Wins for Isabell Werth and Georgina Bloomberg
22 September 2014 – New York, USA – The first annual Central Park Horse Show, presented by Rolex and produced by The Chronicle of the Horse, yesterday concluded four days of top horse sport featuring the world’s best horses and riders in Show Jumping and Dressage, in New York City’s Trump Rink.
Georgina Bloomberg Wins Inaugural $210,000 Central Park Grand Prix CSI 3*
Twenty-three of the world’s best horses and riders jumped in the inaugural $210,000 Central Park Grand Prix CSI 3*, presented by Rolex, with an exciting victory for New York’s own Georgina Bloomberg riding Juvina on Thursday 18 September. The Central Park Grand Prix was televised live on NBC Sports Network as the first live primetime broadcast of equestrian sport on a major sports network. Later in the evening, New York native Lucy Deslauriers rode her horse Hester to victory in the $20,000 Under 25 Grand Prix, presented by PwC.
Thursday’s competition was just the beginning of an exciting four days of equestrian sport in New York City’s beloved Central Park. The Central Park Horse Show continued with its second day of show jumping competition on Friday 19 September under the beautiful New York City skyline. The evening featured a $50,000 “NYC vs. The World” Team Speed Challenge, presented by Donald J. Trump, with a win for Suncast® Corporation’s World Team. Representing his home nation of Ireland, Conor Swail won the competition overall with the leading round aboard Lansdowne.
A $5,000 Junior/Amateur Speed Challenge was held later in the evening with a win for 22-year-old New York based rider Hilary McNerney and Oscar. Rolex Testimonee Kent Farrington, the number 3 ranked rider in the world, guided the winning efforts in both competitions serving as captain of the victorious Suncast World Team as well as training McNerney to her win.
Farrington commented on the event following another great evening of competition representing his winning team. “I think this is one of the best venues we can have to showcase our sport,” he stated. “It is really exciting to be here and be a part of this event, getting it off the ground. A special thank you to everybody that has put big efforts into making this happen – Mark Bellissimo, Donald Trump, Rolex being our sponsor here, all the staff of the park, and everybody that has helped. I think for the first year, it’s a success, and I know there will be big efforts into making it better. I think that this could turn into a major stop on our tour and turn into a world-class event.”
Isabell Werth and El Santo NRW Win First Ever Central Park Dressage Challenge
Five-time Olympic Gold Medallist Isabell Werth of Germany won the inaugural $40,000 Central Park Dressage Challenge, presented by The Axel Johnson Group, riding El Santo NRW on Saturday 20 September. The United States’ Steffen Peters brought his superstar mount Ravel out of retirement for one special freestyle, and Jan Ebeling retired his famous mare Rafalca after the duo had their final performance together. It was an incredible night celebrating the beauty, grace, and power of dressage.
Performing their freestyle in Trump Rink with an incredible backdrop of skyscrapers in the New York City skyline, Rolex Testimonee Isabell Werth and El Santo NRW received a score of 82.042% from the judges to take top honors in the dressage challenge. Dutch rider Hans Peter Minderhoud showed his mount Glock’s Flirt to a score of 78.833% to finish second, and Canada’s Karen Pavicic and Don Daiquiri scored a 73.500% to place third. El Santo NRW is a 13-year-old Rheinlander gelding by Ehrentusch x Rythmus owned by Madeleine Winter-Schulze and Isabell Werth. The rider has had great success with the talented horse in Europe and decided to bring him to the United States for the first time for this very special evening.
“I have to say thank you in the name of all riders for the great idea for this event,” Werth stated. “In the beginning when I heard it, I couldn’t believe, but I was waiting to see if it was really coming true, and it really came true. I say a big thank you. It is a special event. If you go here through Central Park and if you arrive in New York, you can’t imagine that you will compete here in this arena. It was a lot of fun and a pleasure to be here.”
Along with the evening’s freestyle competition, dressage star Steffen Peters brought his famous Olympic and World Equestrian Games partner Ravel out of retirement for one special performance. The 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding last competed with Peters in 2012 after a career that launched them to the front of the world dressage stage, including an individual fourth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, wins in the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final (Las Vegas) and the 2009 Aachen CDIO (GER), two bronze medals at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (KY), and two U.S. Equestrian Federation National Grand Prix Championship titles. The exciting evening at Trump Rink showcased the world-renowned duo for one final performance of their award-winning freestyle.
U.S. Pony Club Games and The Shetland Pony Steeplechase
Saturday also featured two matinee performances with various exhibitions representing different disciplines of equestrian sport. The United States Pony Club Games highlighted New York’s top young Pony Club riders in a series of entertaining and competitive games. The inaugural Central Park Grand National Shetland Pony Steeplechase races, part of the WIHS Shetland Pony Steeplechase Series presented by Charles Owen, saw jockeys age seven to 16 riding atop one of the world’s most adorable pony breeds.
U.S. Vaulting Team & Polo
The 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games’ U.S. Vaulting Team showcased their world-class horseback gymnastics thanks to sponsor Akiko Yamazaki. Polo’s rising stars also took to the ring thanks to support from Wellington’s Grand Champions Polo Club. The U.S. Polo Association Central Park Polo Challenge concluded a fantastic weekend on Sunday afternoon.
For more information on the inaugural Central Park Horse Show and full results on all the competitions held over the four days, please visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com.
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