Media Advisory: Three National Champion Jousters from Maryland to Accept Touch of Class Award

ANNAPOLIS (July 13, 2012) – Two Maryland teenagers, who are newcomers to national competition, recently earned national titles in Jousting, Maryland’s official state sport. They will be among the three Marylanders who recently earned national jousting titles who will be honored by the Maryland Horse Industry Board with a July Touch of Class Award on Saturday.

Honorees are:
•    Corey Minnick, a veteran national title holder from Hagerstown (Washington County), won his third national title in the “Professional” division;
•    Mikayla Miller, 13, from St. Leonard (Calvert County) and a soon-to-be freshman at Calvert High School, won the national title in the “Amateur” division;
•    Anthony Reinhold, 17, from Denton (Caroline County) who will start his freshman year at Chesapeake College this fall, won his title in the “Novice” division in only his second year of jousting.

In the modern version of “ring jousting,” riders have nine seconds to run through an 80-yard course, spear rings hanging rings from a series of three arches. The rider who spears the most rings wins. The highest level of competition is Professional, followed by Semi-Professional, Amateur, Novice and for beginners, Leadline. In 2012, the sport is celebrating its 50th anniversary as Maryland’s official state sport.

Who: The Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB), a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture, will present Touch of Class Awards to three national jousting champions. MHIB Chairman Jim Steele will make the presentations.

What: The Touch of Class Award is presented every month to honor Maryland horses, individuals, teams, organizations or events that have garnered national or international recognition. The award is named after “Touch of Class,” the Maryland-bred mare who won two Olympic Gold Medals in Showing Jumping in 1984.

When: Saturday, July 14, at noon (during opening ceremonies)

Where:  St. Margaret’s Church Joust, 1601 Pleasant Plain Rd., Annapolis, MD 21409.

For more information, contact Ross Peddicord, executive director, Maryland Horse Industry Board at ross.peddicord@maryland.gov, ph: 410-841-5798.

Note to Editors: Photos of the presentation will be available after the event upon request.