Wellington, Fl - July 13 - The races for the American Grand Prix Association (AGA) year end titles are heating up across the board and there's been a change at the top of the leader board for AGA Horse of the Year. Kent Farrington, in the midst of a breakout season in 2005, has ridden his equine partner Madison to the top of the charts in the race for the AGA Horse of the Year. Farrington has moved to within three points of Laura Kraut for AGA Rider of the Year.

Entering its twenty-seventh year, the AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping is the world's richest and longest running series of equestrian show jumping events. The AGA offers over $3 million dollars in prize money on a tour that encompasses thirty events and twenty different equestrian market locations across the United States. There are sixteen events remaining on this year's schedule; seven in the West and nine in the East.

Farrington and Madison started out this year's AGA tour with a second place finish in the US Open Jumper Championship CSI 4*, presented by CN, on the Florida tour. The duo followed that up with a victory in the prestigious $75,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Devon (PA) in June and then on July 3rd notched their second win of the season in the $50,000 Grand Prix of Lake Placid in New York.

With those two victories, Madison, owned by Alexa Weeks, bankrolled another $40,500 and soared to the top of the AGA Horse of the Year standings with $77,250 for the season so far. Kimmel Yager Equine's Armani holds down the second spot with $64,250. Authentic, owned by Team Authentic, winner of this year's $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, slipped to third with $63,656. Aguila, ($40,750) owned by Sir Ruly Inc, and ridden by Jimmy Torano, moved into the top ten with a win in the $75,000 I Love NY Grand Prix.

Laura Kraut, with early season wins in the Kilkenny/ICH International Cup, CSI 3* and the Cosequin Florida Open, CSI-W, plus two third place finishes in the Lincoln Idle Dice Classic, CSI 3* and the Grand Prix of Charlotte, CSI 3*, still holds on to the top spot in the race for American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year, but Farrington is closing fast. Kraut sits atop the leader board with 88 points and eight clear rounds. Farrington (85/7) is only three points and one clear ride behind in second place and has turned what was once a Kraut rout in a neck and neck race to the finish. Beezie Madden (75-6) maintains the third spot in the Rider race. Eight time AGA Rider of Year, Margie Engle (73/7), has made a dramatic mid-season charge to fourth place following a victory in the $75,000 Budweiser Upperville Jumper Classic and a second place finish in Lake Placid. Ramiro Quintana (71/4), Jeffery Welles (70/5) and McLain Ward (63/5) sit fifth through seventh and Jimmy Torano (61/4) vaults into the top ten at the eighth spot following his I Love NY Grand Prix victory.

Ellen Whitaker, just named to Great Britain's European Championship team, continues to dominate the AGA Rookie of the Year raced based on her tremendous Florida tour. Her prize money total of $29,500 is $8,750 better than Cayce Harrison's $20,750. Amy Momrow and Jaime Piedra Guerra are the newest additions to the Rookie race in third and fourth places, respectively. Momrow picked up $16,500 for her second place finish at I Love NY and Guerra's victory in the $30,000 Oaks Classic Grand Prix in San Juan Capistrano, California, netted him a $9,000 payday.

The American Grand Prix Association tour resumes this weekend with events in Parker, Colorado, in the West and Moreland Hills, Ohio, in the East. The $40,000 Rocky Mountain Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday, July 16, and the nation's oldest grand prix, the $40,000 Cleveland Grand Prix, celebrates forty years on Sunday, July 17, in Moreland Hills, Ohio.

August AGA action includes show jumping in Kentucky, New Jersey and Indiana in the East, and Washington and Colorado in the West.

AGA Rider of the Year Standings:

Standing Rider Total Clear Rounds Total Points

1 Kraut, Laura 8 88

2 Farrington, Kent 7 85

3 Madden, Beezie 6 75

4 Engle, Margie 7 73

5 Quintana, Ramiro 4 71

6 Welles, Jeffery 5 70

7 Ward, McLain 5 63

8 Torano, Jimmy 4 61

9 Kursinski, Anne 6 50

Vale, Aaron 7 50

11 Frey, Kimberly 3 48

12 Chapot, Laura 3 40

13 Whitaker, Ellen 3 33

14 Fellers, Rich 2 32

15 Millar, Ian 3 28

16 Kappler, Chris 1 27

Whitaker, Michael 2 27

18 Steele, Leslie 2 25

19 Harrison, Cayce 3 24

20 Berkley, Ken 0 22

Fargis, Joe 2 22

22 Cone, Mac 3 20

23 Lamaze, Eric 4 19

Momrow, Amy 2 19

25 Minikus, Todd 3 18

26 Babington, Kevin 2 15

27 Hansen, Hap 3 14

Obligado, Guillermo 1 14

29 Johnson, Paige 2 13

King, Candice 3 13

Walton, Michael 1 13

AGA Horse of the Year Standing:

