‑ Rugged elegance meets refined skill and sportsmanship as Land Rover sponsors top equestrian event in Manhattan for a second year
‑ New for 2015, a "Pony Club Ride and Drive," featuring a kids mini‑car driving course combined with a kids relay is added to the matinee schedule
‑ Land Rover to offer kids from the audience the mini‑car driving experience throughout the weekend
‑ As the official vehicle of the 2015 Rolex Central Park Horse Show, Land Rover will display the latest 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR model inside the competition arena
(MAHWAH, N.J.) ‑ September 14, 2015 ‑ Land Rover North America will return as the official vehicle for one of the most anticipated equestrian events of the year, "The Rolex Central Park Horse Show" in New York City. For a second year in a row, Land Rover North America will support the event as Olympic‑caliber athletes from US, Canada and all over the world are welcomed back to compete in a five day multi‑discipline equestrian tournament on September 23‑27, 2015. The second‑annual event will feature a multitude of equestrian sports and performances, ranging from Arabians and Dressage to Hunters and Show Jumping.
"Land Rover's bond with the equestrian community is truly deep‑rooted, going back more than two decades, and Land Rover has since been the vehicle of choice for horse lovers all over the world," said Kim McCullough, Brand Vice President, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. "For this reason we continue to support equestrian sport and are excited to return for a second year to the Rolex Central Park Horse Show ‑a unique event in an iconic destination."
The schedule kicks off with the U.S. Open Arabian Horse Show on Wednesday, September 23, and continues with the Canadian Pacific $34,000 FEI Speed Class and a $10,000 1.2m Junior/Amateur class on Thursday. Friday welcomes Grand Prix Dressage, $25,000 Under‑25 Jumper Grand Prix, and the $210,000 CSI 3* Grand Prix that will air on NBC Sports Network during prime time on Sunday, September 27. Weekend activities will include a Dressage Freestyle as well as an Exhibition from the top Pony, Amateur, and Professional Hunters.
"The Rolex Central Park Horse Show made a spectacular debut and is poised for an even greater year as we introduce the US Open for Equestrian Sport. We will be welcoming more equestrian disciplines to the heart of New York City as a showcase for equestrian sport in the United States," said Mark Bellissimo CEO of International Equestrian Group, LLC (IEG).
"Showcasing the many facets of the horse world in the heart of New York City is an exciting endeavor for us and the equine industry in general," he added. "We are also very proud to continue our relationship with NBC Sports and we will be broadcasting the event to horse enthusiasts across the nation and the world."
During the Saturday matinee performance, the popular Pony Club Gymkhanas will return with a new twist this year. Last year, the Pony Club team members ran games on horseback in Team formation. This year, the Pony Club kids will compete on both horse and horsepower. After a round of games on their ponies, the Pony Club competitors will drive a mini electric Land Rover Series vehicle through a course of cones against the clock. This is a free admission event.
Children of age's four to ten* will be invited after the matinee performance to try their hand in the electric mini Land Rover vehicles through the cone course with the aid of a Land Rover instructor. Mini‑car driving experiences will also be available on Saturday at 11am following the Hunter schooling.
Up close to the action in the arena, Land Rover will feature the Range Rover Sport SVR on display. Designed, engineered and built in Britain, the SVR builds on the success of the Range Rover Sport, with an all‑aluminum unibody that reduces weight by 39 percent compared with its predecessor and provides a strong, stiff and lightweight structure perfect for towing. The SVR features a 5.0‑liter supercharged V8 engine, developed to produce 550hp and 502lb‑ft of torque. As the first Land Rover vehicle to wear the new high‑performance SVR badge, the Range Rover Sport SVR amplifies the engineering, integrity, robustness and attention to detail that are the brand's hallmarks.
Rolex Central Park Horse Show Schedule:
Wednesday, September 23
6:00 PM ‑ U.S. Open Arabian Horse Show
Thursday, September 24
6:30 PM ‑ U.S. Open $25,000 ‑ Under 25 Grand Prix
8:00 PM ‑ U.S. Open (Round 1) $34,000 FEI Speed Class presented by Canadian Pacific
Friday, September 25
1:30 PM ‑ U.S. Open Dressage Grand Prix
6:30 PM ‑ $5,000 Junior/Amateur 1.20m Class presented by Price Waterhouse
8:00 PM ‑ U.S. Open $210,000 (Final) FEI 3* Grand Prix presented by Rolex
Saturday, September 26
10:00 AM ‑ Matinee Performance
11:00 AM ‑ Noon ‑ Mini Land Rover Drive Experience available for children ages four to ten*
1:30 PM ‑ U.S. Open ‑ Hunters‑ Duchossois Cup with Pony, Jr/Amateur, and Professional Classes.
6:30 PM ‑ U.S. Open ‑ Puissance $50,000
8:00 PM ‑ U.S. Open $75,000 Dressage Freestyle presented by Axel Johnson Group
Sunday, September 27
10:00 AM ‑ Matinee Performance
11:30 AM ‑ 12:30 PM ‑ Mini Land Rover Drive Experience available for children ages four to ten*
1:30 PM ‑ Special Equestrian Event (TBA) presented by Chronicle of the Horse
*Parents of children participating in the drive experience will be required to sign a waiver.
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About Land Rover
Land Rover, the British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles, is renowned for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world. Every Land Rover vehicle is equally at home both on and off road, and in any setting; be it in the heart of the city, or traversing the countryside. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque and LR4 (Discovery 4). Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures their vehicles in the United Kingdom. Land Rover is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information visit the official Land Rover website at http://www.landroverusa.com.
Land Rover North America has been the official vehicle of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) for the past six years. The USEF serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the U.S.
Land Rover North America has been the official vehicle of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) for the past six years. The USEF serves as the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in the U.S.
About Jaguar Land Rover
• The United States is one of the leading global markets for both Jaguar and Land Rover
• Jaguar Land Rover employs 32,000 people and sells vehicles in 170 countries around the world
• Jaguar Land Rover has two state of the art engineering and design facilities and four advanced manufacturing plants in the UK
• Headquartered in Mahwah, New Jersey in the United States, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC has offices across the USA
• Jaguar Land Rover is represented by more than 330 independently operated retail outlets in the USA
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. In its second year, Rolex Central Park Horse Show will make its triumphant return from September 23 to 27, 2015 and 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 inaugural U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers; Dressage; Hunters; U25 Jumpers; and Arabians. For more information, visit http://centralparkhorseshow.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.
