courses designed by world-renowned designer Conrad Homfeld. Homfeld was a Team Gold and Individual Silver medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, as well as the Team Gold and Individual Silver medalist at the 1986 World Championships in Aachen, Germany. Homfeld was also a two-time winner of the World Cup Finals and has designed the courses at two World Cup Finals. He has also been named course designer for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to be held in Lexington, KY.

Homfeld will also design the courses for the children's/adult jumpers. The $10,000 Children's/Adult Amateur Jumper Challenge will take place on Thursday night in the Show Place Arena.

Last year's winner of the North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup was Tracey Weinberg of Lovettsville, VA, on her horse, Larone. Weinberg liked the unique format of the class. She said, "It is something different for the juniors and amateurs, and I think it is all about consistency. It certainly gives us a taste of what international competition is like."

For more information on the $40,000 North American Junior/Amateur Challenge Cup and to keep updated on the latest Capital Challenge Horse Show news, please visit the official web site at www.capitalchallenge.org. To watch footage of last year's show jumping action visit www.equestriansport.tv. For more information, call (301) 260-2467.