California-based Nilforushan Equisport Events has announced that Eric Lamaze will be their first guest on the debut edition of the online broadcast “Unbridled” on NEE TV.
The show will feature an uncensored look at the lives and opinions of some of show jumping’s biggest stars, promising a no-holds-barred Q&A format lasting about two hours. Olympic gold medalist Lamaze will be fielding inquiries live at 9 a.m. PST (12 noon EDT) on Monday, April 20th about his history, his horses, his health and whatever else listeners want to know.
To gain access to this episode, sign up here. A discounted rate of $50 is being offered through April 19; on April 20, the price will be increased to $75. Ninety per cent of the funds will be directed to Lamaze, while the other 10 per cent will go to the charity of his choice – the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.
More high-profile interviews are being planned for the future, but a spokesperson for NEE explained that while they are currently in talks with a few of the sport’s most well-known champions to hopefully secure them on the show, they “do not feel comfortable divulging who they would be until their participation is confirmed.”
At this point, NEE-TV is operating on a pay-per-episode basis while the channel is still in its infancy. “As we gain and produce more content, we will potentially move to a channel subscription format if it appears to be the best course of action. Since we won’t be taking any money from the episodes – it will be split between the guest and a charity of his/her choice – it needs to remain as a PPV structure so that the money can be distributing accordingly since the same amount of viewers won’t watch each episode and different amounts will be raised.”
The Temecula Valley National Horse Show facility at Galway Downs features 400 permanent stalls, 15 arenas with updated footing, 15 miles of trails, 40 RV hook-ups, and a VIP Tent overlooking the Audi Grand Prix Arena.
Ali and Francie Nilforushan are a husband-and-wife team that run a successful riding, training and sales operation out of Rancho Santa Fe, California. Ali is a former Olympian from Iran who has competed at the grand prix level and has mostly turned his attention to training and coaching now, while his wife Francie currently competes at the grand prix level. They are the horse show managers of the Temecula Valley National Horse Show at Galway Downs (also the site of a number of international horse trials each year) and founders of Nilforushan Equisport Events, which is aimed at enhancing show jumping on the West Coast and making the sport more accessible for all.
This was supposed to be NEE’s third year of hosting spring shows at Galway Downs. In their inaugural year in 2018, three weeks of competition was held. “Thanks to the success and widespread positive reception, we expanded to four weeks in 2019, including a WCHR week.” Like all horse show venues, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has put their plans on hold. “In 2020, we were planning to expand even further with a Developmental Series weekend that would be priced at cheaper expenses such as those at unrated horse shows while still offering incredible service. As of current, the April dates have been cancelled and we are waiting on news regarding what will happen to our May dates. Although we do not think we will reschedule for later in the year, we can’t say anything with certainty.”
For more information about Nilforushan Equisport Events, visit here.
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