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Canadian Pacific Day Features Equestrian Power and Speed at the Central Park Horse Show

Jos Verlooy and Sunshine clearing 6’11” on their way to winning the Puissance at WIHS. Photo by Lauren Fisher/Jump Media.

Hollow Creek Farm Presents U.S. Open $25,000 Under 25 FEI Grand Prix; Engel & Völkers Sponsors First Annual Puissance

New York, NY – September 20, 2016 – The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will bring together power and speed on Thursday, September 22, at Wollman Rink in Manhattan. Dubbed “Canadian Pacific Day”, the schedule features the U.S. Open $25,000 Under 25 Hollow Creek Farm FEI Grand Prix, the U.S. Open $40,000 FEI Canadian Pacific Speed Class, and the $50,000 Engel & Völkers Puissance.

“We look forward to everyone enjoying ‘Canadian Pacific Day’ at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show,” said Mark Bellissimo of International Equestrian Group. “It will be a thrilling night of competition showcasing the best of equestrian sport. We hope that we can set new world records in the Puissance and provide a fantastic event for spectators too.”

“Canadian Pacific Day” begins with gates opening at 6 p.m. The U.S. Open $25,000 Under 25 Hollow Creek Farm FEI Grand Prix kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Some of the best young show jumpers in North America will compete under the lights in Wollman Rink to determine the U.S. Open champion.

Following the U25 competition is the U.S. Open $40,000 FEI Canadian Pacific Speed class at 8 p.m., where international show jumpers like McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, Georgina Bloomberg, and Todd Minikus will go head to head against the clock. The fastest horse and rider combination will be awarded.

“CP is proud to be back as a sponsor for the Rolex Central Park Horse Show and a partner in putting on a tremendous show in one of the sport’s most unique venues,” said CP CEO E. Hunter Harrison. “We wish all the horses and riders well as they face off in front of enthusiastic fans in the heart of New York City.”

The $50,000 Engel & Völkers Puissance is a new addition to the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in 2016 and will start at approximately 9 p.m. The unique event requires a special horse with power to clear a wall that is raised in height with each round. Phenom rider Jos Verlooy of Belgium, who is just 20 years old, won the $50,000 Boeing Company Puissance at last year’s Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). He will contest the Puissance and hopes to have the opportunity to set the new world outdoor puissance record, breaking the current height of seven feet, three inches.

Irish rider Susan Oakes and her horse Cicero will also tackle the Puissance wall in a special addition to Thursday evening. The pair, who compete in side saddle style, will try to set a new world record as well.

Oakes currently holds the world record for jumping six feet, eight inches in a puissance side saddle, and she hopes to break the seven-foot barrier on Thursday.

For more information and a full schedule of events for the Rolex Central Park Horse Show, please visit www.CentralParkHorseShow.com.

Want to see high-flying jumpers, dancing dressage horses, stunning Arabians, and elegant hunters? Tickets are selling fast! To get yours, go to http://bit.ly/29LwkkD.

The official hotel is the JW Marriot Essex House and special rates are available for a limited time at http://bit.ly/1qV3FBt. In the “Please Select Guest Type” box, select “Attendee” when making a reservation.

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. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show 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 second annual U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers; Dressage; Hunters; U25 Jumpers; and Arabians. For more information, visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.

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