Lake Placid, NY – June 11, 2001 – Olympic medalists Joe Fargis, Leslie Howard and Peter Leone head a star-studded list of competitors expected to compete in the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid on Sunday, July 1, and the $50,000 Supracor I Love New York Grandprix on Saturday, July 7.

These two Budweiser/American Grandprix Association Series events are the headliners of 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 June 27 – July 8. Action takes place 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily at the North Elba Showgrounds on Route 73 in Lake Placid across from the ski jumps.

Fargis, 53, Southampton, NY, rose to international prominence at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where he rode Touch Of Class to become the second American show jumper to win an individual Olympic Gold Medal, helping the U.S. Equestrian Team win the Team Gold as well. He was also a member of the USET’s Sliver Medal Show Jumping Team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Fargis is also the defending champion in the $50,000 Supracor I Love New York Grandprix aboard Edgar and will no doubt be on track to defend his blue ribbon.

Howard, 44, Westport, CT, was Fargis’s teammate on the USET squad that won the team Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She also was part of the Silver Medal team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Howard is on a hot streak this spring, having just won the $25,000 Empire State Grand Prix (NY) for the fourth time. This May she rode the talented gray Nick Of Diamonds, who seems to rise to the occasion in New York venues.

Leone, 40, Greenwich, CT, joined Howard on that Silver Medal-winning team in Atlanta with his talented mount, Legato. Based out of his Lionshare Farm, Leone has had multiple winners this year in the jumper rings.

Nona Garson, 41, Lebanon, NJ, a veteran of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Show Jumping Team, is also set to return to Lake Placid. After resting her Olympic mount Rhythmical for several months this year, Garson has her fiery chestnut Russian-bred back in fine form, coming off a win at the $50,000 Garden State Grand Prix in May.

Margie Goldstein Engle, another Sydney Olympian and a member of the Silver Medal Team at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, is also set to compete aboard multiple mounts. Engle, 43, Wellington, FL, is a six-time AGA Rider of the Year and is coming off strong performances. She and Hidden Creek’s Perin won the $25,000 Lexington Classic in May in Kentucky and are primed for more.

The Lake Placid Horse Shows are renowned for combining exciting equestrian competition within a relaxing and beautiful environment. The show offers the amenities of a world-class horse show with recreational opportunities only found at the finest resorts, making it one of the most popular horse shows in the United States. Fishing, swimming, hiking, canoeing, camping, and biking can all be enjoyed just a few steps away from the horse shows. The event, which attracts more than 1,200 horses for each of two weeks, is one of the nation’s largest hunter-jumper horse shows.

The $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid will be nationally televised on ESPN on July 14 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, courtesy of Budweiser and A & M Beverages, Inc. of Malone, NY.

Four rings of competition will run simultaneously from 8:00 a.m. to late afternoon, Wednesday through Sunday each week. The schedule includes the $10,000 Amateur-Owner Grandprix, a member event of the National Horse Sports Foundation Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, the $10,000 Junior Jumper Grandprix, North American League (NAL) classes, and Adult/Children's Jumper events. Additionally, there will be numerous hunter and equitation divisions including World Championship Hunter Rider classes and Hunter Classics. A complete schedule is available by visiting www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.

The Lake Placid Horse Shows are made possible through the generosity of many supporters and sponsors. Sponsors for the 2001 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows include A&M Beverages, Inc., American Grandprix Association, Brandy Parfums, Inc., Budweiser, C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., CellularOne, Jane F. Clark, Cosequin/Nutramax Labs, Lisa A. H. Cudahy, Der-Dau Custom Made Boots, David Fowler Carpentry, Golden Arrow Hotel, Juliam Farm, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors’ Bureau, Lake Placid Lodge, Lonesome Landing, Miller’s Harness Company, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Nicola’s Family Restaurants, ORDA-Whiteface Mountain, Pepsi-Cola Keeseville Bottling Company, Pin Oak Farm, Price Chopper, Red Kap Sales, Inc., Sand Castle Farm, LLC, Supracor, Swedish Hill Winery, The Brown Dog Deli & Wine Bar, The Hooker Family, The Phelps School, The Philips Family, Town of North Elba Park District, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, and WPTZ News Channel 5.

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 www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.