Mary Ross, founder of the Challenge of the Americas and Fantasy Team Challenge
All photos by Susan Stickle
Table of Contents / Dressage
By Mary Hilton
Mary Ross is the founder of the Challenge of the Americas, a benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation) that features musical dressage, high jump competition and a gala dinner/dance. The event will be presented in its seventh edition in Wellington, Florida, on March 8, 2008, at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. When Mary launched the event in 2002, she presented it as a Pas de Trois (three riders on three horses) performing a synchronized routine to music as part of a luncheon fundraiser for the BCRF at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby. Through Ross's energy, her devotion to the cause, and the generosity of riders and sponsors, that Pas de Trois has grown every year in every way - expanding to currently include 24 dressage riders performing Pas de Deux and Quadrille musical freestyles, six jumpers thrilling audiences with high jump competition, followed by an elegant evening of dinner and dancing at the Challenge Gala. The event is one of the highlights of the Wellington winter social scene, attracting thousands of spectators for the competition, and the gala is always a sell-out. Now Ross has launched yet another new dimension to the event - the Challenge of the Americas Fantasy Team Challenge, which teams up actual horses and riders in USEF sanctioned competitions in an online game. The Fantasy Challenge launched on November 5, 2007, at www.challengeoftheamericas.com and is in full swing right now!
Wikipedia: "A Fantasy Sport is a game where fantasy owners build a team that competes against other fantasy owners based on the statistics generated by individual players or teams of a professional sport." Fantasy Sports have been played since the 1940s and experienced a tremendous boom in the 1990s when the Internet appeared. Fantasy Sports are available for football, hockey, baseball, and basketball and now - dressage and show jumping!
Sidelines: What was your inspiration for creating the COTA Fantasy Team Challenge?
MR: I like the Fantasy Sports concept. It's a great promotional tool for a sport and it highlights the athletes that make up the sport. In addition, it provides a special link between the sport, the player/rider, and the fan. When sports fans sign up to create a Fantasy Sports team they are not only watching and following their team members, they are also watching other players/riders participating in the sport. This increases interest in the sport itself. What sets the COTA Fantasy Team Challenge apart from most other Fantasy competitions is that it doesn't relate only to the top riders in the sport. Each Fantasy team in the COTA Fantasy includes all levels of competitors, from lower levels or classes all the way up to Grand Prix. It allows a young rider or an adult amateur to be on the same team with some of the best riders in the world. Players can choose anyone competing in USEF sanctioned shows to be on their Fantasy Team.
Sidelines: How long was it in the works before you were able to launch the website?
MR: It took some time because not everyone is familiar with Fantasy Sports. The Fantasy concept had to be explained and the competition format had to be written so that it was easy to understand. I had a great deal of help here from my partner Betsy Steiner, as well as from other friends who read the Fantasy material and made suggestions for improvements. In addition, the computer based system that runs/calculates the team scores had to be designed and then checked for accuracy. Once the system was set it had to be linked to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation where entry donations are accepted. Chris Spire, a good friend, volunteered to design the system and had it up and running in a relatively short period of time.
Sidelines: The instructions for players in the COTA Fantasy Team Challenge are quite lengthy and may seem complicated. What would you say to them about the ease of playing the COTA Fantasy Challenge?
MR: The instructions seem longer than they really are. They are detailed so everyone will understand them, but the information is really basic. If people will take the time to read them over they will see there are very few actual steps for entering the Fantasy. The system is programmed to stop most mistakes, however, if someone is concerned or is not comfortable working online they should simply print out the instructions to have on hand as they enter their data. And if they make a mistake, no big deal, there are clear instructions for editing mistakes as well. Trust me - if I can do it anyone can. Also, anyone having trouble with the instructions has online access to the site manager who can assist them and answer any questions they may have.
Sidelines: What are your expectations as far as response to the COTA Fantasy Challenge - how many players do you expect will participate?
MR: I expect a great response. Everyone I have spoken with loves the idea, particularly the format. It's also another way for people to make a contribution to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. When they sign up for the Fantasy Challenge, they are first taken directly to the BCRF site where they make their contribution of $150 to play. In 2007, the BCRF awarded $32 million to 151 researchers who are working to find a cure for breast cancer, and the Challenge of the Americas was very pleased to be a part of contributing to that funding. This year, with the Fantasy Challenge, we hope to contribute even more. Besides feeling good about making a contribution to a wonderful cause, players can also have fun and win prizes. All ages can participate and everyone can have a good time and get more involved in their sport. As far as numbers, we shall see. I'm far too superstitious to even go there!
Sidelines: What are your goals for the COTA Fantasy Challenge - how do you plan to expand it in the future?
MR: The 2008 COTA Fantasy currently has both a winter and summer fantasy series and is held only in the United States. In 2009 we will go international.
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