Syracuse, NY, October 31, 2005: Of the strong field of 31 top International Show Jumping Riders coming to Syracuse on the weekend, a few are heading into this competition with a strong head of steam. Kent Farrington, aboard Madison, won the World Cup Qualifier in Washington, DC this past weekend. That, combined with his impressive season that has put him in the number 14 slot in the US Equestrian Team’s “International” List, make him a favorite. Clinton, New York’s David Raposa always has a strong showing at Syracuse in front of his home town crowd. This Central New York native was edged out of the win in last year’s World Cup Qualifier at Syracuse by Holland’s Eric Van der Vleuten. Recently, he has another strong second place finish at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show’s Grand Prix de Penn on his top mount, Audi’s Fanny de Latour.

Farrington and Raposa will have to contend with, among others, the highest ranked riders from England, the Netherlands and the United States (Nick Skelton, Gerco Schröder, and Beezie Madden, respectively). Skelton, ranked fifth in the world, and his bay stallion Arko III have had a very successful year: second in the “Million Dollar” class at Spruce Meadows, Canada in September, third in the Grand Prix of Aachen in August and the only double clear in the Dublin Nations Cup. In July they were second in the King George V Cup at Hickstead, England, and first in the Leipzig Grand Prix in January. Holland’s Gerco Schröder already has an impressive resume at only 27 and is the one to watch on the strong Dutch show jumping team. In mid-October, he won the World Cup Qualifier in Oslo, Norway on Eurocommerce Monaco. Beezie Madden, the US’s top-ranked rider both in national and world rankings, has had a career year. Most recently, in September she won the $75,000 New Albany Classic Invitational, and that same month won the “Million Dollar” class at Spruce Meadows. In July, Madden won the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Cup also at Spruce Meadows. Earlier in 2005, she won the $200,000 American Invitational in Tampa. Much of her summer was spent in Europe helping the US team win the Samsung Superleague Nations Cup series for the first time.

Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin was Madden’s teammate on many of the Superleague legs that led to the stunning league victory for the US. and Kraut is certainly in the running for wins in Syracuse. Finally, Aiken, South Carolina’s Aaron Vale is a rider that makes a habit of winning. With a hefty $475,000 in prize money amassed already, an amount second only to Beezie Madden’s, Vale is consistently in the running.

The remainder of the field includes several possible winners as well. All American riders had to qualify for invitations to compete in the Tournament’s International Open division, with a few slots open to the discretion of the Organizing Committee for up-and–coming riders. Legends of show jumping like Norman Dello Joio, Leslie Howard, Anne Kursinski, Joe Fargis and Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker and other highly ranked American riders

Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse tournament cannot be counted out as well. In 2004, the Syracuse Invitational was ranked as one of the top two in the nation on the basis of the most competitive field, and the 2005 Tournament promises to bring that level of intense, high quality competition again.

The Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament runs from November 2 through 6 at the Oncenter Complex in downtown Syracuse. Tickets for featured performances at the Tournament are available through the Oncenter Box Office (315-435-2121) or Ticketmaster (315-472-0700 or www.ticketmaster.com) and range from for $7.50 to $20. A complete schedule of competitions, both free and ticketed, is available at www.syracuseinvitational.com.

Photo Attached: Nick Skelton and Arko III at the 2004 Syracuse Invitational Credit: Kym Ketchum