PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
San Francisco International Horse Trials
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco, California USA
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Contact: Horses In California, Inc.
(415) 221 - 9438
On the heels of the great success enjoyed by U.S. equestrian athletes in Athens, an ambitious plan is being hatched to bring many of the world's top horse and rider combinations to San Francisco - for an annual Olympic level competition to be held at the Cow Palace and in John McLaren Park.
A formal bid to host North America's most challenging and prestigious all-around equestrian championship in San Francisco has been submitted to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) by Horses in California, Inc., a locally based nonprofit. The proposal calls for the staging of a "four-star" competition in the equestrian discipline of Eventing each fall, beginning in October 2006.
Eventing is a three-phase competition that combines Dressage, Speed and Endurance and Showjumping. The Dressage, or 'schooling', competition asks the competitor to perform an exacting series of prescribed movements within a 20 x 60 meter arena. The Speed and Endurance Phase incorporates a trot along scenic roads and tracks, the flat-out speed of the steeplechase course and the thrills of a cross-country gallop over a creatively concocted series of ditches, fences, banks and other formidable obstacles. On the final day, the competitors are asked to jump a challenging course of showjumping fences within a prescribed time. Penalties assessed in each phase are totaled, with the horse and rider accumulating the least penalty points declared the winners.
The sport of Eventing has its roots in the traditions of the mounted cavalry. It has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Equestrian is one of the few sports in which men and women compete against each other on an equal playing field. The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), headquartered in Switzerland, governs international equestrian sports competition.
The effort to secure a championship event for San Francisco is being headed by longtime equestrian entrepreneurs Hugh and Melba Meakin. Proprietors of the Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe, the city's unique equestrian oasis, the Meakin's have a long history of community service, and are actively supported by a volunteer committee drawn from Northern California's sports, business, political, agricultural and media communities.
The bid submitted by the San Francisco group is the only West Coast representative in the competition to secure the USEF Fall Eventing Championship. \
'Four-star' events are conducted at the highest level of international competition and attract only the most skilled and experienced horse and rider combinations from throughout the world. In addition to the Olympic Games and FEI sanctioned World Equestrian Games, there are currently only four events held annually at this level. They are:
* The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (England)
* The Burghley Horse Trials (England)
* The Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event (USA)
* The Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials (South Australia)
Each of these contests annually draws 100,000 to 300,000 spectators.
The San Francisco International Horse Trials would join Adelaide as the only event of this kind staged in a large urban setting. The event is to be broadcast internationally via a partnership between HorseTV and Bay Area based SportsQuest International.
Hugh and Melba Meakin are highly respected as the founders of the James S. Brady Therapeutic Riding Program and the Golden Gate Park Polo Series. "Polo in the Park" an annual fundraiser for charity recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary.
The San Francisco International Horse Trials will actively involve members of the general public, the business community and various civic organizations. The event will provide jobs for residents of San Francisco and surrounding communities. The new Third Street light-rail line, supplemented by BART, Cal Trans, MUNI, and shuttle buses, will provide excellent transportation for spectators, thus avoiding the traffic congestion seen at other events.
A unique aspect of the San Francisco proposal is the staging of the Dressage and Showjumping phases of the competition in the Cow Palace, home of the annual Grand National Horse Show, Rodeo and Livestock Exposition. This site offers first rate stabling, parking, security and multimedia facilities. This will allow the organizers to be cost efficient while at the same time incorporating the highest standards within the staging and management of the competition. In addition to providing a hedge against the uncertainties of fall weather, the Cow Palace will adapt very well to the staging of the imaginative multimedia extravaganzas envisioned for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The speed and endurance phase of the event (including Cross-Country) will be held in 317-acre John McLaren Park, perhaps the most under-utilized facility of its kind in the country. The attention focused by the staging of the event at McLaren will greatly enhance efforts to bring new life to this beautiful park and its surrounding communities. Organizers of the San Francisco International Horse Trials seek to capture and inspire the imagination of a wider and more demographically diverse equestrian sports audience. Profiles of athletes, such Malaysia's Husref Malek or Olympic medallist Amy Tryon - a Seattle area firefighter, will be utilized to personalize, inspire and humanize the sport. Advertising and education will be key elements of the committee's outreach to individuals and communities throughout the Bay Area, Northern California and the Western United States.
Given that the 2006 FEI World Cup Showjumping Final has been awarded to Kuala Lumpur and that the 2008 Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, the organizers of the San Francisco International Horse Trials (working with their corporate and institutional partners) will seek to maximize opportunities for the development of closer relations with the nations of Asia and the Pacific Rim.
As America's gateway to the Pacific and a popular vacation and business destination, San Francisco is uniquely positioned to benefit from the diverse social, commercial and political activity that is generated by a major international sporting event.
#
Links:
United States Equestrian Federation http://www.usef.org/
United States Eventing Association http://www.useventing.com
Fédération Equestre Internationale http://www.horsesport.org
Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe http://www.talytara.com/
Polo in The Park http://www.sfpolointhepark.com/
HorseTV http://www.horse-tv.com
SportsQuest International http://www.SportsQuestInternational.com
Cow Palace http://www.cowpalace.com
John McLaren Park http://www.jennalex.com/projects/fomp/homepage/history.html
San Francisco International Horse Trials
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco, California USA
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Contact: Horses In California, Inc.
