Lake Placid, NY – June 12, 2002 – Margie Goldstein-Engle, Nona Garson, Leslie Howard, and McLain Ward head an impressive list of riders expected to compete in the $50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid on Sunday, June 30, and the $50,000 I Love New York Grand Prix on Saturday, July 6. The two American Grandprix Association (AGA) Series events will headline two weeks of world-class equestrian competition in the heart of the Adirondacks when the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows return to the North Elba Showgrounds, June 26 – July 7.

Engle, of Wellington, FL, was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team in Sydney. She became only the third rider ever to sweep both the $50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid and the $50,000 I Love New York Grand Prix in the same year in 2001. Leslie Howard seized both titles in 1985 and 1989, and Debbie Dolan-Sweeney won both events in 1995. Also a Sydney Olympian, Nona Garson, of Lebanon, NJ, is expected to compete at this year’s Lake Placid Horse Shows as well. Garson and Rhythmical won the $50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid in 1997.

Leslie Howard, of Westport, CT, was on the United States Equestrian Team (USET) squad that won the team Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She was also part of the Silver Medal team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Howard has been a Grand Prix Champion in Lake Placid a record seven times.

McLain Ward, of Brewster, NY, currently the top-ranked rider on the USET’s show jumping computer rankings, is also set to return to the 2002 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows. He recently tied with Howard for fourth place in the Show Jumping World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany.

The Lake Placid Horse Shows are made possible through the generosity of many supporters and sponsors. Sponsors for the 2002 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows include A&M Beverages, Inc., Adirondack Rustic, American Grandprix Association, Anonymous, Ariat, Brandy Parfums, Inc., Budweiser/Anheuser-Busch, Inc., C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., Jane F. Clark, Lisa A. H. Cudahy, Der-Dau Custom Made Boots, David Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Golden Arrow Hotel, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, Jaguar, Juliam Farm, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors’ Bureau, Lake Placid Lodge, Land Rover, Lonesome Landing, M & M Mars, McDonalds, Miller’s Harness Company, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Nicola’s Family Restaurants, On a Fence Designs and Rentals, ORDA-Whiteface Mountain, the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group, Inc., Pin Oak Farm, Price Chopper, Red Kap Sales, Inc./Citgo, Salamander Farm, Sand Castle Farm, Sidelines, Supracor, The Brown Dog Deli & Wine Bar, The Country Saddler, Ltd., The Hooker Family, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Town of North Elba Park District, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, Unusual Silver, Wild Horse Winery, and WPTZ News Channel 5.

Four rings of competition will run simultaneously from 8:00 a.m. to late afternoon, Wednesday through Sunday each week. In addition to the two AGA Grand Prix Series events, the schedule also includes North American League (NAL) classes, Adult/Children's Jumper events and Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series events for junior riders and amateur/owner riders on Sunday, June 30 (Lake Placid Horse Show) and Saturday, July 6 (I Love New York Horse Show), respectively. Also, there will be numerous hunter and equitation divisions including World Championship Hunter Rider classes and Hunter Classics.

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 the web site at http://www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com/