East Dorset, VT-August 3, 2003 - Bill Lowry of North Scituate, RI aboard King, owned by Windsor Farm Sales Inc, won the $35,000 Manchester & The Mountains Grand Prix at the Manchester & The Mountains Horse Show, July 30-August 3, the fourth week of the Vermont Summer Festival, July 9-August 10, held at the Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

Lowry was one of six horse-and-rider combinations to ride clear over course designer Ken Krome's first round course to qualify to ride over the shortened jump off course. Going second in the jump-off, Lowry and King proved to be the fastest clear round in a time of 40.385 seconds.

Lowry has been partnered with King, an eleven-year-old Dutch Warmblood, gelding, who he bought off of a pig farm in Holland, for seven years now. This rider gave his horse much of the credit for their performance in the jump-off. "He was excellent. He helped me out a lot," Lowry said. "He's really, really smart-very very intelligent."

Mary Lisa Leffler of Brookeville, MD finished in second place by only fractions of a second. Leffler piloted Graf Rossini, owned by Bruce Chovnick LLC, to a clear round in a time of 40.393 seconds to finish second.

Another Grand Prix Winner at the 2003 Vermont Summer Festival, Lisa Jacquin of Wayne, PA finished in third place aboard Sandro, owned by Shannonnell Farm & Flintwoode Farm. Jacquin, who qualified two mounts for the jump-off, and Sandro completed the jump-off round with no jumping faults in a time of 48.983 seconds. Exceeding the time allowed of 48 seconds, Jacquin incurred one time penalty to put her into third place.

Earlier in the day, the Grand Prix ring highlighted Junior and Amateur Show Jumping action. Joy Slater of Unionville, PA aboard Shindig, owned by Fat Chance Farm, won the combined $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Slater was one of 12 horse-and-rider combinations out of the starting field of 28 to ride clear over the first round course to qualify for the jump-off. In the end, Slater and her mount crossed through the timers with a winning time of 39.293 seconds.

Kenzie Snyder of West Chester, PA aboard her Aquarius, who won the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic Presented by Nutraceutical International Inc. at the Valley Classic Horse Show on July 27 finished in second place. Synder posted a time of 42.247 seconds to earn the red ribbon. Third place honors were awarded to Mexican rider, Marilly Meyer aboard Jorge Meyer's Lexington.

The Vermont Summer Festival is New England's largest "AA" rated hunter/jumper horse show. This year's event includes five USET-recognized $35,000 Grand Prix to be held on the last day of each show and five $10,000 Mini Prix to be held on the Friday of each show. Each of the five weeks also features a $10,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class, part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series which determines which junior and amateur/owner riders will qualify to ride at the 2003 National Horse Show.

For further information on the 2003 Vermont Summer Festival, please call (802) 362-9023. For full results, visit the Vermont Summer Festival website at www.vt-summerfestival.com.