Olympic Silver Medalist Ian Millar rode Star Power to victory in the 2011 $75,000 CSI2* Brookstreet Grand Prix, organized by Hayes Co. The Hayes family will launch the Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments in their hometown of Orangeville, ON, from August 15 to 19, 2012. Photo by Debra Jamroz

April 9, 2012 – Orangeville, ON – World-class show jumping will make its debut in Orangeville, Ontario, this summer thanks to the introduction of the Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments running from August 15-19 at the Orangeville Agricultural Society (OAS) Event Centre in Orangeville, ON.

The Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments, featuring the $75,000 Grand Prix presented by NationWide Auto Warranty, will be organized by the Hayes Family and its horse show management company, Hayes Co.  Having formerly organized show jumping tournaments in Sutton, Collingwood and Ottawa, the Hayes family is celebrating its 28th year by mounting a new event in their hometown of Orangeville.  Two-time Canadian Olympian Jay Hayes, his wife Shawn, and their three daughters, Lauren, Ainsley and Regan, and son-in-law Johan Letimonier, all call Orangeville home.

The Hayes family will mount the Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments at the OAS Event Centre.  Owned and operated by the Orangeville Agricultural Society, the OAS Event Centre is an 84-acre multi-functional and multi-discipline facility located minutes from downtown Orangeville.  All four competition rings - two jumper and two hunter, will feature sand-based and exceedingly well-drained, flat grass surfaces while the existing infrastructure of the OAS Event Centre will allow Hayes Co. to create an ideal facility to host the Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments.

In the inaugural year, Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela will handle course design duties in the grand prix jumping ring.  The two-time Olympic course designer recently visited the venue as part of the planning and preparations for the event.

“I believe the facility is big enough, the land is easy to work with, and the footing looks like it will be very nice,” said Palacios, who will travel to Orangeville directly from the 2012 London Olympic Games where he will act as the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Technical Advisor.  “They have facilities and infrastructure already there, and a lot of grass fields that they can use.  It is exciting, and I look forward to working there.”

In addition to presenting the featured event, the $75,000 Grand Prix, title sponsor NationWide Auto Warranty will offer two brand new vehicles to the winners in both the Junior/Amateur and Open Jumper divisions.  A full slate of hunter and jumper classes are also on the schedule including a Canadian Hunter Derby Series event on Friday, August 17, and the $5,000 Broccoli Hill Hunter Derby on Sunday, August 19.  The Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments will also be part of the newly launched Young Horse Championship Series.

Mac Cone, a member of Canada’s Silver Medal Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, also visited the venue.  The resident of nearby King City, ON, shared his thoughts, saying, “What impressed me the most was that a lot of the infrastructure necessary to run a top-level event is already there.  With asphalt parking lots, bathrooms and permanent buildings, there is a lot to build the show around and the organizers do not have to start from scratch.  The soil on the grass fields is quite friendly for jumping horses.  It is a natural soil that seems to work quite well.  With a little help from the local authorities with their machinery and manpower, and with the Hayes’ expertise in managing shows, I think they can turn it into a nice show jumping facility.”

In a unique effort to introduce competitors to the facility, Hayes Co. will offer two days of schooling the week before the Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments officially begin.

“This is going to be our new home, and we want to welcome everyone and ensure that they are comfortable and confident competing in the grass rings,” said Ainsley Hayes, Event Coordinator of Hayes Co.  “This is a fantastic opportunity to introduce people not only to the OAS Event Centre, but also to the community of Orangeville where our family lives.  Orangeville has really started booming in the past 10 years and has so much to offer, from hotels and numerous restaurant options to a movie theatre.  Like our family, a lot of our clients will be able enjoy a new competition venue while still being able to sleep in their own beds at night.”

For more information on the Orangeville Show Jumping Tournaments, please visit www.hayesco.ca, e-mail info@hayesco.ca