LAKE PLACID, NY-July 20, 2000-Top equestrian competitors met for two weeks of showing in the beautiful Adirondack mountains of Lake Placid, NY, and numerous championships were awarded at the Lake Placid Horse Show (June 28 - July 2) and the I Love New York Horse Show (July 5-9). Lake Placid Horse Show

After winning the Mirror Lake Inn Speed Stake with Penelope on Saturday, Jeff Welles of Newtown, CT won the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid by three tenths of a second to close the first week of competition at the 31st annual

Lake Placid Horse Show.

Welles was one of nine entries from the starting field of 44 to qualify for a tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 16-jump, first-round course at the North Elba Show Grounds. Riding second over the eight-jump, tiebreaker course, he rode S&L Riviera, an eight-year-old, Dutch-bred, to a time of 39.708 seconds to take the lead.

The next five entries failed to catch Welles, but the day's second-to-last rider, Margie Goldstein-Engle of Wellington, FL, appeared to have him beat on her 12-year-old Holsteiner, Reggae. Goldstein-Engle, six-time American Grandprix Association Rider of the Year, finished in 37.233 seconds, but a rail down at the second-to-last fence cost her four penalty seconds and dropped Reggae to fourth place.

Welles explained that he rode S&L Riviera as fast as he could because he knew he had fast competitors going after him. "I knew Margie was going after me, as well as some other fast entries, so I rode to get the fastest time I could. I'm glad it worked out."

Goldstein-Engle felt her horse could have won and perhaps it was her fault that he didn't. "Reggae was super, but I have a tendency to go too fast sometimes," she said. "I started to turn before I was all the way down coming off the planks and he just nicked it."

Kimberly Frey of Middleburg, VA placed second with a time of 40.008 seconds on Bergerac, an 11-year-old Selle Francais.

Prior to the Grandprix, Marilynn Little of Frederick, MD continued her spectacular season with a sweep of the top two places in the $7500 Explorer Biolan/NHSF Show Jumping Hall Fame Amateur-Owner Classic.

Little entered the Classic with five horses ranked in the Hall of Fame Eastern Conference standings including holding second place on Pico De Gallo and sixth on Granenfeld. She picked up 30 points for her win on North Light and 22 points for placing second on Traumjula. Her sweep of the Hall of Fame Classic also make her champion of the Lake Placid Horse Show's Amateur-Owner (high) division on North Light, as well as Reserve Champion on Traumjula. Also on Grandprix day, The Juliam Farm Lead Line class gave the horse show's youngest competitors (under 7 years of age) the chance to shine in the Grand Prix Ring. The young leadline riders all received gifts and were treated to an ice cream party compliments of Juliam Farm.

Earlier in the week, McLain Ward of Brewster, NY won the Rebecca Federman/Tan Line Stables Power and Speed Stake by two one-hundredths of a second to highlight Wednesday's opening day competition. Ward was one of eight entries from the starting field of 17 to advance to the seven-jump speed section of the course by riding without penalty over the nine-jump power portion. He then rode Naomi to the fastest penalty-free ride on the speed section, finishing in 31.481 seconds to claim the win.

Ward received a strong challenge from Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, who had just won the $100,000 Rolex U.S. Show Jumping Championship Presented by the AHSA and USET to position herself as the number one ranked rider among the 12 finalists for this year's U.S. Olympic show jumping team. Kraut also rode penalty free, but her time of 31.506 seconds on Z Max left her just shy of the win. The following day, Ward made it two in a row as he won the Lake Placid Lodge Speed Stake.

In Friday's action, it was James Benedetto of Northport, NY, and Kondor in the winner's circle for the $7500 Turtle Lane Farm Jump-off . Eight of 31 starters qualified for a tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the original 14-jump course. Benedetto was the first to return to try the six-jump tiebreaker course and he turned in his second fault-free ride, setting the time to beat of 31.987 seconds.

Kraut was fourth to try the jump-off course and she beat Benedetto's time, finishing in 31.813 seconds. However, her mount, Anthem, lowered a rail at the second-to-last fence for a penalty of four faults and a fifth-place finish.

