Stadium Jumping, Inc., announced that the first week of the Tampa Equestrian Festival has been cancelled. The Suncoast Internationale was scheduled to run March 24-28.

Michael Morrissey of Stadium Jumping, Inc., made the announcement on Tuesday morning, and said the change in schedule was long overdue. "That first week has always been a transitional week for us," said Morrissey of the cancellation. "We are listening to what our exhibitors have been telling us regarding that week. They have told us that they feel there is just too much showing."

"Those coming from Ocala, which will have just ended, needed an extra week to prepare, and those that were competing at WEF simply told us they needed a week off," Morrissey detailed. "Over the years, this has always been a lightly attended event, and this extra time allows us an extra opportunity to concentrate on the preparations for our big show, the Tampa Bay Classic, which is the host for two very important events this year."

The Tampa Equestrian Festival will now consist of the Tampa Bay Classic CSI**-W, which begins on March 31 and runs thru April 4, and the final week of the festival, the Tournament of Champions CSI, April 6-April 10.

The Tampa Bay Classic is an officially designated World Champion Hunter Riders (WCHR) competition, and also plays host to the final FEI World Cup Qualifier held in the United States, the last chance for American and Canadian riders to gain a coveted spot in the Rolex/FEI World Cup Finals in Geneva, Switzerland, later in the month of April. The show also features the $30,000 Tampa Bay Welcome Stake on Thursday, April 1. The $50,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier CSI**-W Grand Prix of Tampa takes center stage on Sunday, April 4.

Also at the Tampa Bay Classic, Stadium Jumping will host a $5,000 WCHR Handy Hunter Classic. This exciting event will feature the nation's top hunters, as they compete during the evening in the Covered Arena on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

During the Tournament of Champions, the final week of action at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds, the $30,000 Grand Prix of Florida CSI will be the featured event at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center.

The highlight of the two weeks in Tampa is the $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational presented by G&C Farm. The "Super Bowl of Show Jumping," will take place on April 10, under the lights at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.

For more information on Stadium Jumping, Inc., and the 2010 Tampa Equestrian Festival, please call (941) 744-5465.