Rocky Mountain Show Jumping Launches TV Channel

Tune in Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. MST

Rocky Mountain Show Jumping (RMSJ) of Calgary, AB, has launched an innovative new web-based television channel, available on-line at www.livestream.com/rmsjtv.

RMSJ TV brings viewers an inside look at what it really takes to make it to the top of the show jumping world. The channel, which will air 14 original episodes in 2011, focuses on the struggles and successes of some of Western Canada’s top up-and-coming riders, both at home and at international competitions.

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The premiere episode, entitled ‘Eight Days in the Desert: Part One,’ aired on April 15 with more than 1,500 viewers from 22 countries tuning in. The premiere episode showcased Canadian Olympian and grand prix competitor John Anderson, along with several other Western Canadian-based riders, competing at the HITS Thermal show jumping circuit held January 25 to March 3 in Thermal, California.

‘Eight Days in the Desert: Park Two,’ airs on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m. MST and will continue to give viewers an up-close and personal look at the lives of show jumping riders competing internationally. The second episode will also feature Canadian rock star Robb Nash’s newly released music video, ‘Something New.’ Adding to the entertainment, the episode will be interactive for viewers, offering a live chat session and a chance to win great prizes, including an iPad. For those who miss it, the second episode will be re-broadcast on Saturday, April 30 in the same time slot, 7 p.m. MST.

“I wanted to show the rest of the world what these kids really go through when they are competing at this level,” said John Anderson, President of Rocky Mountain Show Jumping and the visionary behind RMSJ TV. “The pressures they deal with from trainers, parents, and themselves; that’s what we want to share with people. I can do a story on Ian Millar or Eric Lamaze, but people have already seen that. We really wanted to do something grassroots, focusing on the aspects of show jumping that people haven’t seen. There’s more to this sport than what happens in the grand prix ring.”

Future episodes will focus on the popular St. George’s Derby Day competition, scheduled for July at Calgary’s St. George’s Stables, and the Jump Canada Talent Squad Western Finals, which will be held during the Rocky Mountain Classic II at Anderson Ranch from August 24-28. Popular web-based training tool, ‘Judge My Ride,’ will sponsor the episode featuring the CET Medal Prairie Regional Finals held at the Rocky Mountain Fall Classic from September 15-18.

In addition, RMSJ TV will showcase all eight CSI2* Grand Prix events held throughout the 2011 season at Anderson Ranch. The events will be live-streamed, allowing viewers to watch in real-time. A behind-the-scenes episode will then be produced following each competition, giving people a glimpse of what happens outside the ring.

“I love the sport and this allows me to use today’s technology to really share with people the fabulous world of show jumping,” said Anderson, who then jokingly added, “Plus, if Oprah Winfrey can have her own network, than why can’t I?”

The high quality production values and top-notch editing of the programming can be directly attributed to the channel’s executive producer, Pollyanna Hardwicke-Brown, a veteran in the equestrian broadcasting industry.

“Pollyanna has a great knowledge of the sport herself as a former competitor and course designer,” said Anderson. “That, combined with her years of production experience, has really allowed us to showcase things in an engaging and different way.”

The channel is currently only available online, but the episodes could eventually air on a major network.

“There has been some interest and I would love for it to be picked up,” said Anderson. “It would give us the opportunity to do so much more than we already are. It’s horses, it’s stories, and it’s kids. It’s just fun! I think there is a broad audience for this type of family-oriented programming.”

All of RMSJ TV’s episodes can be viewed online at www.livestream.com/rmsjtv or www.facebook.com/RMSJ.Television. Episodes will also be available at www.youtube.com/rockymtnshow following the original airing.

Rocky Mountain Show Jumping will host more than a dozen hunter/jumper shows in the 2011 competition season including the Bow Valley Classics I & II from May 11-15 and May 18-22 and the Rocky Mountain Classics I, II & II running August 17-21, August 24-28 and August 31-September 4. All events take place at Anderson Ranch, a world-class show jumping facility in Calgary’s south end.

For more information on Rocky Mountain Show Jumping, please visit http://www.rmshowjumping.com/

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