RIDERS ANNOUNCED FOR $210,000 CENTRAL PARK GRAND PRIX….

Kent Farrington, Number One rider in the U.S., and Olympic Gold Medalists McLain Ward and Laura Kraut to lead all-star list of athletes competing in Inaugural Central Park Horse Show

The Central Park Horse Show, presented by Rolex and produced by The Chronicle of the Horse, is excited to welcome riders for the $210,000 Central Park Grand Prix. The Jumping event, to be held on 18 September 2014, at 6:30 p.m. at the Trump Rink in New York City’s Central Park, will showcase some of the world’s top show jumpers in a $200,000 FEI world ranking class.

The Grand Prix will be set against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues, Central Park, and will be the first live prime-time broadcast of a show jumping event in the U.S. on a rated sports network, NBC Sports.

Riders entered for the class are as follows: Kent Farrington, McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, Charlie Jayne, Jessica Springsteen, Georgina Bloomberg, Brianne Goutal, Conor Swail, Todd Minikus, Quentin Judge, Richie Moloney, Candice King, Shane Sweetnan, Darragh Kerins, Darragh Kenny, Daniel Bluman, Peter Leone, Kirsten Coe, Lauren Tisbo, Danielle Goldstein, Meagan Nusz, Molly Ashe Cawley, Paige Johnson, Catherine Pasmore, Cara Raether and Amanda Derbyshire.

Johnson has partnered with Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (a six-time Olympian, currently ranked fifth in the world) over the last 15 years, sponsoring top horses and top Swedish riders at many levels. She also sponsors show jumper Kirsten Coe of the U.S.

Mark Bellissimo, CEO of International Equestrian Group commented, “We are excited to partner with Antonia to elevate the sport of dressage in the U.S. and there is no greater city to do it in than New York.”

Dressage riders scheduled to compete are: Rolex Testimonee Isabell Werth (GER), five-time Olympic gold medalist; Hans Peter Minderhoud (NED) 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games team gold medalist; Olympian and 2014 WEG competitor Lars Petersen (DEN); American dressage Olympians Tina Konyot, Lisa Wilcox, and Jan Ebeling; Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer; top American riders Caroline Roffman and Catherine Staller-Haddad as well as top amateur PJ Rizvi; and top Canadian riders Karen Pavicic and David Marcus, members of the 2014 Canadian WEG team.

Also held during Saturday night’s Central Park Dressage Challenge will be a unique demonstration from the United States Vaulting team from the World Equestrian Games, sponsored by Akiko Yamazaki.