Contact:
Michael Mack, Las Vegas Events (702) 260-8605, michael@lasvegasevents.com
Marty Bauman (508) 698-6810, classic.pr@verizon.net

Las Vegas, NV-July 31, 2006-While qualifying for the FEI World Cup Dressage Final will take place primarily in the winter, the battle to earn berths in the 2007 FEI World Cup Jumping Final is underway. The FEI World Cup Finals in both show jumping and dressage will return to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, April 18-22, 2007.

Seven of the FEI's 14 World Cup Jumping Leagues have begun the race to the 29th annual FEI World Cup Final. The qualifying period in the two U.S. Leagues runs from late August through early April. The Canadian League, however, is underway with Eric Lamaze leading the standings with 19 points after the first three of nine qualifiers. Margie Gayford followed in second with 24 points. Canadian League qualifying continues through November.

After five of 21 scheduled qualifying competitions in the Central European League, Poland's Jaroslaw Skrzyczynski led the field with 37 points, ahead of his countryman, Lukasz Jonczyk, who had 24. Qualifying in the Central European League continues through March with a brief hiatus in January and February.

In the South American League, 26 show jumping riders participated in the first two qualifiers. Denis Gouveia of Brazil led the pack with 32 points. Behind Gouveia, with 28 points, was Fabio Leivas da Costa, also of Brazil. The South American League will see a total of seven FEI World Cup qualifiers through November.

Nineteen riders have done battle on the road to the 2007 World Cup Final in the South African League's two initial qualifiers. Lexi Carter took the lead with 30 points, followed by Mike Benjamin with 26 points. A total of six qualifiers are planned through November.

Qualifying in the Japan League was half over, with three out of six scheduled qualifiers completed by the end of June. With 22 points, Daisuke Kawaguchi led Taizo Sugitani by eight points. After a two-month break, competition in the Japan League resumes in September and continues through November.

Australian League qualifying got underway with its first qualifier in April. Rod Brown bested the qualifying field, earning 17 points and taking the early lead. Behind Brown, with 14 points, was Peter McMahon. Australian League qualifying continues through January.

After two out of three qualifying competitions in the Central Asian League, leading the way with 23 points was Gairat Nazarov of Uzbekistan. Following Nazarov was Andrey Shalokhin of Kyrgyzstan with 19 points.

The coming months of the qualifying season promise fierce competition in all 14 FEI World Cup Jumping Leagues. Approximately 45 of the world's best show jumping riders will qualify for the Final. Every rider hopes to earn the right to compete in the Final, representing his or her country against the world's strongest competition.

Las Vegas, the world's premier city for exciting entertainment, will once again be the backdrop for the 2007 FEI World Cup Finals. In 2005, the FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals were held in the same location simultaneously for the first time in history. In 2007, for the second time ever, Las Vegas will again host the FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals concurrently.

Started in 1979, the FEI World Cup Jumping Final is an annual international showdown among the world's best show jumping horses and riders. The 2007 event will mark the seventh FEI World Cup Jumping Final to be held in the United States, following Finals in Baltimore in 1980, Tampa, FL in 1989, Del Mar, CA in 1992 and the three in Las Vegas in 2000, 2003 and 2005. In the 28 finals held through 2006, United States riders have emerged with the most titles, having won the championship seven times.

First held in 1986, the FEI World Cup Dressage Final has been held in the U.S. only twice, in 1995 in Los Angeles and 2005 in Las Vegas. The Netherlands has dominated the competition, winning seven times, followed by Germany with six. The United States won its first title in 2003 when Debbie McDonald rode Brentina to the Championship. Brentina is owned by Parry and Peggy Thomas of Las Vegas, for whom the Thomas & Mack Center, the venue for the World Cup Finals, is named.

Las Vegas Events, Inc. (LVE), producer of 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2007 FEI World Cup Finals, was founded in 1983. LVE has grown with Las Vegas as the city has emerged as one of the world's top special event and resort destinations. A private, not-for-profit organization, LVE is funded by hotel room tax and serves as the exclusive major special events agency for the city. Since 1991, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 200 events, which have driven more than 2.8 million visitors to the area, resulting in a non-economic impact of more than $1.4 billion.

For more information on the 2007 FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals, including how to order tickets and how to become a member of the World Cup Club free of charge, please visit the official Las Vegas World Cup website at www.worldcuplasvegas.com .