Horse Sport

City League will hold its first show April 17-20 at The Jacksonville Equestrian Center in Florida. This is a change from the previous show date of April 10-13.
The City League staff has been busy in Jacksonville organizing the event, securing sponsors, vendors and entertainment. The four-day show will introduce a team competition of world-class show jumping between teams named after their city.
Each team will feature at least four grand prix-level riders and horses. These city teams will compete in three events over the course of a long weekend, which will end with a Saturday evening Grand Prix.
Entertainment between competitions to keep the whole evening energized will feature Todd Duncan and his XTremeK9 Frisbee Dogs and a Wild Wild West Show. Hundreds of vendors will be on site to provide a variety of shopping opportunities for riders and spectators. The pony rides and bounce house are sure to be an attraction for kids.
“We’re expecting to fill the barns with 400 horses and the coliseum with thousands of spectators,” Pauline Russell said.
Tickets are not on sale yet. But when they become available, they can be purchased at www.jaxevents.com , www.ticketmaster.com, at the Equestrian Center and at all SMG box offices. Adult weekend passes will be $25, and children ages 5-15 will be only $5 per night.
The Green Gate Gathering charity dinner — featuring fine wines, dining, Calcutta and silent auction — will start at 7 p.m. April 19 during the Grand Prix.
Here are the scheduled show dates for this year:
April 17-20: Jacksonville, Fla.
May 29-June 1: Alpharetta, Ga.
July 23-27: Knoxville, Tenn.
Aug. 13-17: Asheville, N.C.
Sept. 17-21: Greensboro, N.C.
“Our sights are set on the 10-day semifinals, the longest show of the year, which will be held in the fall of 2008,” Pauline said. “Although Spartanburg will not be the host city for the semifinals this year, we are looking forward to the new equestrian facility that is currently being developed by Jeff Caton, director of the Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation Commission.”
City League’s mission is to bring grand prix show jumping to arenas where people of all walks of life can watch and to promote wellness. City League is focusing on developing a fan base for the sport and filling arenas with spectators. “We need to return to what show jumping was in its heyday — where fans came to watch, the stands were filled and we had formal fundraising events,” Vic Russell said. “Show jumping was an event.”
Here is a list of team captains and the cities they represent:
Andrea King: Augusta, Ga.
Jeff Martin: Raleigh, N.C.
Ashley Morrison: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Kyle King: Charlotte, N.C.
Andy Kocher: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Lincoln Russell: Spartanburg
Liza Towell: Camden
Daniel Berrio: Alpharetta, Ga.
Gary Young: Camden
Daniel Geitner: Aiken
Hahns Shart: Nashville, Tenn.
David Pellegrini: Memphis, Tenn.
Martin Klein: Nashville, Tenn.
Debi Connor: Ocala, Fla.
Penelope Strait: Atlanta
Dennis Mitchell: Knoxville, Tenn.
Roberto Teran: Bogota, Colombia
Derek Peterson: Gainsville, Fla.
Sergio Campos: Orlando, Fla.
Francisco Martinez: Caracas, Venezuela
Ron Krise: Orlando, Fla.
Gautama Tschammerl: Jacksonville, Fla.
Hugo Cantellops: Orlando, Fla.
Hailey Henderson: Lafayette, La.
Terry Gonzalez: Weston, Fla.
Hartmut Gutzmann: Apex, N.C.
Teena Adriani: Lexington, Ky.
Willie Tynan: Apex, N.C.
Wendy Ritter: Winter Park, Fla.
Holly Shepherd: Mobile, Ala.
Katie Maxwell: Greenville
Dani Grice: Mobile, Ala.
Aaron Vale: Dallas, Texas
Shaun Stucky: New Orleans
For more information on City League, visit www.CityLeagueInternational.com .