MEDIA ADVISORY: Maryland Jockey Club, American Horse Council to Host Private Advance Screening of Steven Spielberg’s War Horse

ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 15, 2011) –  The Maryland Jockey Club and American Horse Council will host a private advance screening of DreamWorks Pictures’ highly anticipated movie “War Horse,” directed by Steven Spielberg.  Prior to the screening, they will join the Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB) in presenting its December Touch of Class Award to a Maryland World Champion Barrel Racer. The event, which will be held tonight at the Historic Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C., will be moderated by Congressman Dennis Cardoza (California) who boards and trains his thoroughbred horses in Maryland, where he currently resides.

The MHIB will present its Touch of Class Award to Tiffany McClure, the International Professional Rodeo Association’s 2010 World Champion Barrel Racer. Ms. McClure is from Cheltenham in Prince George’s County and graduated from Meade High School in Laurel and Anne Arundel Community College. She will be present to accept the Award. The monthly Touch of Class Award was established in September 2011 to honor a Maryland horse, individual, team, organization or event that demonstrates the highest standard of excellence in the Maryland horse industry.

The Maryland Jockey Club operates Pimlico Race Course, home to the world renowned Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park Race Course and Bowie Race Track in Bowie. The American Horse Council represents the horse industry and equine interests in Washington, D.C. The MHIB, a program of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, licenses and inspects horse stables throughout the state and promotes the value of equine activities as they relate to the preservation of green space and agricultural land.

DreamWorks Pictures’ “War Horse,” director Steven Spielberg’s epic adventure, is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. “War Horse” begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. “War Horse” will be released in theaters on December 25, 2011.

Who: The Maryland Jockey Club and American Horse Council with the Maryland Horse Industry Board
What:  Presentation of Touch of Class Award immediately prior to a private screening of War Horse. Event will also recognize three charities: Wounded Warriors, A Home for Every Horse, and Maryland Fund for Horses.
Where: The Historic Lincoln Theater, 1215 U Street NW, Washington, D.C.
When: Thursday, December 15.

A tentative agenda of the evening is:

• 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Private, invitation-only reception at Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1213 U Street NW, Washington, D.C.
• 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Program Begins at Lincoln Theater.
• Remarks by: Tom Chuckas, President and COO, Maryland Jockey Club; Jay Hickey, President, American Horse Council; and Congressman Dennis Cardoza.
• Presentation of the Maryland Horse Industry Board’s “Touch of Class Award” to Tiffany McClure from Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance and Deputy Secretary Mary Ellen Setting; MHIB Chairman Jim Steele; and Governor O’Malley’s representative Ashley Valis.
• 8 p.m. to 10:20 p.m.: Movie Screening

*MEDIA NOTES: This is an invitation-only event and seating is limited. Media representatives must RSVP to Vanessa Orlando (410-841-5889) or Julie Oberg (410-841-5888) at the Maryland Department of Agriculture Communications Office.
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