Canada's Mario Deslauriers riding Paradigm won the 'Ricoh' Big Ben International Challenge at the 2006 Royal Horse Show. Photo by - Cealy Tetley

May 16, 2007 – Toronto, Ontario – The 2007 Royal Horse Show promises to be bigger and better than ever with an increase of $100,000 in prize money, bringing the total awarded over the 10-day competition to $745,000. The Royal Horse Show is held as part of the 85th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair taking place November 2-11 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, ON.

The Olympic sport of show jumping will be the biggest beneficiary of the increased prize money. The Canadian Show Jumping Championship, presented by Greenhawk and Ariat, a highlight of The Royal Horse Show's opening weekend, will feature a total of $100,000 in prize money. And competition for the increased prize money will be hotter than ever as the Royal has increased the number of participants in the Canadian Show Jumping Championship from 20 to 25, giving more of the country's top competitors an opportunity to claim the national champion title.

Also on opening weekend, Saturday night's Kubota Cup National Finals will now feature $70,000 in prize money, raising the stakes for the top Canadian riders that have qualified for the National Finals through the Kubota Cup Canadian Show Jumping Series.

The International division of The Royal Horse Show, which opens on Tuesday, November 6, will see the prize money for the CN World Cup Grand Prix, a qualifying event for the 2008 World Cup Final to be held Goteborg, Sweden, raised from $75,000 to an impressive $100,000. To close out The Royal Horse Show, the Ricoh Big Ben International Challenge will put $75,000 in prize money on the line.

The High Junior/Amateur division, designed specifically for show jumping riders below the age of 18 or those who compete only as amateurs, will see $15,000 awarded under a new format, making it one of the largest purses available to Junior/Amateur riders in Canada.

Over $54,000 in prize money will also be awarded in the Heavy Horse classes offered for Belgians, Clydesdales and Percherons. The purse for the Royal Championship Marsh Six-Horse Hitch will grow from $10,000 to $15,000, making it the largest purse for a Six-Horse Hitch class in Canada.

In addition to the prize money increase of $100,000, The Royal Horse Show has many unique surprises in store for the spectators who fill the Ricoh Coliseum. On the opening weekend of The Royal Horse Show, Grammy and Juno award winning Canadian recording artist, Alannah Myles, will perform music that she has created specifically for Canadian Olympic Medallist Cindy Ishoy and her husband and fellow grand prix dressage competitor, Neil, who will interpret the music during a pas de deux. This incredible live performance will take place on Friday, November 3, and during the matinee and evening performances on Saturday, November 4.

Dressage has always been one of the most popular events at The Royal Horse Show, and this year the tradition continues with the Royal Dressage Freestyle Championship, presented by Yamana Gold. Six Canadian horse-rider combinations will perform Musical Freestyle programs over two nights, Wednesday, November 7, and Thursday, November 8, with the two scores being added together to determine the overall winner. Offering a total of $15,000 in prize money, the Royal Dressage Freestyle Championship is the largest Grand Prix purse to be offered in Canadian dressage.

The Royal Rodeo returns on Sunday, November 5, for another wild ride, while the Indoor Eventing Challenge, presented by Good Crop Services, is back for an encore on Monday and Tuesday, November 6 and 7 and will feature top international and Canadian riders.

Staring Thursday, the redesigned Carriage Racing Derby brings the fans to their feet to cheer on their favourite four-horse teams as they negotiate tricky obstacles at high speeds, all while music blasts through the Ricoh Coliseum.

On the final weekend, the troupe of Cheveaux d'Alexis will enchant audiences with its acrobatic talents and beautiful theatrical performances on Friday evening, November 9, and the matinee and evening performances on Saturday, November 10.

"The Royal has always been a fabulous showcase for horse sport, but we are taking it to a whole new level by adding innovative horse-related performances to the line-up, such as the live performance by Alannah Myles, and attracting the best talent by offering significantly increased prize money," said John Dunlap, Chairman of The Royal Horse Show. "This year, every Royal Horse Show performance is going to be a hot ticket!"

For more information on The Royal Horse Show and the 85th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, please visit www.royalfair.org.