Cazenovia, NY, October 25, 2005: The Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament announces that it will honor the US team that recently learned it had been awarded the Gold Medal for the Athens Olympics. On Thursday, November 3 at the 7:00 PM performance, the Tournament will hold a special ceremony to recognize this team as Gold Medalists for the first time anywhere. On hand will be team members Beezie Madden, Chris Kappler, McLain Ward, the team’s coach, Frank Chapot, and the alternate, Alison Firestone. The fourth medalist, Peter Wylde, who lives in Europe, will not attend. Fans will also have the chance to congratulate team members personally and to have autographs signed.

Beezie Madden said that the Tournament in Syracuse will be the first time the majority of the group has been in one place since the news about the Gold Medal. “I’m really looking forward to having the chance to celebrate with my teammates and with the great fans in Syracuse who have been so supportive of us.” Madden added, “It actually all still feels pretty unreal right now, not having had our national anthem played in Athens. I think this celebration in Syracuse will help bring home to my teammates and I the fact we really are Gold Medalists.”

The US team was awarded its Gold Medal standing in September of this year after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed German team rider Ludger Beerbaum's appeal of his disqualification from the Olympics related to the presence of a prohibited substance in his horse, Goldfever 3. With Beerbaum's score nullified, Germany moved down from Gold to Bronze, Sweden moved up into the Silver position, and the United States took the Gold. The United States Show Jumping team had not won an Olympic Gold since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

Tickets for the Thursday, November 3 performance and for all other Tournament performances (November 2 through 6) are available through the Oncenter Box Office (315-435-2121) or Ticketmaster (315-472-0700 or www.ticketmaster.com) and range from for $7.50 to $20.