Fanatic fans of horse racing will be jumping up and down when Moscow hosts the Russian stage of the equestrian World Cup in hurdles and dressage, and the Moscow Mayor's Cup 2000 in hurdles (from August 31 through September 3).

These high-profile equestrian events will be held at the Luzhniki Sports Complex and the Bitsa Equestrian Sports Complex.

Twenty-four foreign hurdlers from 15 countries are expected to participate, including Willy Mellinger (Switzerland, 3rd in the Federation Equestrian International, FEI, rating), Jerry Smith (Italy, 14th on the FEI rating), Helena Vainberg (Germany, 22nd on the FEI rating) and Robert Smith (Great Britain, 42nd on the FEI rating). The Russian team will consist of 10 hurdlers, including Kharlam Simonia, Mikhail Safronov and Natalia Simonia (first, second and thirrd in Russia's ratings).

The events promise to be a delightful spectacle, especially for equestrian sports fans and horse-lovers. The competitions' programs include two rounds of 6 courses, each containing 12-15 hurdles. Participants are entitled to use two horses but a fall from either puts them out of the competition. Those who make mistakes in the first round will not be admitted to continue. This challenging requirement will make the second round all the more exciting, as the pressure builds between the very best hurdlers.

LUZHNIKI SPORTS COMPLEX
24 Luzhnetskaya Nab. Metro: Sportivnaya Tel: 201-1164; 246-0055

BITSA EQUESTRIAN SPORTS COMPLEX
33 Balaklavsky Pr. Metro: Chertanovskaya Tel: 318-5744