Lake Placid, NY—July 7, 2004—Darren Graziano of Wellington, FL rode Kinetic to victory by two tenths of a second in the WPTZ News Channel 5 Jump-off Wednesday to open the 27th annual I Love New York Horse Show in Lake Placid.

Graziano was one of 30 entries from the starting field of 64 to earn a trip to the jump-off by riding without penalty over the 12-jump, first-round course at the North Elba Showgrounds. Eighteen of those 30 then rode clean again over the six-jump tiebreaker course with Graziano claiming the win based on having the fastest time of 27.863 seconds. Finishing less than two tenths of a second behind Graziano was Marilyn Little of Frederick, MD, winner of the 2003 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid. Little rode Tiffany La Silla to a clean jump-off ride in 28.029 seconds for second place.

Third place went to two-time Pan American Games team Bronze Medalist Debbie Stephens of Glenmore, PA who finished the jump-off in 28.226 seconds on Gran Lu and fourth went to Francie Steinwedell-Carvin of Glendale, CA who finished in 28.408 seconds on Markabee.

The I Love New York Horse Show continues through Sunday, July 11. The main event is the $50,000 Hermes I Love New York Grandprix on Saturday, July 10.

Other special features include Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series events for junior and amateur-owner riders. The Shamrock Ventures LLC High Junior Jumper Classic and the Charlotte Bobcats $10,000 Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic take place on Saturday, July 10. The standings on the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series help determine which junior riders and which amateur-owner riders will qualify to ride in the 2004 National Horse Show in Wellington, FL, in November.

Also featured on Saturday is the horse show’s 12th annual Doggie Costume Contest, sponsored by the Lonesome Landing Garden Center of Saranac Lake and the Brown Dog Cafe & Wine Bar of Lake Placid. Children and adults are invited to dress up and show off their dogs. There is no fee to enter the contest and participants can sign up right on the show grounds. All people with leashed dogs in costume will be admitted to the horse show at no charge and all contestants receive prizes. The Doggie Costume Contest begins at 12:00 noon.

The 2004 I Love New York Horse Show schedule includes the Trelawny Farm 1.45m Open Jumper Stake and the WPTZ News Channel 5 1.35m Time First Jump-Off on Wednesday, July 7; the 1.40m Wild Horse Winery NAL Open Jumper Speed Stake and the 1.50m Pin Oak Farm Open Jumper Stake on Thursday, July 8; the Nicola’s Family Restaurants 1.45m Open Jumper class, the Price Chopper 1.40m Speed Challenge, and The Hooker Family Children’s Jumper class on Friday, July 9; the Woodlea Farms Parade of Champions on Saturday, July 10; and finishing the week at the I Love New York Horse Show is the Pepsi Pony Hunter Classic, the Muirfield Insurance Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, the Levy Family Low Junior Jumper Classic, as well as the Lake Placid Lodge WIHS Adult Amateur Jumper Classic and the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic on Sunday, July 11. Both the Adult Amateur and the Children’s Jumper Classics are member events of the WIHS Championship series and these classes will count as bonus points towards the Championships held at the Washington International Horse Show. The I Love New York Horse Show also features a Large Junior Working Hunter section, sponsored by the Tytel Family.

After Saturday’s $50,000 Hermes I Love New York Grand Prix, 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. This year, for the first time, the Lake Placid Horse Shows are also offering the $25,000 Hidden Creek Challenge, with a $25,000 bonus to be awarded to any rider who wins both the Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid and the Hermes I Love New York Grand Prix. Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, winner of last Sunday’s $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid, is hoping for a second straight win and the $25,000 bonus.

The 2004 Lake Placid Horse Show and I Love New York Horse Show sponsors include A& M Beverages, Adirondack Life, Adirondack Store, American Grandprix Association, Anonymous, Ariat International, Inc., Barbara & Michael Bitterman, Brandy Parfums, Ltd., The Brown Dog Cafe and Wine Bar, Budweiser, The Charlotte Bobcats, Jane Forbes Clark, C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., The Cottage Cafe, The Country Saddler, Ltd., David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Der Dau Custom Boots and Shoes, Fox Run, Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel, Hermes, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, The Hooker Family, Horse Watch, James Leslie Parker Photography, Juliam Farm, Lake Placid Lodge, Lake Placid Resort Hotel & Golf Club, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, The Levy Family, Lonesome Landing Garden Center, M&M Mars, McDonald’s, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Mountain Horse, Mr. Mike’s Pizza & Pasta, Muirfield Insurance, Inc., Nicola’s Over Main, North Elba Park District, On a Fence Designs & Rentals, ORDA/Whiteface Mountain, The Pepsi Bottling Group, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Pin Oak Farm, Practical Horseman, Price Chopper, Red-Kap Sales, Ruthie’s Run, Sidelines, Shamrock Ventures LLC, SLVR by Aerogear, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, The Tytel Family, Unusual Silver, U.S. Olympic Spirit Store, Wild Horse Wines, Woodlea Farms and WPTZ News Channel 5.

Admission to I Love New York Horse Show is just $2.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on weekends. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. 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.