Santa Fe’s premier charity horse show-jumping event and the first Grand Prix in New Mexico, the Grand Prix de Santa Fe, has cancelled its 2010 event, scheduled for June, due to the loss of its title sponsor and venue host, Las Campanas Santa Fe. The loss of the title sponsor money and venue, coupled with the continuing economic downturn, has made it impossible for the charity to underwrite its four-day show-jumping event in 2010. The Board of Directors of the Grand Prix de Santa Fe is aggressively pursuing a new and larger venue and title sponsor as we make plans for an expanded event in 2011.

The Board of Directors fully expects to resolve these issues in 2010.  We will take this opportunity to evaluate our event and move forward aggressively with plans to expand the event to two weeks in length in 2011, providing our competitors with more classes in a first-class setting that is in keeping with the tradition of excellence that we have maintained since 2004. This expansion will also give our sponsors, advertisers and vendors increased exposure and promotional value.

We will maintain an ongoing communications dialogue with our valued sponsors, competitors and other stakeholders in the Grand Prix de Santa Fe to keep you informed of and involved in our plans for the 2011 event. It is our intent to return bigger, stronger and with the same commitment to courteous service and fun that has made the Grand Prix de Santa Fe an event not to be missed!

The Grand Prix de Santa Fe would like to thank the following valued sponsors for contributing in 2010 so that the planning and promotion of the 2011 event can continue:

McElvain Oil and Gas – Gold Sponsor

More About the Grand Prix de Santa Fe…

The Grand Prix de Santa Fe is one of few events in Santa Fe that remains free to the general public. The four-day horse show also features two ticketed events, a Saturday Evening Gala and a Sunday Champagne Brunch that takes place during the main event, the $40,000 Grand Prix class. More than 3,000 spectators attended the event in 2009 and over $65,000 in prize money was awarded to the event’s competitors who travel from all parts of the United States and abroad, including Mexico, Canada and New Zealand. In 2009, the event welcomed its first Olympic competitor, John Pearce of Ontario, Canada, who came in second in the $40,000 Grand Prix class to Bjorn Ikast, winner of more than 60 Grand Prix competitions throughout North and Central America.

Since its inception in 2004, the Grand Prix de Santa Fe, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has donated over $145,000 to human service and equine nonprofit organizations in New Mexico. Previous recipients include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico, New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project, The Horse Shelter and Silver Bullet Productions. Moreover, the Grand Prix de Santa Fe is committed to support local businesses and sources 95% of its vendors and suppliers locally. This, in combination with the hospitality and tourism revenue generated by the competitors and spectators who travel to Santa Fe for the event, brings over $1,000,000 to the Santa Fe economy in gross receipts annually.