Manchester, VT-July 17, 2000-Lauren Hough and Peppercorn Ltd.'s Windy City won the $30,000 Battenkill Grand Prix during the first week of competition at the Vermont Summer Festival, July 12-16 in Manchester, VT.

Hough, one of six riders who advanced to the jump-off from a starting field of 13 riders, went clean in the jumpoff with a very fast time of 40.930seconds. Mark Leone, Callen Solen, Andrew Philbrick, and Stephen Myers each turned in four faults, so the pressure was on Leone's second mount, Pinkata, to overtake Hough for the lead. However, Leone opted to go for a clean round, instead of going for speed, and ended up with a clean round and a time of 52 seconds. His strategy earned him second place.

Solen and Quiet Winter Farm's Ears To You finished third, followed by Leone and Ri Arm Farm's Karat in fourth. Andrew Philbrick aboard Zurich, and Barbara Angelino riding Stephen Myer's Zel rounded out the top six.

In other action earlier in the week, Jessica Beavers of Bushnell, FL, and her horse, Carnival Bouncer, won the 2000 Explorer Biolan/NHSF Show Jumping Hall of Fame $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Beavers and Sarah Willeman of Hamilton, MA were the only two competitors to advance to the jump-off course. Both riders went clean, but Beavers time of 43.857 seconds just edged Willeman and Napolitano who finished in second with a time of 43.892 seconds.

In the Large Junior Hunter Division 16/17, Willeman won the Championship and Reserve Championship aboard Caped Crusader and Cashmere, respectively. She also was the Reserve Champion in the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Division - High aboard her Lapeti.

Vanessa Stevenson took two Championships during the week, winning the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Division - High and Low Hunter Division (B). Julianne Befeler also claimed two victories in the Medium and Large Pony Hunter Divisions. 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.