August 16, 2006 – Toronto, Ontario – The Royal Horse Show, held as part of the 84th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON, from November 3-12, 2006, has introduced new qualifying criteria for the Governor General's Cup and the Lieutenant Governor's Cup held Thursday, November 9.

Due to the high number of entries - there were more than 100 horses entered in the Cup classes in 2005 - the Royal Horse Show has limited the number of entries to 25 per Cup class. Horses must now qualify to compete in the two prestigious Cup classes. Open only to Canadian-bred three-year-old horses, the Governor General's Cup is judged strictly on the line while the Lieutenant General's Cup is judged both on the line and under saddle. This year's judges will be Mike Rosser of Southern Pines, NC, and Jimmy Wofford of Pauline, SC.

In order to qualify to compete in either the Governor General's Cup or Lieutenant Governor's Cup, horses must have placed in the top qualifying number for their respective zone. Total points in two shows are to count. Information on qualifying shows may be obtained from the Canadian Sport Horse Association office by calling (905) 830-9288. Qualifying shows include:

Eastern Ontario and Quebec:
Eastern Ontario Breeders Show, Ashton, ON - August 26, 2006
Autumn at Ashlands, Ashton, ON - October 1, 2006

Central and Western Ontario:
CSHA Breeders Championship Show, Thornlea, ON - September 24, 2006
Harvest Festival Sport Horse and Pony Breeders Show, Cedar Valley, ON - October 21, 2006

Entries from all other provinces are invited to apply with documented proof of showing in their home province in a three-year-old in-hand and/or under saddle class where horses are judged on performance and suitability as a sport horse.

"The decision to limit the number of entries in the Cup classes was made in the best interest of the horses," explained Peter Doubleday, Manager of the Royal Horse Show. "While the continued growth in both interest and entries in these classes is encouraging, we found that having over 100 horses entered last year created an unsafe environment. In addition, due to time constraints, the judging of the Cup classes was being compromised, which was not fair for the exhibitors who had worked so hard to participate. Limiting the number of entries to 25 per class will only serve to enhance the prestige of competing in the Cup classes."

Entries for the Governor General's Cup and the Lieutenant General's Cup are due no later than 12 noon on October 23, 2006. Further information on qualifying criteria for the Cup classes can be found by consulting the prize list posted at www.royalfair.org.

Tickets for all Royal Horse Show performances, held as part of the 84th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, can be purchased through Ticketmaster at tel: 416 872-7777 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca. For more information on the Royal Horse Show, including complete schedules, please visit www.royalfair.org.