Standing Horse Owner Total Money

1 Madison Alexa Weeks $ 77,250

2 Armani Kimmel, Yager EQ $ 64,250

3 Authentic Team Authentic $ 63,656

4 Hurricane Turnabout Farm $ 56,000

5 Sapphire** Ward, Clark & Double H Farm $ 52,750

6 Hidden Creek's Wapino Hidden Creek Farm, Inc. $ 46,500

7 Anthem The Summit Group $ 45,300

8 Marlou Windmill Ranch, LLC $ 45,000

9 Roxana 112 Scott Hakim $ 41,500

10 Aguila Sir Ruly, Inc. $ 40,750

11 Hidden Creek's Perin Hidden Creek Farm, Inc. $ 40,000

12 Little Big Man Laura Chapot & Chado Farm, Inc. $ 36,000

13 Artur 28 Millstream $ 30,000

McGuinness Harry & Molly Chapman $ 30,000

15 AK Locarno 62 Whitaker Sporthorses $ 29,500

16 Miss Independent Pasmore Stables LLC $ 26,500

17 Primeur 58 Kamine Family & Chris Kappler $ 26,356

18 In Style Susan Grange $ 25,000

19 Portifino 63 Beverly Hills Equestrian Park $ 24,500

20 AW Butterfly Hula Leslie Steele $ 23,000

21 Carlos Boy Rivers Edge Farm $ 21,000

22 Coeur Double H Farm $ 20,750

23 Edgar 12 Mary B. Schwab & O.E.J.I. Farm $ 19,856

24 Romulus Town Creek Investments $ 19,500

25 Melinda Southern Ways $ 17,000

26 Summer Storm Shaine Brooks $ 16,856

27 Marcel Sir Ruly, Inc. $ 15,000

28 Carling King Kindle Hill Farm $ 13,200

29 Carlson Woodgrove Farm $ 13,000

30 Elu De La Hardiere Penlyn Farm $ 12,150

31 ABC Lanzelot Linda Irvine Smith $ 11,650

32 Lancier 4 Salamander Farm $ 11,000

33 Ingaletta Sandron $ 10,950

34 Tempete V/H Lindehof Stacey Krembil $ 9,750

35 Flier Harry R. Gill $ 9,606

AGA Rookie of the Year Standing: Standing Rider Total Money

1 Whitaker, Ellen $ 29,500

2 Harrison, Cayce $ 20,750

3 Momrow, Amy $ 16,826

4 Guerra Piedra, Jaime $ 9,000

5 Amaya, Max $ 7,500

6 Jaeger, Carsten $ 6,000

7 Artes, Susan $ 5,500

8 Muente, Patrick $ 4,000

9 Azcarraga, Jaime $ 1,800

Stewart, Scott $ 1,800

Walker, Brian $ 1,800

12 Seaton, Patrick $ 900

13 Berney, Katie $ 600

Cox III, Archibald $ 600

15 Hester, Lauren $ 500

Stewart, Kandi $ 500

AGA GRAND PRIX SERIES OF SHOW JUMPING

2005 AGA Season

Sat., July 16, 2005

$ 40,000 Rocky Mountain Grand Prix

Parker, CO

Sun., July 17, 2005

$ 40,000 Cleveland Grand Prix

Moreland Hills, OH

Sat., July 23, 2005

$ 60,000 Grand Prix of Denver

Parker, CO

Sun., August 7, 2005

$ 50,000 Kentucky Summer Classic

Lexington, KY

Sun., August 14, 2005

$ 25,000 Evergreen Classic Grand Prix

Monroe, WA

Sat., August 13, 2005

$ 50,000 Sussex County Grand Prix

Sussex, NJ

Sun., August 14, 2005

$ 50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Zionsville, IN

Sat., Sept 10, 2005

$ 50,000 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic

South Hamilton, MA

Sun., Sept 18, 2005

$ 75,000 Budweiser American Gold Cup, CSI-W

Devon, PA

Sun., Sept 16, 2005 (N)

$ 40,000 World Cup Qualifying Grand Prix CSI

San Juan Capistrano, CA

Sat., Sept 24, 2005

$ 35,000 L.A. International, CSI-W

Burbank, CA

Sat., Oct. 22, 2005

$ 65,000 Budweiser Grand Prix De Penn National, CSI-W

Harrisburg, PA

Sat., Nov. 19, 2005 (N)

$ 40,000 LA National, CSI-W

Burbank, CA

2005 AGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Dec. 2005

AGA Championship CSI 3* (Final)

Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club, Wellington, FL

(CSI-W) = World Cup Qualifier (CSI) = FEI Sanctioned Event (N) = Night dates - prize money - location subject to change (revised 01/10/05)

Televised Events will be broadcast on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) Eastern Standard Time - check local listing

AMERICAN GRAND PRIX ASSOCIATION

1301 Sixth Ave West, Suite 406, Bradenton, FL 34205 941-744-5465- fax 941-744-0874

www.stadiumjumping.com/aga