Olympian & Canadian Eventing Superstar Selena O'Hanlon Headlines $20,000 Indoor Eventing Challenge at Royal Winter Fair

The thrilling $20,000 Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge will be featured on Friday and Saturday evenings, November 3 and 4, at the Royal Horse Show, held as part of the 95th annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair running from November 3 through 12 in Toronto, ON.

Headlining this year’s $20,000 Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge will be Canadian Olympian Selena O'Hanlon of Kingston, ON, who enjoyed an exhilarating win at the 2017 Dutta Corp. CCI*** Fair Hill International Three Day Event in Fair Hill, MD, earlier this month.

“I have been competing in the Indoor Eventing Challenge at The Royal every year since its inception,” said O’Hanlon, a veteran of Olympic and World Equestrian Games competition.  “I have been going to the Royal Horse Show long before I started competing in indoor eventing; when I was growing up, my mother owned stallions that would compete in breed competitions at The Royal, and I remember sleeping on tack trucks in the barn and exploring every inch of the fair.  There is something to do for everyone who attends.

“My horse is very cat-like and is an excellent jumper,” continued O’Hanlon, who will pilot Uptown Girl, owned by Linnea Given, in this year’s event.  “I know her well, and she knows her job.  My goal is to keep our turns smooth, and she will look after me.  Overall, I just want to have a good time!”

O’Hanlon will face stiff competition from popular U.S. Olympian Boyd Martin of Cochranville, PA, who finished in third place behind O’Hanlon at the Fair Hill International and will be seeking revenge in his Royal debut.  Crowd favourite Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON, also knows a thing or two about winning at The Royal, having claimed the Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge title a record eight times.

Also representing Canada will be 2015 Pan American Games individual silver medalist, Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, along with her 2015 Pan Am bronze medal teammate, Colleen Loach of Dunham, QC.  Additional Canadian contenders include Dasha Ivandaeva, Holly Jacks, Kendal Lehari, Rachel McDonough, and Brendon McMechan.

Great Britain’s Mark Phillips will once again design the courses for this year’s Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge.  An internationally-renowned course designer who has set the tracks for some of the most prestigious three day events around the world, Phillips will create a course comprised of solid, natural cross-country obstacles as well as delicate stadium fences.  Penalties are accumulated over the two nights of competition, and the rider with the lowest combined score will be declared the winner of the Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge.

How to get tickets

Royal Horse Show VIP subscriptions, group, and individual tickets are now on sale and are expected to sell-out on multiple nights during the Royal Horse Show.  To purchase tickets, click here.

For more information on the Royal Horse Show, the marquee event of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, please visit www.royalfair.org/horseshow .  For a behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Horse Show, follow The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair on Facebook, @royalhorseshow on Twitter and @theroyalfair on Instagram.  Tag the Royal Horse Show using #RAWF17, #royalfever, #FEIWorldCup, #Longines, and #RideToParis.

Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.

About The Royal
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian event.  The 95th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 3-12, 2017, at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Canada.  For competition schedules, live webcasting, results and to purchase tickets, please visit www.royalfair.org .

Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography