International Show Jumping Stars Converge at Toronto’s Royal Horse Show

World-class riders will contest Saturday’s $210,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto

Olympic gold medalists and former No. 1 riders in the world rankings make up a star-studded field in the international show jumping division at the Royal Horse Show, held as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, from November 1 through 10, 2019, at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, Ontario.

Four days of international show jumping competition will culminate in the $210,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto on Saturday evening, November 9th. Riders from around the globe will try to unseat defending champion McLain Ward of the United States, who won last year’s featured event riding HH Gigi’s Girl.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward, pictured riding HH Gigi’s Girl, will defend his title in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Toronto. Ben Radvanyi Photography/Jump Media

This year, the two-time Olympic team gold medalist will defend his title aboard an up-and-coming mount, Noche de Ronda. With a longstanding history at The Royal that dates back more than 20 years, Ward marks it on his competition schedule each and every year.

“I’m not Canadian, but The Royal feels like a second home for me,” said Ward, who has won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto an impressive nine times to date. “I love the city, the competition, and the sold-out crowd that we get to ride in front of every night. Seeing a horse show that embraces tradition and still has people attend in black tie is a special experience for me as a rider. I remember coming here with my dad and it continues to be a family affair for us. I am happy to be a part of it again this year.”

Joining Ward on the list of U.S. riders invited to compete at this year’s Royal Horse Show are Olympic medalists Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut (who won the the $136,300 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Washington just two weeks ago) and Beezie Madden, along with Georgina Bloomberg, Lucy Deslauriers and Margie Engle.

Leading the charge from beyond North American borders are Israel’s Daniel Bluman; Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Amanda Derbyshire; Belgium’s Jos Verlooy; and Irish riders Daniel Coyle and Shane Sweetnam, to name a few.

Following the formula of eight U.S. competitors and eight international competitors, Canada will also have eight show jumping representatives in the international division at this year’s Royal. Based on the current Longines world rankings, Erynn Ballard of Tottenham, Ontario; Mario Deslauriers of New York, New York; Eric Lamaze of Wellington, Florida; Amy Millar of Perth, Ontario; Beth Underhill of Schomberg, Ontario; and Nicole Walker of Aurora, Ontario, have all received invitations. They will be joined by the top two finishers from the $125,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship, held November 2nd and 3rd.

Amy Millar, the 2017 Canadian Show Jumping Champion, will be one of eight Canadian riders competing in the Royal Horse Show’s international division. Ben Radvanyi Photography/Jump Media

The international show jumping division officially opens on Wednesday, November 6, and features the $37,000 Jolera International Welcome in the evening session. A sentimental favorite, the $85,000 ‘Big Ben’ International Challenge, highlights Thursday evening while the popular $50,000 Canadian Open International Challenge, presented by 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, is featured on Friday evening’s Royal Horse Show schedule.

Saturday afternoon, November 9, is Family Day, presented by McDonald’s at the Royal Horse Show. The entertaining K9-Equine Challenge, presented by the Toronto Star, pairs show jumping horses with agility dogs to see who can complete their respective courses in the fastest time. In an unparalleled evening of horse sport, the $210,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto will bring down the curtain on closing night of the Royal Horse Show.

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit royalfair.org/horse-show.

Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.

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About The Royal

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian event. The 97 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 1-10, 2019, at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Canada. For competition schedules, live webcasting, results and to purchase tickets, please visit www.royalfair.org.

About the North American League

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League, now in its fifth year, consists of 14 venues in three countries – the United States, Mexico and Canada. Each venue hosts qualifiers to determine the North American riders who will compete at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final (April 15-19) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NAL, which offers $2.4 million in prize money, is one of 16 leagues that form the global FEI Jumping World Cup™ series, which has been in existence since 1978.

Follow the action before, during and after each qualifier with #FEIWorldCup, #Longines and #JumpToGreatness.

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