Woodside, Calif., May 12, 2011 – The third annual Preliminary Challenge will climax on Saturday, May 28, as the sun sets over The Event At Woodside, just a half an hour south of San Francisco, and fans, friends and family can watch the action while enjoying a catered dinner sitting at ringside.
Doors will open at 5:15 p.m. for the gala party to celebrate the evening, with drinks and appetizers available. Opening ceremonies will start at 6 :00 p.m., competition gets under way at 6:200, and dinner will be served at 7:00.
Gala tickets are $55 per person and $450 for tables of 10. To reserve a seat, go to the Woodside Horse Park website, click on the Horse Trials/Eventing tab, and scroll down to information about the Preliminary Challenge.
Tickets for riders competing in other Woodside divisions are $25 per person. (Riders should contact organizer Robert Kellerhouse directly at rkellerhouse@galwaydowns.com.)
But the deadline for the special rider and table prices is fast approaching—May 20. After that, the price for everyone will be $55 per person.
The party will take place in a heated tent on the new berm overlooking the Bay Arena, while horses are tackling the show jumping rounds that will determine the winners of the Preliminary Challenge. Cahoots Catering of Paso Robles, Calif., will provide the specially prepared dinner. Beer and local wine will be available for purchase, and soft dinks, coffee and tea are included with the dinner tickets.
“This gala dinner has turned into something truly special. Watching a great competition, eating a great dinner and drinking local wines, overlooking the beautiful San Francisco Bay—it’s something you can’t do anywhere else,” said Kellerhouse.
Spectators can also spend the entire day watching he cross-country action for $10 per person, which includes parking and a program. Fans who have gala dinner tickets can watch the cross-country action at no additional charge.
More than three dozen horses are expected to compete in the Woodside Preliminary Challenge—presented by Point Two Air Jackets, Professional’s Choice and Equine Insurance of California. In 2010 some 300 people reveled in the atmosphere under the tent, while another 400 cheered from around the ring.
The Woodside Preliminary Challenge offers two divisions: the Horse division is open to riders of any level of experience on horses that have not competed at the intermediate level or above in 2009, 2010 or 2011; the Rider division is open to all horses with riders who have not competed at the intermediate level or above in 2009, 2010 or 2011. Horses and riders must achieve two qualifying results at the preliminary level as a pair in order to compete.
The riders in the two divisions will be competing for $15,000 in prize money and another $15,000 in prizes.
Other generous sponsors of the Horse Trials at Woodside include: CWD Saddlery, Voltaire Design, Advanced Protection Formula, Riding’s Publications Inc., and Smartpak Equine.
Proceeds from the Preliminary Challenge Gala Dinner benefit construction of the cross-country course at the Horse Park of Woodside.