Show jumping in the middle of New York

Mark Bellissimo, CEO of International Equestrian Group (IEG), LLC commenced the second-annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show in the foreground of New York City’s beloved Wollman Rink on Tuesday. Alongside inaugural Rolex Central Park Grand Prix winner and hometown hero Georgina Bloomberg, Olympic dressage rider Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, and GallopNYC Executive Director Alicia Kershaw, Bellissimo christened Central Park as the host site for the inaugural U.S. Open competitions with a welcome press conference. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show runs Sept. 23-27 with Arabian, Hunter, Dressage, and Show Jumping disciplines being showcased.

Competition at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show begins Wednesday, September 23, with the U.S. Open Arabians, presented by Aljassimya Farm. Action continues throughout the week, highlighted by the U.S. Open $212,000 FEI 3* Grand Prix, presented by Rolex on Friday, and the U.S. Open Hunters $50,000 Duchossois Cup, presented by the Gochman Family and U.S. Open $75,000 Dressage Freestyle, presented by Axel Johnson Group on Saturday.

„Last year, the inaugural event was an incredible success,“ stated Bellissimo. „We really would like to use this event to create a world stage for equestrian sport – there is a great opportunity for us to raise the awareness in this country and there is no better place to do that than in New York City. I think this will continue to grow as one of the top events in the sport over time.“

New York City native and last year’s grand prix winner at the first-ever Rolex Central Park Horse Show, Georgina Bloomberg, was eager to greet local, international, and equestrian media in her hometown while preparing to defend her title.

„As a rider, I’m really excited about this event. It’s a fantastic week not only for Show Jumping, but now also for Hunters, Dressage and Arabians and I’m so proud to be a part of it,“ said Bloomberg. „As a New Yorker, I look at the skyline and really appreciate both the surroundings and being able to ride in such an incredible venue.“

Decorated dressage rider Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén of Sweden will compete at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show for the first time this year, and like Bloomberg, she is eager to participate in the second horse show held in Central Park since 1981.

„I’m incredibly excited to be here. As a kid I always loved New York City and enjoyed coming here, but I never imagined that one day I would have the opportunity to ride here,“ she said.

While Silfvén admits she is in awe of the city, she maintains that the horses should handle the location with ease. „The atmosphere is exciting, but as all of the bigger shows have grown in size and scale many of the horses competing at this level are used to it,“ she added.

The mounts of Bloomberg and Silfvén, who will arrive in New York City in the coming days, are in good company with the horses that call New York City home. Members of the NYPD Mounted Unit were on hand at Tuesday’s press conference to showcase a different kind of equine presence at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show. The NYPD Mounted Unit is one of six charity beneficiaries of the event alongside the Central Park Conservancy, City Parks Foundation, GallopNYC, NYC Parks Enforcement Mounted Auxiliary Unit and The Police Athletic League.

Bellissimo has found success at his Florida-based horse show with an event called the Great Charity Challenge, which has raised more than $8 million in the past six years for charities within Palm Beach County. He has continued the charitable endeavors of IEG at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show, giving a minimum of $30,000 in donations this year.

Alicia Kershaw, who is the Executive Director of Gallop NYC, a therapeutic riding program based in New York City, spoke to the presence of equestrian-based programs within the city and how pivotal donations are to organizations like GallopNYC.

„We help people with disabilities walk, talk, and learn so that they can live their lives as fully and independently as possible,“ she said. „Two-thirds of our riders cannot afford to pay our fees. Disability can be a impoverishing circumstance for a family and so we very much welcome the financial support, but we also feel that we have a mission to show New Yorkers that horses are good for people. We are thrilled to be a part of an event that showcases horses in New York.“

As the 2015 Rolex Central Park Horse Show gets underway this week, Bellissimo is already confident that the event has a bright future in New York City. „It costs several million dollars to host this event and it’s a long-term opportunity to make it a success,“ he said. „We’re committed to doing just that over the next seven or eight years.“

RIDERS LIST

CAN
Vanessa Mannix

COL
Daniel Bluman
Roberto Teran

GER
Andre Thieme

GBR
Amanda Derbyshire

IRL
Conor Swail
David Blake
Richie Moloney
Shane Sweetnam

NZL
Sharn Wordley

RUS
Liubov Kochetova

USA
Ali Wolff
Candice King
Charlie Jayne
Chris McCrea
Georgina Bloomberg
Hardin Towell
Heather Caristo-Williams
James North
Kent Farrington
Kirsten Coe
Lauren Tisbo
Maggie McAlary
Mclain Ward
Molly Ashe
Peter Leone
Peter Lutz
Sarah Segal
Schuyler Riley
Todd Minikus

Rolex Central Park Horse Show Schedule:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Gates open at 5:00 PM & VIP access open at 5:30 PM
6:00 PM – U.S. Open Arabians, presented by Aljassimya Farm

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Gates open at 5:30 PM & VIP access opens at 6:00 PM
6:30 PM – U.S. Open $25,000 U25 Grand Prix
8:00 PM – U.S. Open (ROUND 1) $40,000 FEI Speed, presented by Canadian Pacific Railway

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Daytime gates open 12:30 PM & VIP access opens at 1:00 PM
Evening gates open at 5:30 PM & VIP access opens at 6:00 PM
1:30 PM – U.S. Open Dressage Grand Prix, presented by Breyer
6:30 PM – $5,000 Junior/Amateur 1.20M, presented by PwC
8:00 PM – U.S. Open $212,000 (Final) FEI 3* Grand Prix, presented by Rolex

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Daytime gates open at 9:00 AM & VIP access opens at 1:00 PM
Evening gates open at 6:00 PM & VIP access opens at 6:30 PM
10:00 AM – Hunter Schooling – Free Admission / Vendor Area Open to Public
11:00 AM-12:00 PM – Land Rover Mini-Car Driving Experience for Children – Free Admission/Sign Up Required at Ticket Kiosk
1:30 PM – U.S. Open Hunters $50,000 Duchossois Cup for Professionals, presented by the Gochman Family, $1,000 Small/Medium Pony and $2,500 Junior/Amateur Hunter Classics
7:00 PM – U.S. Open $75,000 Dressage Freestyle, presented by Axel Johnson Group

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Gates open at 9:00 AM
10:00 AM – Equestrian Demonstrations – Free Admission
11:30 AM-12:30 PM – Land Rover Mini-Car Driving Experience for Children – Free Admission/Sign Up Required at Ticket Kiosk
1:30 PM – Dressage Master’s Class with Charlotte Dujardin, presented by Chronicle of the Horse and Breyer

Tickets for all events at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show can be purchased here »  

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. 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 Rolex Central Park Horse Show
Launched in September 2014, Rolex Central Park Horse Show is the first-ever outdoor, multi-day equestrian sporting event in New York City, showcasing some of the best show jumpers and dressage riders in the world as they vie for top prizes against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues. As the event founder, Mark Bellissimo is the CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and International Equestrian Group LLC; Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEF), Tryon Equestrian Partners and Colorado Equestrian Partners; and Publisher of The Chronicle of The Horse magazine. In its second year, Rolex Central Park Horse Show will make its triumphant return from September 23 to 27, 2015 and will feature five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport and performances, ranging from Arabians and Dressage to Hunters and Show Jumping. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will also host the inaugural U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers; Dressage; Hunters; U25 Jumpers; and Arabians. For more information, visit centralparkhorseshow.com, on Facebook and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.

Source: Press release