United States Eventing Association

Woodside, CA - The eighth annual Woodside Preliminary Challenge is the highlight of the Event At Woodside on May 27-29. The popular competition, which climaxes with show jumping in the Grand Prix Arena on Saturday evening, will offer increased prize money, $16,500, and an additional $15,000 in prizes for the two divisions.

The Woodside Preliminary Challenge is a jewel in the western calendar. The special competition celebrates qualified horses and riders that have not competed above the preliminary level and boasts a record entry. Presented this year by CWD, Devoucoux, Equine Insurance of California, Professional's Choice, CARMA and CANTER, the action begins Friday morning with dressage evaluated by a panel of two judges. The horses and riders will then attack the challenges of the cross-country course early on Saturday morning. Course designer Ian Stark has freshened the course, with the help of a successful cross country course fundraising campaign undertaken by the Horse Park at Woodside.

Live feed of the Preliminary Challenge dressage is available here, from Bronze Sponsor Ride On Video.

The Preliminary Challenge will culminate on Saturday evening, when the leaders will tackle a special show jumping course set by Sara Dubost in the Horse Park's expansive Grand Prix Arena. Full results are available here.

The top 10 horses in each of the two Preliminary Challenge divisions will begin show jumping at 6:20 p.m., with awards to follow immediately afterward.

Fans, other Woodside competitors, friends and family can cheer for the final phase of the Woodside Preliminary Challenge from a ringside tent while enjoying a Gala Dinner served by the popular Absolute Barbeque Company. Local wines, beer and soft drinks will be served while the horses are jumping, with dinner following the awards ceremony.

For the last seven years, the Gala Dinner has been a sold-out affair. In 2015 more than 400 people enjoyed the show jumping along with the catered dinner, while another 500-plus cheered from their own seats all around the ring.

Reserved seating and dinner is available for $60 per person or $550 for a table of 10. Spectators can also bring their own chairs to watch from ringside. To reserve tickets, go to www.woodsideeventing.com.

The winner of each Woodside Preliminary Challenge division will earn a custom-made saddle: The Horse division winner will be awarded a JRD saddle, and the Rider division winner will take home a Devoucoux saddle.

The top placed Thoroughbred will receive a special cash award of $1,500 from CANTER and CARMA. A CANTER graduate, CTR Stony Creek, is competing in the Preliminary Challenge this year.

Saturday afternoon will feature the Advanced and Intermediate divisions taking their turns over the panoramic cross-country course. Spectators can enjoy the day watching cross-country action for $10 per person, which includes parking and a program.

"I think the format we've created for the Woodside Preliminary Challenge - the evening show jumping competition with the awards right afterward and the catered dinner - has become something truly special over the last seven years, " said event organizer Robert Kellerhouse. "The Preliminary Challenge has become a competition that the riders aim for every year, and it's become an event that people in the Woodside area and people riding in the other divisions at Woodside look forward to watching every year."

Proceeds from the Preliminary Challenge Gala Dinner benefit construction of the cross-country course at the Horse Park at Woodside.

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 from 2008 to 2016; the Rider division is open to all horses with riders who have not competed at the Intermediate level or above from 2008 to 2016. Horses and riders must achieve two qualifying results at the Preliminary level as a pair in order to compete.

CWD, Devoucoux, Equine Insurance of California and Professional's Choice, CARMA and CANTER are the Presenting Sponsors of the 2016 Event At Woodside.

Sunsprite Warmbloods is the Gold Medal Sponsor.

The Silver Medal Sponsors are: JRD Saddles, SmartPak and Voltaire Design.

The Bronze Medal Sponsors are: Auburn Laboratories Inc., Finish Line Horse Products, Geranium Street Floral, Ice Horse, Ride On Video, and Shires Equestrian Products.

Friend Sponsors are: American Medical Response, Eventing Training Online, and Triple Crown Nutrition.

For tickets, go to www.woodsideeventing.com.

To learn more about the Event At Woodside, go to www.woodsideeventing.com.

To learn more about eventing, visit the U.S. Eventing Association's website (www.useventing.com).

For Press Credentials, please contact the press officer.