Monday November 3, 2003

McDonald and Seidel Featured in Royal Dressage Invitational at Toronto's Royal Horse Show

The Royal Horse Show, held November 7-16 as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON, is pleased to announce the addition of the Royal Dressage Invitational to its outstanding line-up of world-class equestrian competition.

The Royal Dressage Invitational will be held November 12 and 13 in the newly built Coliseum. The ‘by invitation only’ event will see two of Canada’s top performers going head-to-head against two top American competitors, 1999 Pan Am double gold medallist Debbie McDonald and two-time Olympic bronze medallist, Guenter Seidel, as they compete for $20,000 in prize money. McDonald, currently ranked the number four dressage rider in the world, and Seidel, currently ranked fifteenth, were teammates at the 2002 World Equestrian Games where the United States earned the silver medal.

“The Royal Horse Show Committee wanted to expand international dressage competition,” explains Kim Philip, Chair of the Royal Horse Show. “The Royal Dressage Invitational is unique to the Royal, and we have found a formula to showcase the enormous skill, not to mention the world-class musical freestyles, of dressage in a whole new way.”

While the Royal Dressage Invitational is an addition to the Royal Horse Show repertoire, fans can still look forward to the FEI World Cup Dressage League Final, Presented by Swarovski, on November 7 and 8. The top five Canadian horse-rider combinations in the standings will contest the League Final with the winner being invited to attend the 2004 World Cup Final in Dusseldorf, Germany, as Canada’s sole representative. The FEI World Cup Dressage League Final, Presented by Swarovski, will also determine the two Canadian riders who move forward to the Royal Dressage Invitational.

“Inviting the top names in the sport to go head-to-head with our top Canadian riders will raise the standard of dressage in this country,” believes Philip. “The Royal Dressage Invitational gives the Canadians a chance to compete against the world’s best, an opportunity that is rare outside of a major games. We certainly have every intention of adding European competitors to the mix in 2004.”

In order to introduce the unfamiliar with the spectacular beauty of the Olympic sport of dressage, the Royal Dressage Invitational Grand Prix test on Wednesday, November 12, will be held during an afternoon performance, free with the purchase of a general admission ticket to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. To attend the Grand Prix Freestyle performance on Thursday, November 13, Royal Horse Show tickets are required; please contact Ticketmaster at (416) 870-8000 to purchase.

Related Links
Royal Horse Show
Debbie McDonald, USET Athlete of the Month for March 2003
Guenter Seidel Named USET Athlete of the Month for February 2003