Horse Sport

Cinch those saddles tight for a ride down to Florida to watch City League International take its first jump.
All the organizing, all the waiting, all the preparing come together April 17-20 at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center when teams of Grand Prix-level riders test their skills against each other and a competitive course.
These equestrians will have to navigate obstacles five feet high and six feet wide. And all the while, the clock is ticking. It should be a nail-biting debut for City League that showcases the sheer strength, courage and talent of the riders.
Each team will compete in three events over the course of the long weekend, which will end with a Saturday evening Grand Prix.
And that’s not all, folks. During breaks in the competition, Todd Duncan and his XTremeK9 Frisbee Dogs will entertain the fans, along with the Wild Wild West Show. For those who want to shop, plenty of opportunities will be available as vendors set up their kiosks.
City League also is thinking of the children. It will feature pony rides and a bounce house to make the extravaganza an affair the whole family can enjoy.
Here’s the equestrian schedule.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, teams will compete in the Team Speed Class. Then, at 7 p.m. Friday, fans can watch the Team Jump-Off, and at 7 p.m. Saturday, the Individual Gold Grand Prix and Award Ceremony will take center stage.
It’s been a barn full of work for Vick and Pauline Russell and their City League staff. Now the fun starts.
“We’re anticipating filling the barns with over 400 horses and the coliseum with over 4,000 spectators,” Pauline Russell said.
Tickets can be purchased at www.jaxevents.com , www.ticketmaster.com , at the Equestrian Center and at all SMG box offices. Adult weekend passes will cost $25, and children ages 6-15 can get in and cheer for only $5 per night.
During each City League event, a charity gala will be held on Grand Prix night. Each benefit supports the Green Gate Foundation as well as a local charity chosen by each host city. Jacksonville picked the Donna Hicken Foundation for breast cancer.
The nonprofit Green Gate Foundation is part of the Spartanburg Regional Foundation and is dedicated to supporting victims of breast cancer.
Many breast cancer patients and their families need immediate financial help, ranging from life-saving treatments to child care needs. The Green Gate Foundation was developed for City League to help these families.
It’s also a great way for the riders to help out their communities.
And that includes the Spartans from Spartanburg. This team from the Upstate will be captained by Lincoln Russell, son of Vick Russell. And when it comes to riding, Lincoln is just as colorful as his dad.
Other members of the Spartans include Lily Hahn, Helen Teranova, Fabian Herrera, Hanna Dimmick and Vick Russell himself.
Lily has been gathering steam this year with a great string of horses. She just returned from Paris, where she recently became engaged.
Lily’s biggest fans are children between the ages 5-12. They love to follow her throughout the show because she always finds time for them.
Helen, meanwhile, is quite competitive, but she combines that athletic spirit with amazing style and grace.
Hanna, on the other hand, is quite a fireball. She is young, with an unquenchable thirst to win. Some folks say she was born to compete.
Fabian is a quiet young man who thinks like a horse. Raised in Ecuador, Fabian has been training with Vick and Pauline Russell for two years. Pauline said he has no idea how much he brings to his mounts as a rider.
Fabian spent most of his life training young horses, and now City League International offers him a grand venue to display his skills.
Vick Russell, not only knows how to organize an event, he just might be one of the best jumping talents on the circuit.
So come on down to Jacksonville April 17, and watch City League International take its first jump.
For more information, go online at www.CityLeagueInternational.com or e-mail CityShowJumping@yahoo.com.

Photos above show Vick Russell competing and thinking about the debut of City League International in Jacksonville, Fla.