Experience a family-friendly equestrian extravaganza as horses and riders from around the world dance to the music to fight breast cancer.
The Challenge of the Americas (COTA), is a spectacular evening of horses and fun, all to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) through its partner, Play for P.I.N.K.
General admission gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival showgrounds at the corner of South Shore Blvd. and Pierson Road in Wellington.
Grab some food and beverages available for purchase and enjoy pre-show entertainment by local singer Michael Boone. General admission ticket holders will have an ideal vantage point in the grandstands to see horse and rider pas de deux set to music, and top show jumpers and their mounts performing choreographed jumping starting at 6:30 p.m. Then, the headline event will feature five teams of six dancing horses and their skilled riders competing in the musical Grand Prix Quadrille Team Challenge.
The one-of-a-kind Challenge of the Americas showcases the Olympic sports of dressage and show jumping, and features some of the top international competitors from the United States, Canada and Europe as they maneuver their horses in precise patterns set to a musical theme. Competitors pull out the stops with intricate choreography and colorful costumes to delight the crowds while raising funds for breast cancer research.
COTA has evolved since its origins in 2002. Created by Mary Ross to honor her mother, who died of breast cancer, the event grew from an afternoon luncheon featuring three horse-and-rider combinations to an international event with 38 riders and their mounts. Its success and continued growth is due not only to its partnership with the top-rated breast cancer organization in the U.S., but also to its uniquely entertaining format.
The beneficiary of the event, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) though its partner Play for P.I.N.K., is the largest private funder of breast cancer research — and the largest private funder of metastatic research — in the United States. Play for P.I.N.K. is a grassroots organization committed to raising funds for breast cancer research through sporting and lifestyle events. Since 1996, PFP has raised nearly $70 million for breast cancer research and is currently supporting 19 research projects. Through COTA, you can help fuel the research of tomorrow needed to save lives today.
General admission tickets for the Challenge of the Americas are available at the door for $20, and children 12 and under are free. VIP tickets, available at www.challengeoftheamericas.com, provide the same top-notch entertainment with the bonus of enjoying the elegantly festive Challenge Gala featuring dinner and dancing under the tents at the showgrounds.
Help the Challenge of the Americas #ChallengeBreastCancer and join in for an exciting evening of dancing horses and family fun to help find a the cure.
