None of the first 20 entries was able to master the 16-jump course at the North Elba Showgrounds until David Raposa of Clinton, NY rode fault-free on Master Man. Ultimately, five of the 38 entries did ride fault-free to qualify for the 9-jump tiebreaker course where faults were converted to penalty seconds.

After Raposa, who won the class in 1990 on Shady Lady, received a score of 56.769 seconds, defending champion Margie Goldstein Engle of Wellington, FL returned on Hidden Creek’s Jones. Engle turned in what would be the tiebreaker’s fastest time, 41.411 seconds, but a rail down at fence 7 added four penalty seconds for a final score of 45.411.

The penalty proved costly when Leone mastered the course without penalty in 41.461 seconds on Pinkata de Longpre. His penalty-free ride held up for the win with Engle, the number-two ranked rider on the U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) Show Jumping Rider List, placing second. Danielle Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, FL finished third with a score of 55.317 on Lancier 4 while Raposa finished fourth.

After off-days on Monday and Tuesday, the 25th annual I Love New York Horse Show opens at the North Elba Showgrounds and runs July 3-7. The highlight of the I Love New York Horse Show is the $50,000 I Love New York Grandprix on Saturday, July 6.

Prior to the Grandprix, Lauren Bass rode MV Cristal to the win in the $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic and Alexa Weeks rode Amiral to victory in the $10,000 Salamander Farm High Junior Jumper Classic. Both events are part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series that determines which junior jumper and amateur-owner jumper riders will qualify to ride in the 2002 National Horse Show.

. Following the two Classics and before the Hadfield’s Parade of Champions was the Juliam Farm Leadline Class for riders up to age seven. All participants received blue ribbons and gift bags compliments of Juliam Farm. Everyone was then treated to an ice cream party with a clown, face painting and games in the horse show’s Hall of Fame Club.

Other highlights of the Lake Placid Horse Show included the Ariat Kids Day where 100 youngsters from the north country toured the horse show and participated in seminars conducted by some of the country’s leading riders, trainers and officials. Contests and games hosted by John Conlon of Ariat and Janet Rasmussen of The Country Saddler preceded a pizza lunch and autograph session with Olympic rider Nona Garson that culminated the day’s activities.

Overall, more than 1300 horses and the nation’s best show jumping riders came to Lake Placid to compete for $360,000 prize money at the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows. In addition to two AGA Grandprix Series events and North American League (NAL) classes, the horse show schedule also includes Adult/Children's Jumper events and Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series events for junior riders and amateur/owner riders. There are also numerous hunter and equitation divisions including World Championship Hunter Rider Classes and Hunter Classics.

The Lake Placid Horse Shows are made possible through the generosity of many supporters and sponsors. Sponsors for the 2002 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows include A&M Beverages, Inc., Adirondack Rustic, American Grandprix Association, Anonymous, Ariat, Brandy Parfums, Inc., Budweiser/Anheuser-Busch, Inc., C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., Jane F. Clark, Lisa A. H. Cudahy, Der-Dau Custom Made Boots, David Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Golden Arrow Hotel, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, Jaguar, Juliam Farm, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors’ Bureau, Lake Placid Lodge, Land Rover, Lonesome Landing, M & M Mars, McDonalds, Miller’s Harness Company, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Nicola’s Family Restaurants, On a Fence Designs and Rentals, ORDA-Whiteface Mountain, the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group, Inc., Pin Oak Farm, Price Chopper, Red Kap Sales, Inc./Citgo, Salamander Farm, Sand Castle Farm, Sidelines, Supracor, The Brown Dog Deli & Wine Bar, The Country Saddler, Ltd., The Hooker Family, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Town of North Elba Park District, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, Unusual Silver, Wild Horse Winery, and WPTZ News Channel 5.

The Lake Placid horse shows feature four rings of action with competition running from 8:00 a.m. to late afternoon, Wednesday through Sunday each week. Admission to the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows is just $2.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on weekends. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free. Tickets are available at the gate. Guided walking tours of the Lake Placid Horse Shows are available at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday through Friday, for just $1.00. Tours leave from the Lake Placid Horse Show retail booth.

For more information, please call the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at (518) 523-9625 or visit the web site at www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.

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