Renowned trio of George Morris, Ian Millar, and Courtney King-Dye team for "first time" educational opportunity in Syracuse

An equestrian dream team of George Morris, Ian Millar, and Courtney King-Dye will lead an educational clinic "How It's Done—Dressage and Jumping, Presented by Practical Horseman Magazine" to highlight the opening night of the 2009 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 126th National Horse Show, on October 28. It is the first time the three, each a master in their area of the sport, have taught together.

This combination of a legendary trainer and horseman, one of history's most decorated show jumpers, and an acclaimed leader in dressage will create an amazing educational opportunity for riders of all skill levels as well as for those simply interested in horses and equine sports. The clinic will include commentary by George Morris and riding demonstrations by both Millar and King-Dye followed by a question-and-answer session.

"The mission of the Syracuse Invitational is to advance the sport of show jumping—literally to escalate the sport to new heights—and one of the best tools to accomplish that is education," said John Madden, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, Inc. "Exposing riders to this level of equestrian excellence will continue to demonstrate the possibilities the sport has to offer."

Each of the featured instructors bring to the Invitational legendary credentials and are household names of equestrian sport, but combined the accolades of the three are absolutely amazing. Morris, the show jumping coach of the United States Equestrian Team, is without a doubt one of the most influential riders and trainers in the history of show jumping. Millar, a fixture on the international show jumping scene for decades, is one of history's most decorated riders and has represented his native Canada in an astounding nine Olympics, a record for all Olympic sports. Known for her elegance in the saddle, Olympian King-Dye is a comparative youngster by age to her counterparts but already boasts an amazing list of accomplishments.

The focus of the clinic will be to illustrate the relationship between dressage, the foundation of all equine sports, and show jumping, and will give riders and fans alike the opportunity to see the inherent relationship between these disciplines demonstrated by world-class riders in each field. Both riding disciplines are Olympic sports.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on October 28 in the War Memorial in Syracuse, the clinic is being presented by Practical Horseman Magazine. Over $10,000 worth of merchandise from Back on Track Horse Products will be given away to spectators. Tickets for the event are $25 available through the Oncenter Box Office, (315) 435-2121 or through Ticketmaster.

For more information, visit the Syracuse Invitational website at www.syracuseinvitational.com.

For more information on the 126th National Horse Show, please visit www.nhs.org.