(415) 221 - 9438
On the heels of the great success enjoyed by U.S. equestrian athletes in Athens, an ambitious plan is being hatched to bring many of the world's top horse and rider combinations to San Francisco - for an annual Olympic level competition to be held at the Cow Palace and in John McLaren Park.
A formal bid to host North America's most challenging and prestigious all-around equestrian championship in San Francisco has been submitted to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) by Horses in California, Inc., a locally based nonprofit. The proposal calls for the staging of a "four-star" competition in the equestrian discipline of Eventing each fall, beginning in October 2006.
Eventing is a three-phase competition that combines Dressage, Speed and Endurance and Showjumping. The Dressage, or 'schooling', competition asks the competitor to perform an exacting series of prescribed movements within a 20 x 60 meter arena. The Speed and Endurance Phase incorporates a trot along scenic roads and tracks, the flat-out speed of the steeplechase course and the thrills of a cross-country gallop over a creatively concocted series of ditches, fences, banks and other formidable obstacles. On the final day, the competitors are asked to jump a challenging course of showjumping fences within a prescribed time. Penalties assessed in each phase are totaled, with the horse and rider accumulating the least penalty points declared the winners.
The sport of Eventing has its roots in the traditions of the mounted cavalry. It has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Equestrian is one of the few sports in which men and women compete against each other on an equal playing field. The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), headquartered in Switzerland, governs international equestrian sports competition.
The effort to secure a championship event for San Francisco is being headed by longtime equestrian entrepreneurs Hugh and Melba Meakin. Proprietors of the Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe, the city's unique equestrian oasis, the Meakin's have a long history of community service, and are actively supported by a volunteer committee drawn from Northern California's sports, business, political, agricultural and media communities.
The bid submitted by the San Francisco group is the only West Coast representative in the competition to secure the USEF Fall Eventing Championship. \
'Four-star' events are conducted at the highest level of international competition and attract only the most skilled and experienced horse and rider combinations from throughout the world. In addition to the Olympic Games and FEI sanctioned World Equestrian Games, there are currently only four events held annually at this level. They are:
* The Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (England)
* The Burghley Horse Trials (England)
* The Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event (USA)
* The Mitsubishi Adelaide International Horse Trials (South Australia)
Each of these contests annually draws 100,000 to 300,000 spectators.
The San Francisco International Horse Trials would join Adelaide as the only event of this kind staged in a large urban setting. The event is to be broadcast internationally via a partnership between HorseTV and Bay Area based SportsQuest International.
Hugh and Melba Meakin are highly respected as the founders of the James S. Brady Therapeutic Riding Program and the Golden Gate Park Polo Series. "Polo in the Park" an annual fundraiser for charity recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary.
The San Francisco International Horse Trials will actively involve members of the general public, the business community and various civic organizations. The event will provide jobs for residents of San Francisco and surrounding communities. The new Third Street light-rail line, supplemented by BART, Cal Trans, MUNI, and shuttle buses, will provide excellent transportation for spectators, thus avoiding the traffic congestion seen at other events.
A unique aspect of the San Francisco proposal is the staging of the Dressage and Showjumping phases of the competition in the Cow Palace, home of the annual Grand National Horse Show, Rodeo and Livestock Exposition. This site offers first rate stabling, parking, security and multimedia facilities. This will allow the organizers to be cost efficient while at the same time incorporating the highest standards within the staging and management of the competition. In addition to providing a hedge against the uncertainties of fall weather, the Cow Palace will adapt very well to the staging of the imaginative multimedia extravaganzas envisioned for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The speed and endurance phase of the event (including Cross-Country) will be held in 317-acre John McLaren Park, perhaps the most under-utilized facility of its kind in the country. The attention focused by the staging of the event at McLaren will greatly enhance efforts to bring new life to this beautiful park and its surrounding communities. Organizers of the San Francisco International Horse Trials seek to capture and inspire the imagination of a wider and more demographically diverse equestrian sports audience. Profiles of athletes, such Malaysia's Husref Malek or Olympic medallist Amy Tryon - a Seattle area firefighter, will be utilized to personalize, inspire and humanize the sport. Advertising and education will be key elements of the committee's outreach to individuals and communities throughout the Bay Area, Northern California and the Western United States.
Given that the 2006 FEI World Cup Showjumping Final has been awarded to Kuala Lumpur and that the 2008 Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, the organizers of the San Francisco International Horse Trials (working with their corporate and institutional partners) will seek to maximize opportunities for the development of closer relations with the nations of Asia and the Pacific Rim.
As America's gateway to the Pacific and a popular vacation and business destination, San Francisco is uniquely positioned to benefit from the diverse social, commercial and political activity that is generated by a major international sporting event.
#
Links:
United States Equestrian Federation http://www.usef.org/
United States Eventing Association http://www.useventing.com
Fédération Equestre Internationale http://www.horsesport.org
Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe http://www.talytara.com/
Polo in The Park http://www.sfpolointhepark.com/
HorseTV http://www.horse-tv.com
SportsQuest International http://www.SportsQuestInternational.com
Cow Palace http://www.cowpalace.com
John McLaren Park http://www.jennalex.com/projects/fomp/homepage/history.html
No comments:
Post a Comment