Budweiser Show Jumping World Cup Final Returns To Las Vegas for 2003
With Style
Las
Vegas, NVJune 26, 2002Exciting plans are underway for
the return of the Budweiser Show Jumping World Cup Final to the
Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV, April 16-20, 2003.
The
top show jumping riders in the world will once again be competing
for the prestigious title of World Cup Champion at what will be
the 24th annual World Cup Final. After winning his third consecutive
World Cup Final in Las Vegas in 2000, international superstar Rodrigo
Pessoa of Brazil exclaimed, This has been one of the best
World Cup Finals Ive ever seen.
Budweiser
World Cup 2003 promises to be even better!
Class
Schedule
The World Cup will begin with a warm-up class on Wednesday evening,
April 16. Thursday, April 17, kicks off the main event with the
first leg of the World Cup Final, a heart-stopping speed class run
under Table C specificationswith faults converted into penalty
seconds. Riders go all out in the speed class, knowing that in order
to have a chance at a top placing in the Final standings they need
to produce a slick, fast ride.
The
second leg of the Final takes place the following evening, Friday,
April 18. This leg features a lengthy and grueling first-round course
followed by a jump-off round where competitors again show their
mastery of the speed format.
Saturday,
April 19, is a day off from World Cup competition, but not from
top show jumping action as the prestigious Grand Prix of Las Vegas
takes place in the afternoon. Some riders bring multiple mounts
to the Final and use a second horse in the Grand Prix which also
features World Cup horses not going in Sundays last leg. So
once again spectators have a chance to watch a class filled with
the national and international legends of the sport.
The
grand finale of the weekend is Sunday afternoon, April 20: the final
leg of the Budweiser World Cup Final, a challenging two-round class
run under Table A with a jump-off if needed to break a tie for first
place. The field of starters is winnowed down to only the top twenty
riders who are granted the privilege of returning for the second
course. The rider with the fewest faults emerges as the new World
Cup Champion.
Entertainment
Capital of the World
This will be the fifth World Cup Final held in the United States.
Previous Finals were held in Baltimore (1980), Tampa (1989), Del
Mar (1992) and Las Vegas (2000). In 2000, nearly 36,000 spectators
got the chance to see the brightest American stars face-off against
their top rivals from around the world in a setting known as The
Entertainment Capital of the World. Besides the top show jumping
competition, spectators were treated to spectacular laser light
shows and dazzling performances by Las Vegas showgirls and Las Vegas
celebrities such as Susan Anton and Clint Holmes. Other highlights
of 2000 included bull riding, buffaloes, the world famous Budweiser
Clydesdales, and a dressage demonstration by 1999 Pan American Games
double Gold Medalist Debbie McDonald. Outside of the arena, spectators
were able to take part in the Glitz and Glamour that
is Las Vegasfine dining, shopping, world-famous theatrical
shows, and, of course, gambling.
The
Future Is Now
Director
of the World Cup, Max Ammann, stressed in 2000 that the success
of the Las Vegas Final was a breakthrough for U.S. show jumping.
Las Vegas proved that you can do a different horse show than
what is normally the case in the United States, Ammann explained.
I think what we saw was the future of the sport in the United
States.
The
success of the World Cup Final in 2000 paved the way for new international
competitions to be held on U.S. soil, including the Oaks Blenheim
International CSI featuring the $175,000 Cargill Grand Prix of the
United States in San Juan Capistrano, CA and the CSIO Samsung Nations
Cup competition in Wellington, FL. Now, the ultimate competitionthe
World Cup Finalis back.
Qualifying
Season
U.S.
riders will begin competing in World Cup qualifying events in September
with the World Cup season continuing through March. Riders from
both the East and West Coast Leagues will be chosen to compete against
the best riders from Europe and beyond. Among those who could qualify
to compete in Las Vegas are three-time World Cup Champion Rodrigo
Pessoa, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Ludger Beerbaum, 2002 World Cup
Champion Otto Becker, 2001 Cup World Champion Markus Fuchs, and
2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Jeroen Dubbeldam.
Ticket
Information
A
variety of ticket packages for all price ranges and interest levels
is now available for purchase. All-Session Plaza Level Priority
seating is available for $300 per person. All-Session Balcony Level
Priority seating is available for $150 per person. VIP Packages
are available for $1,000 and include one premier All-Session seat,
access to the private VIP hospitality area complete with complimentary
deluxe food/beverage each day and preferred parking. Daily individual
tickets for the five days of competition range from $10 to $85 depending
on the seating and the session. To order tickets or for more information
on the excitement of the 2003 Budweiser World Cup Final, please
visit www.worldcuplasvegas.com
or call (702) 260-8605.
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