I Love New York Horse Show

Three-time Olympic medalist Joe Fargis of Southampton, NY won the $35,000 I Love New York Grandprix for the second time at the 23rd annual I Love New York Horse Show. Fargis's win followed a win in 1993 on Cor d'Alme Z.

Fargis was one of five entries from the starting field of 41 to qualify for a tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 16-jump, first-round course. The first to return for the seven-jump tiebreaker course was Nona Garson of Lebanon, NJ, one of 12 finalists for the U.S. Equestrian Team's four-rider show jumping squad for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Garson completed the jump-off fault-free in a time of 34.753 seconds on Capital S.

Three rides later, Fargis, winner of team and individual Gold Medals at the 1984 Olympic Game and a team Silver in 1988, rode Edgar, an 11-year-old Hanoverian, to a fault-free ride in 33.686 seconds to take the lead.

The final entry was Jeff Welles on Riviera, winners of the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid. Welles almost became the third rider to sweep the two Lake Placid Grandprix events in the same year, but a rail down at the last fence cost him four faults and gave him a fifth place finish. Welles's finish, combined with his win the previous week, was enough for him to win the Martin Stone Award for the best combined finish in the two Grandprix events at the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows.

Nona Garson of Lebanon, NJ, swept the top two places in The Phelps School Power and Speed Stake during the Wednesday's opening-day feature. She rode Aktiv to a fault-free ride and finished in 29.023 seconds.

On Wednesday, the show also hosted the Manely Kids Day 2000. After a barn tour, beginner and intermediate level participants met with Christina Schlusmeyer for a discussion on what a day in the life of a pony rider and Junior/Equitation rider was like. Advanced level participants were treated to a course preview by course designer Steve Stephens and sat with him and judged part of the WIHS Class in the Grand Prix ring. Wayne Rasmussen and Dr. John Lowe, DVM, each presented "Tack Talk" to the groups before an autograph session with six-time AGA Rider of the Year Margie Engle.

Kimberly Frey of Middleburg, VA, won Thursday's Swedish Hill Winery Speed Stake. Frey, rode Samoens to a time of 53.933 seconds without penalty. On Friday, Kraut rode Anthem to victory in the Sugar Creek Stores Jump-off. Ward closed the 23rd annual I Love New York Horse Show by riding Naomi to victory in the Whiteface Mountain Speed Stake.

Saturday evening at the Olympic Arena, teams from the Lake Placid Horse Show and the town of Lake Placid squared off for the first time in a hockey game sponsored by Miller's Harness Company. Lake Placid Horse Show Association Chairman Richard Feldman dropped the first puck in the special ceremony. Among the players on the horse show team were 1996 U.S. Olympic team Silver Medalist Peter Leone; and Stephen Dent, owner of Miller's Harness Company. Other show jumping riders and workers from the horse show rounded out the team, which wore specially made uniforms provided by Miller's Harness Company. Butch Martin and Tracy Daby of the North Elba Park District were referees.

As part of the closing day ceremonies, A&M Beverages and the Lake Placid Horse Show paid tribute to Jimmy Quinn, a long-time supporter of the horse show who passed away last year. A&M Beverages hosted family and friends of Jimmy Quinn in a Budweiser tent adjacent to the Grandprix arena. Also, the horse show awarded the second annual Jimmy Quinn Award to Eliza Shuford of Hickory, NC, the leading amateur-owner rider of the two weeks of the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows and the winner of the $10,000 Pin Oak Farm Amateur/Owner Grandprix. Annual Contests

On the lighter side of the horse shows, the seventh annual Doggie Costume Contest, sponsored by Lonesome Landing of Saranac Lake and Ruthie's Run of Lake Placid, was won by "Dottie Hooker" who came dressed as a Cleopatra. Dottie is owned by Heather and Charlie Hooker of Wellington, FL.

In the 12th annual Lake Placid Horse Show Window Decorating Contest the top honor was awarded to Ruthie's Run, owned by Kathy Johnston. The panel of judges selected Ruthie's Run for their fourth win based on the original design, creativity and horse show-related theme of its window design.

Full show results for the Lake Placid Horse Show and the I Love New York Horse Show are available on the internet at www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.