EAST DORSET, VT-July 25, 2000-The first two weeks of show jumping on the Vermont Summer Festival circuit attracted top competitors to New England's largest "A3" rated hunter-jumper horse show circuit.

In the first of the five grand prix events that headline the 2000 shows, Lauren Hough and Peppercorn Ltd.'s Windy City earned the first grand prix victory gallop after winning the $30,000 NGL Battenkill Grand Prix. Hough won with a very fast jump-off time of 40.930 seconds. 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.

In the second week of grand prix action only four riders were able to finish the first round without fault. In the jump-off of the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix on July 23, Andrew Philbrick of Princeton, NJ, rode his horse Whist to victory in a clean 57.723 seconds. Emily Williams' time was more than six seconds faster aboard her Prom Queen, however, four faults knocked her into second place. Wendy Ritter and Juan Hernandez's Fard finished third with a time of 52.915 seconds and four faults, followed by Theodore Demetriou and New Windsor Stable's Goliath-T in fourth.

Earlier in the second week of competition, Philbrick also rode Athena to the Preliminary Jumper Low Division Championship and directed He Laughs to the Preliminary Jumper High Division Championship.

In the first week of action, 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.

Willeman rebounded to win the Large Junior Hunter Division 16/17 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.

She continued her winning ways during the second week by winning the Explorer Biolan/NHSF Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic over a field of 18 competitors. She dominated the jumpoff with La Belle and Lapeti who finished first and second, respectively.

Vanessa Stevenson took two Championships during the first week, winning the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Division - High and Low Hunter Division (B). In the second week she won reserve honors in the Large Junior Hunter Division (16/17).

Julianne Befeler also claimed two first-week victories in the Medium and Large Pony Hunter Divisions. She continued her momentum in the second week by riding Providence to victory in the Children's Hunter Championship over a field of 15 competitors. She also rode Newsworthy to a win in the Large Pony Hunter Championship.

Three $30,000 grand prix events and three weeks of showing in Waitsfield, VT follow the Festival's two weeks in Manchester. Each week features a $10,000 Explorer Biolan/NHSF Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior Amateur Owner Jumper class, plus Marshall & Sterling and North American League Children/Adult Classics and a NAL Open Speed class. For information please call 802-496-4878 or visit our website at www.vt-summerfestival.com.