Lake Placid, NY-June 29, 2006-In a showdown between the last two winners of the culminating event of show jumping's two-week stay in Lake Placid, Todd Minikus of Wellington, FL edged Jimmy Torano of Fort Lauderdale, FL to claim victory in the Whiteface Mountain 1.45m Jump-off Thursday at the 37th annual Lake Placid Horse Show.

Torano, who won the $60,000 Hermes Grandprix CSI 3* last year, rode seventh in Thursday's class and was the first to master the 14-jump, first-round course. He then rode his mount, Marlo, to a second fault-free ride, completing the seven-jump tiebreaker course in 38.330 seconds.

Minikus, who was the Hermes Grandprix champion in 2004, rode 21st at the North Elba Showgrounds and was the seventh to earn a trip to the jump-off by finishing fault-free. He then rode Mondego to another fault-free ride and his time of 37.345 seconds moved him into the lead.

Although five of the remaining 12 entries also reached the jump-off, none could match the time turned in by either Minikus or Torano who wound up finishing one-two.

The first of Lake Placid's back-to-back horse shows, the Lake Placid Horse Show, continues through Sunday when it culminates with the $60,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI 3* Presented by RV Sales of Broward, a member event of the American Grandprix Association (AGA) national show jumping series. It is followed by the I Love New York Horse Show, July 4-9, which features the $60,000 Hermes Grandprix CSI 3* Presented by the Heidegger Family, also an AGA Series event, on Saturday, July 8.

In addition to the two AGA Grandprix Series events, the 2006 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows also offer North American League, Washington International Horse Show, World Champion Hunter Rider, and Show Jumping Hall of Fame classes.

Highlights of the Lake Placid Horse Show schedule include:

Wed., June 28
1.30m Adirondack Store Jump-off

Thu., June 29
CSI 3* Turtle Lane Farm Open Jumper Classic

Fri., June 30
1.40m Crowne Plaza Resort & Golf Club Lake Placid NAL Open Speed Stake

1.45m Whiteface Mountain Open Jumper Stake

Sat., July 1
Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic

The Whiteface Lodge NAL Adult Amateur Jumper Classic

Adirondack Life Low Junior Jumper Classic

1.45m Golden Arrow Open Jumper Class

Hilton Lake Placid Resort 1.40m Speed Challenge

Sun., July 2
Bainbridge Farms LLC NAL Adult Amateur Hunter Classic

Bainbridge Farms LLC Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic

NAL Children's Hunter Classic

Pepsi Bottling Co. High Junior Jumper Classic

Mirror Lake Inn High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic

Juliam Farm Lead Line

C.M. Hadfield's Saddlery Parade of Champions

$60,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI 3* presented by RV Sales of Broward

Highlights of the I Love New York Horse Shows schedule include:

Wed., July 5
WPTZ News Channel 5 1.35m Class

1.45m Farm & Ranch Magazine Open Speed Stake

Thu., July 6
1.40m Wild Horse Winery NAL Open Speed Stake

Fri., July 7
1.40m Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau Speed Challenge

Nicola's Restaurants 1.45m Open Jumper class

Sat., July 8
Marantz Family High Junior Jumper Classic

Charlotte Bobcats Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic

Woodlea Farms Parade of Champions

$60,000 Herm's Grandprix CSI 3* presented by the Heidegger Family

Sun., July 9
Whiteface Lodge WIHS Adult Amateur Jumper Classic

The Levy Family Low Junior Jumper Classic

Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic

Price Chopper WIHS Children's Jumper Classic

Pony Hunter Classic

Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship

After the Herm's Grandprix on July 8, the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for Excellence will be awarded to the rider who has won the most prize money in Lake Placid's two Grand Prix combined. The Lake Placid Horse Shows also offer the $25,000 Hidden Creek Challenge with $25,000 to be awarded to any horse-and-rider combination that wins both the Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI 3* and the Herm's Grandprix CSI 3*.

The $60,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI 3* Presented by RV Sales of Broward will be televised on Outdoor Life Network (OLN) and both Grand Prix events are FEI sanctioned, offering riders the opportunity to earn valuable points on the international rider rankings.

The 2006 Lake Placid Horse Show and I Love New York Horse Show sponsors include A&M Beverages, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Adirondack Life, Adirondack Store, American Grandprix Association, Animal Planet, Anonymous, Bainbridge Farms LLC, Barbara & Michael Bitterman, Brandy Parfums, Ltd., The Brown Dog Cafe and Wine Bar, Budweiser, Carr-Hughes Productions, The Charlotte Bobcats, Chronicle of the Horse, Jane Forbes Clark, C.M. Hadfield's Saddlery, Inc., Clothes Line Laundry, The Cottage Cafe, The Country Saddler, Ltd., Crowne Plaza Resort & Golf Club, David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Deeridge Farms, Der Dau Custom Boots and Shoes, Ecogold, Equifit, Farm and Ranch Magazine, Fox Run, Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel, Grill 211, Mr. James Harpel, The Heidegger Family, Herm's, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, The Hooker Family, Horse Watch, James Leslie Parker Photography, Juliam Farm, The Kessler Family, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, Lake Placid News, The Leone Family, The Levy Family, Lonesome Landing Garden Center, The Marantz Family, McDonald's, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Mountain Horse, Mr. Mike's Pizza & Pasta, Muirfield Insurance, Nicola's On Main, North Elba Park District, On a Fence Designs & Rentals, ORDA/Whiteface Mountain, The Pepsi Bottling Group, The Phillips Family, Price Chopper, Mr. Jeffrey Prosser, Red-Kap Sales, Royal Reflections, Ruthie's Run, RV Sales of Broward, Sand Castle Farm, Michael & Lora Schultz, Sidelines, SLVR by Aerogear, Stretton Enterprises, Turtle Lane Farm, The Weeks Family, The Whiteface Lodge, Wild Horse Wines, Woodlea Farms, WPTZ News Channel 5, and Y106.3 - Mountain Communications LLC.

Admission to the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows is $2.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on weekends. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free. Tickets are available at the gate. For more information, please call the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at (518) 523-9625 or visit www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.