Lake Placid, NY—June 6, 2003—During the “dog-days” of summer, canines will take center stage at the I Love New York Horse Show in Lake Placid, NY, when the 11th annual Doggie Costume Contest, a Lake Placid favorite, returns on Saturday, July 5, 2003 at noon. All people with leashed dogs in costume will be admitted to the horse show at no charge.

Contestants will strut their stuff in a special ring set up near the horse show’s Grand Prix ring at the North Elba Showgrounds. There will be no entry fee, and all entrants will receive treats. The contest co-sponsors, Lonesome Landing Garden Center and the Brown Dog Café & Wine Bar, will present awards to the “top dogs.”

In addition to the exciting Doggie Costume Contest, Lake Placid will once again host outstanding equestrian competition in the heart of the Adirondacks when the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows return, June 25 — July 6. Action takes place each Wednesday through Sunday, 8:00 am — 5:00 pm, at the North Elba Showgrounds located on Route 73 across from the ski jumps.

Dressed as Yankee Doodle Doggie, last year’s Doggie Costume Contest winner was Lulu, a sixteen-year-old, deaf, beagle mix, owned by Laura Antonelli of Bloomingdale, NY. When Antonelli found Lulu as a stray roaming the streets of Shreveport, LA, years ago, she took her home. Lulu lived with the Antonelli family for more than 14 years.

Sadly, Lulu, who also won the Doggie Costume Contest in 1997, passed away last winter. This year, in her honor and memory, the I Love New York Horse Show is initiating the Lulu Perpetual Trophy. The trophy, sponsored by Laura Antonelli, will be awarded each year to the dog with the funniest costume.

Who will be the best-dressed dog in town this year? Will it be one of last year’s runners-up, two-time Contest Champion Dotty, a six year old Jack Russell, and her then eight-month-old daughter Dandy, both owned by Heather and Charlie Hooker? To learn the answer and enjoy a howling good time, be sure to catch the Doggie Costume Contest at the I Love New York Horse Show, Saturday, July 5 at noon.

Doggie Costume Contest Winners

Year Costume Owner

1993 The Budweiser Hitch The Wyckoff Family
1994 LPHS 25th Anniversary Dog Audrey Lowe
1995 Junior Kroll Jumper Katie Ermilio & Tristen
1996 My Own Olympic Mascot Audrey Lowe
1997 Bathing Beauty Laura Antonelli
1998 Santa Paws Glenn & Evan Cocks
1999 Doggemora Dog Phil Calabrese
2000 Cleopatra Heather & Charlie Hooker
2001 Hurry Home Cinderella Heather & Charlie Hooker
2002 Yankee Doodle Doggie Laura Antonelli

The Lake Placid Horse Shows are renowned for combining exciting show jumping competition with a relaxing and beautiful environment. The shows offer the amenities of a world-class horse show with recreational opportunities found at the finest resorts, making it one of the most popular horse show venues in the United States. Fishing, swimming, hiking, canoeing, camping, and biking can all be enjoyed just a few steps away from the horse show grounds.

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 and features four rings of competition running simultaneously. This year’s schedule includes North American League (NAL) classes, Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series classes, and WIHS Championship Series qualifiers, which count as bonus points towards the Championships held at the Washington International Horse Show. Additionally, there are numerous hunter and equitation divisions including World Championship Hunter Rider classes and Hunter Classics.

Sponsors for the 2003 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows include A&M Beverages, Inc., Adirondack Life, American Grandprix Association, Anonymous, Ariat International, Inc., Bayer Legend, Brandy Parfums, Inc., Budweiser/Anheuser Busch, Inc., C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Der Dau Custom Made Boots & Shoes, Enterprise rent-a-car, Fox Run Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel, Hermès, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, Jane Forbes Clark, Juliam Farm, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Lake Placid Resort, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors’ Bureau, Lisa A. H. Cudahy, Lonesome Landing, M&M Mars, Mirror Lake Inn/The Cottage, McDonald’s of Lake Placid, Moss Communications, Nicola’s Family Restaurants, Barbara Nugent and Michael Bitterman, On a Fence Designs and Rentals, ORDA-Whiteface Mountain, The Country Saddler, The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., Pin Oak Farm, Price Chopper, Red Kap Sales, Inc./CITGO, Salamander Farm, Sand Castle Farm/The Dammerman Family, Shamrock Ventures LLC, Sidelines, The Brown Dog Café & Wine Bar, The Hooker Family, The Levy Family, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Town of North Elba Park District, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, Unusual Silver, US Olympic Spirit Stores, Wild Horse Winery 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 www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.

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