Pony Club Mounted Games, Pony Steeplechasing, Dressage, Polo, Vaulting, and Guy McLean’s world renowned Liberty Act highlight the weekend matinees which focus on the special bond between horse and rider.
New York, NY – August 30, 2014 – The Central Park Horse Show (CPHS), presented by Rolex and produced by The Chronicle of the Horse, has announced an exciting line-up for its weekend matinees scheduled on Saturday, September 20, and Sunday, September 21, in New York City’s iconic Central Park. The matinees focus on young athletes developing skills and connections with their horses and ponies in diverse demonstrations of both sport and entertainment. The demonstrations are followed by world-renowned Australian horseman Guy McLean, who will perform a full half hour of his one-of-a-kind liberty act where he demonstrates his powerful connection with four unbridled horses.
Matinees are on both Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The matinees include:
Pony Club Games
The United States Pony Club Games will feature New York’s top young Pony Club riders in a series of entertaining and competitive games where two teams will navigate their ponies at high speeds through obstacles, testing their hand-eye coordination and agility to see who is the top pony club team in New York.
First Annual Central Park Grand National Shetland Pony Steeplechase
CPHS will host the inaugural Central Park Grand National Shetland Pony Steeplechase. In this fast-paced spectacle, Shetland ponies compete in a race over miniature jumps. Steeplechase has been an important equestrian tradition since the 18th century, and this miniaturized version is one of the most entertaining exhibitions in the U.S. The Central Park Grand National will be run like a professional racing event with a bugler, race caller and photo finish, with jockeys age seven to 16 riding atop one of the world’s most adorable pony breeds. The Central Park Grand National will be the second stop on the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Shetland Pony Steeplechase Series, presented by Charles Owen, culminating with a final at the 56th annual Washington National Horse Show, one of the country top indoor shows, on October 22-26.
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Dressage Demonstration
Young dressage phenom Barbara “Bebe” Davis, two-time Pony National Champion, the 2014 North American Junior Championships Gold Medalist and 2014 U.S Championships FEI Junior Silver Medalist, represents the next generation of dressage stars. She will demonstrate the beautiful sport of dressage, whose roots are in the military training of horses. Bebe, a 16-year-old, will also open up the Central Park Dressage Challenge, presented by The Axel Johnson Group, with a brief educational demonstration of the core dressage movements.
U.S. Vaulting Team
Representing another fantastic discipline of equestrian sport, the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games’ U.S. Junior Vaulting Team will come to CPHS to showcase their world-class horseback gymnastics. The demonstration is sponsored by Akiko Yamazaki. The team will have ridden in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, only weeks before and will be in top form for this exhibition. Vaulting exercises include artistic mounts and dismounts, shoulder stands and handstands on the horse, carrying or lifting another vaulter, and kneeling and standing exercises.
Arena Polo Demonstration
Polo’s rising stars will take to the ring, including top international young polo riders Ricky Mershad, Juan Bollini, Lorenzo Merlotti, Grant Ganzi, Michael Bellissimo, and Mariano Gracida, son of Legendary Polo Player Carlos Gracida. The players will face off in a 3-on-3 format. The event will be organized by Wellington’s Grand Champions Polo.
Guy McLean
Enjoy one-of-a-kind inspirational equestrian entertainment as Australian Horseman Guy McLean and his equine partners demonstrate the strong bond between horses and humans. The power of Guy’s performances hinge on the deeply personal and loving relationships he forms with his horses. Guy and his four unbridled horses have wowed millions over the last 15 years. For more information, visit http://www.guymcleanusatour.com/.
50% of the tickets for the four matinees will be donated to New York-based charities and youth and family groups through CPHS’s outreach program. In addition, PricewaterhouseCoopers and their literacy program will target giveaways to various public school programs in the city.
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Don’t miss the opportunity to experience these one-of-a-kind matinee performances! For more information, please go to www.centralparkhorseshow.com. For tickets, please go to centralparkhorseshow.tix.com.
Discounted Hotel rooms are available at the JW Marriott Essex House at the following link: http://bit.ly/1nRumC6.
“Like” the new Central Park Horse Show Facebook page and follow them on Twitter at @CPHorseShow, and on Instagram at @CPHorseShow!
ABOUT ROLEX
Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. A pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism introduced in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities as well as philanthropic programmes.
ABOUT THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE
For 76 years, The Chronicle of the Horse has been the industry leader in providing news coverage of national and international sport horse competitions. Through our award-winning weekly magazine and web coverage we offer everything from competition results to compelling features and thought-provoking commentary. The Chronicle Untacked quarterly lifestyle publication launched in 2013 to rave review. Read more at www.chronofhorse.com.
Media Contact:
Shin-Jung Hong, Nicholas & Lence Communications
ShinJung@nicholaslence.com / Tel: 212.938.0005
