Kenneth
Berkley Wins the $35,000 Battenkill Grand Prix, Sponsored by the
Stratton Mountain Inn, At Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show
East
Dorset, VT—July 14, 2002—Last turned out to be best for
Kenneth Berkley of Flemington, NJ, who won the $35,000 Battenkill
Grand Prix, sponsored by the Stratton Mountain Inn, on Sunday, during
the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show at Harold Beebe Farm, in
East Dorset, VT.
Berkley
and Laredo, owned by October Farm and Rivers Edge, turned in the
only faultless performance in the United States Equestrian Team
(USET) - recognized event.
Only
two went clean in the filed of 21 horses, Berkley and Meredith Taylor,
25, of Pembroke, MA, riding Equifit Pizarro, owned by ABC Limited,
who was 19th in the order.
Berkley
liked the fact that he was the last to go.
“I
had an excellent spot,” said Berkley. “At that point,
I knew I just had to go clean to make the jump-off. My horse is
very experienced, this course was not a big stretch for him.”
Taylor
actually rode with Berkley at one time, so it was student against
teacher in the jump-off.
“I
rode with Ken for eight years,” said Taylor. “It was a
very interesting position to be in. I was a little nervous because
I knew that he was very competitive.”
Taylor
was right. She and Equifit Pizarro incurred four faults in the jump-off
leaving the door wide open for Berkley and Laredo.
“I
watched Meredith go,” said Berkley. “When I saw that she
had the raid down, I just planned on a conservative ride to go clean.”
This
marks the first major Grand prix victory for the 39-year-old and
the first-ever win at the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show.
The
Vermont Summer Festival, which is New England’s largest “AA”
rated hunter-jumper horse show circuit, continues with the Manchester
Classic, July 17-21, The Valley Classic, July 24-28, and the Manchester
and the Mountains Horse Show, July 31-August 4. The action culminates
with the Vermont Summer Celebration, August 7-11.
For
further information, please visit the Vermont Summer Festival website
at www.vt-summerfestival.com
or call 802-496-4878.
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