Debbie McDonald and Brentina Set To Return To Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV—March 17, 2003—Peggy and Parry Thomas will send their superstar mount, Brentina, ridden by Debbie McDonald, to perform a special dressage exhibition at the Budweiser World Cup 2003.

The Budweiser World Cup 2003, the Show Jumping World Cup Final, will be held April 16-20, 2003 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Started in 1979, the World Cup Final is an annual showdown among the world's best jumping horses and riders. Approximately 45 riders qualify from 13 leagues around the world. In the 24 World Cup Finals held through 2002, United States riders have emerged with the most titles, having won seven championships. Riders from Austria have won four world titles and riders from Great Britain and Canada have three victories apiece.

Riding the Thomas’s Hanoverian mare Brentina, McDonald led the U.S. Equestrian Team to its best finish ever in the Dressage World Championships held at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. Led by McDonald and Brentina, the U.S. won the team Silver Medal. Additionally, McDonald and Brentina finished fourth individually, the best U.S. finish ever.

In 1999, McDonald and Brentina won the team and individual Gold Medals at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. It was the United States’ first Pan Am team Gold Medal in dressage since 1983. McDonald was also the first U.S. Individual Gold Medalist since Carole Grant in 1983.

At Budweiser World Cup 2003, McDonald, a wife and mother from Hailey, ID, will perform on Saturday afternoon aboard her flamboyant 16.2-hand chestnut mare.

“This will be really fun for Parry,” said McDonald, explaining that Thomas and his former partner donated funds for the arena to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. “The organizers invited us to perform at the World Cup in 2000 and we all enjoyed it so much. Brentina has developed into one of the world’s best horses and I know Parry will be thrilled to have his horse ride in the arena that bears his name.”

Plenty of good seats remain for Budweiser World Cup 2003. All-Session ticket packages include seats for the warm-up competition on Wednesday afternoon, the Grand Prix of Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon, and all three legs of the World Cup Final itself, to be contested on Thursday and Friday evenings plus Sunday afternoon. These packages are available in Plaza Level Priority Seating for $300 per person or Balcony Level Priority Seating for $150 per person. Exclusive VIP Packages are also available for $1,000. They include one premier All-Session seat, access to the private VIP hospitality area complete with complimentary deluxe food/beverage each day, and preferred parking.

Individual daily tickets are also available for each of the five days with prices ranging from $10 to $85 per ticket depending on the session and seat location.

Las Vegas Events, Inc., organizer of the Budweiser World Cup, is a private, not-for-profit corporation whose charge is to bring special events to Las Vegas to support Southern Nevada's tourism efforts and increase economic impact. In its 21-year history, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented, or supported more than 203 events including the National Finals Rodeo, NASCAR Winston Cup racing, Motocross racing, the Mountain West Conference Basketball Tournament, the Miss Universe Pageant, the Harley-Davidson Mile and a Half Tour, the CineVegas International Film Festival, the World Aerobic Championships and many others.

To order tickets or for more information on the excitement of the 2003 Budweiser World Cup Final, please visit www.worldcuplasvegas.com or call (702) 260-8605 or toll-free (866) 388-3267.

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