Mike
Kennedy Wins Sidelines North American League Adult Jumper Classic
To Close 25th Annual I Love New York Horse Show
Lake
Placid, NY—July 7, 2002—Mike Kennedy of Newtown, PA
rode Marco to victory in the Sidelines North American League (NAL)
Adult Jumper Classic to highlight the closing day of the 25th
annual I Love New York Horse Show.
Nine
of 54 entries qualified for a tiebreaking jump-off by riding without
penalty over the 17-jump first-round course at the North Elba
Showgrounds. Kennedy was the third of the nine to return for the
seven-jump tiebreaker course and he moved into the lead with a
fault-free ride in 34.321 seconds.
None
of the remaining entries could match Kennedy’s score with
the best effort coming from second-place finisher Ahmed Alali
of New York, NY who rode Lagos to a fault-free ride in 35.512
seconds. Third place went to Mindy Blackford Mayfield Heights,
OH who finished fault-free in 36.247 seconds on Gypsy Rose.
The
North American League (NAL) runs year-long series in six equestrian
divisions—Children’s Hunter, Adult Hunter, Children’s
Jumper, Adult Jumper, Pony Jumper, and Open Jumper—with year-end
championship finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in
Harrisburg, PA, in October.
Thirty
riders are accepted in the Children’s and Adult Hunters and
Jumpers finals, each of which awards $10,000 prize money. The
Open Speed finals also accepts 30 entries and awards $25,000 prize
money. The pony division final accepts 25 riders and awards $5000
prize money.
“Interest
in the North American League continues to grow,” said NAL
Series Director Lloyd Longenecker. “We’re thrilled that
the Series continues to grow in size and in importance to those
involved in the hunter-jumper world.”
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 included Adult/Children's
Jumper events and Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series
events for junior riders and amateur/owner riders. There were
also numerous hunter and equitation divisions including World
Championship Hunter Rider Classes and Hunter Classics.
The
Lake Placid Horse Shows were 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.
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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