Written by: Kenneth Kraus
Client: American Gold Cup http://www.theamericangoldcup.com/
Release Date: 2016-09-12
The 2016 American Gold Cup CSI-W 4* is set to return to scenic Old Salem Farm in North Salem, New York, celebrating five years, the popular and prestigious show jumping classic is scheduled to run Sept. 14-18, 2016. A truly international field of world-class riders, representing 13 nations from around the globe will be making their way to Westchester County for this year’s affair, which promises to be one of the most competitive in years.
Among the riders competing this year, there are six former American Gold Cup champions, including Leslie Howard, Jessica Springsteen, Mario Deslauriers and two two-time winners, Christine McCrea and Beezie Madden. Joining them will be defending champion, Ireland’s Richard Maloney. Maloney comes to North Salem having just won the $250,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix on Long Island.
Included in this year’s star studded field are a number of Olympians, including Madden, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and McLain Ward who’ve just returned from earning the Team Silver Medal at the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. Farrington, by the way, in the latest rider rankings, has moved back up to number two in the world. Christine McCrea was the winner of the Pan Am Games Individual Gold Medal just two seasons ago. In addition to the Rio team, Margie Engle, a member of the Sydney Show Jumping team, will also compete in North Salem.
Other top Americans making their way to North Salem include a number of veteran riders and a host of the top of the junior crop as well, highlighted by Lucy Deslaurier, the daughter of Gold Cup Champion Mario Deslauriers, the winner when the event was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Todd Minikus, one of the nation’s leading all-time grand prix winners will be making the trip to Westchester Country as will Charlie Jacobs, Georgina Bloomberg, Lauren Tisbo, Jimmy and Danielle Torano, Alison Robitaille, Andy Kocher, Andrew Welles and many others.
The roster is bolstered by a group of riders coming to New York from outside the United States. Included in that group are top Irish riders Conor Swail, Shane Sweetnam and Paul O’Shea. South America and riders from Europe are represented by Eugenio Garza of Mexico, Ilan Bluman of Colombia, Samuel Parot of Chili, Amanda Derbyshire of Great Britain, Erin Ballard and Vanessa Mannix of Canada and Adam Prudent of France.
The 2016 American Gold Cup competition will play host to a number of important Longines FEI Rankings events, culminating with the prestigious $216,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping New York, where the top riders will compete for the prestigious American Gold Cup. Also on the agenda, the $86,000 American Gold Cup Qualifier, the $86,000 Fidelity Investments Classic, the $35,000 Don Little Memorial Welcome Stake and the $35,000 Hermes Sellier Cup.
The North American League boasts a minimum of $2.4 million prize money across the series, and offers the best show jumping athletes from North America and around the world the chance to qualify for the jackpot of more than $1.4 million (€1.3 million) on offer annually at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final.
“This will be our second year in the new league,” said Michael Morrissey, president of Morrissey Management Group. “The first year couldn’t have been better and this year we’re very excited about the continued international flavor of this year’s American Gold Cup. It should be a fantastic class. As I mentioned last year, we expected the new league to create a new level of excitement for show jumping in North America, and it has done just that.”
“The American Gold Cup, year after year, is one of the great equestrian events in the country,” Morrissey concluded. “Being part of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League just adds to the excitement and importance of our event.”
The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League will be showcased on a broad range of global platforms, from live TV broadcasts to streaming on digital outlets and mobile, focusing on the drama of equestrian sport with fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary-style coverage.
