Waitsfield, VT-August 21, 2000-Mary Lisa Nicholson of Brookeville, MD, won the Mad River Festival $30,000 Grand Prix, July 9-13 to highlight the Vermont Summer Festival's third and final week in Waitsfield, VT, following two highly successful weeks in Manchester. She rode Rolling Acres' horse, Kick the Clouds, to claim the $9,000 first-place purse.

Nicholson was one of only three riders from a field of 24 riders to advance to the jump-off. Mario Deslauriers and David Raposa each finished the jump-off course with four faults. Nicholson's clean round in 43.553 seconds secured her second Grand Prix win in five weeks at the Vermont Summer Festival.

Jennifer Jones of Marion, SC, won the Explorer Biolan/NHSF Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic over a field of 18 competitors. Jones and Hillary Schlusemeyer's Let's Dance Jil rode clean in the six-person jump-off to take the win. Lili Fortin of Montreal, Quebec finished second aboard Accino, followed by Mary Moricolli of Wilmette, IL and her Feleena in third.

In other Championship action, Mary Lisa Nicholson dominated competition, winning the Green Working Hunter division with Robin Hood and the Regular Working Hunter division with Play Right. She also won the reserve championships in the Pre-Green Hunter division aboard Galileo and the Low Hunter divisions (A&B) with Surprise and Galileo, respectively. Riding Tag Your It, Nicholson won the Preliminary Jumper Low division.

For the third consecutive week, Jennifer Jones won Large and Small Junior Hunter (16/17) divisions. She rode Caped Crusader to win the Small Junior Hunter division, and claimed the blue ribbon in the Large Junior Hunter division with Onyx.

The Vermont Summer Festival is North New England's largest "A3" rated hunter-jumper horse show circuit and is held in two of the Northeast's top resort areas: Manchester and Waitsfield, VT.

For further information on the results of the Vermont Summer Festival Series please see the weekly results posted on the website www.vt-summerfestival.com