Lake Placid, NY—June 30, 2003—The 34th annual Lake Placid Horse Show, which began on June 25, came to a spectacular conclusion on Sunday, June 29. Marilyn Little of Frederick, MD, won the Whitney Perpetual Challenge Trophy with her victory in the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid, a member event of the American Grandprix Association (AGA).

Little, 21, gained her seventh Grandprix win with two fault-free rides and a jump-off time of 42.832 seconds. Little, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wake Forest University on May 19, was one of seven entries from the starting field of 29 to reach the jump-off by riding without penalty over the 13-jump first-round course designed by 1996 Atlanta Olympic course designer Linda Allen.

The fifth to try the eight-jump, jump-off course at the North Elba Showgrounds in Lake Placid, NY, Little rode Hertel Landman, owned by her family’s Raylyn Farms of Frederick, MD, with daring. Her time moved her ahead of two-time AGA Rider of the Year McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, who wound up second with a time of 43.563 seconds on Hurricane, and Sydney Olympic veteran Margie Goldstein-Engle of Wellington, FL, who placed third with a time of 44.197 seconds on Hidden Creek’s Perin.

“The jump-off was very intimidating because of who was in it,” said Little. “Having McLain and Margie and Anne (Kursinski) all go before me had me thinking that maybe second or third wouldn’t be so bad. But then I got in the ring and it all worked out.”

The win made it two in two days for Little who also won Saturday’s Hilton Resort Open Jumper Stake on Champigny, owned by Bernard Carl of Washington, DC. Little was one of only five entries from the field of 25 to qualify for the tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 13-jump first-round course. She then completed the six-jump jump-off course fault-free in 29.202 seconds to take the win away from Engle, who had been leading with a clean ride and a time of 30.892 seconds on Hidden Creek’s Wapino.

The back-to-back wins gave the former Lake Placid Junior Jumper Champion her “best Lake Placid Horse Show ever!”

Non-stop equestrian action packed the five days of the 2003 Lake Placid Horse Show from start to finish. On opening day, Wednesday, June 25, Ward swept the top two places in the Wild Horse Winery Speed Challenge.

Ward claimed the win by turning in the fastest penalty-free ride over the one-round course. His time of 60.700 seconds on LaBelle gave him the win over the 27-horse field. Ward also claimed the second spot by finishing in 62.162 seconds on Pinocchio. The third and fourth places went to Engle, who finished with a time of 63.520 seconds on Julius and 63.985 seconds on Camille.

Four-time U.S. Olympic veteran Anne Kursinski of Flemington, NJ, claimed the top two places in the Whiteface Mountain Jump-Off, Thursday’s featured event at the 34th annual Lake Placid Horse Show.

Thirteen of the 34 entries turned in fault-free rides over the 13-jump first-round course. Nine of these then rode fault-free over the seven-jump second-round course, and Kursinski claimed the win with the fastest fault-free time of 31.690 seconds on Sun God. The 1983 Pan American Games double Gold Medalist also took second place by finishing the jump-off in 31.990 seconds on Great Point.

Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, rode to victory in both featured open jumper classes on Friday. The 31-year-old daughter of Olympic veterans Frank and Mary Chapot won the Lake Placid Resort North American League (NAL) Speed Stake on Three Coins and the Turtle Lane Farm Welcome Stake on Little Big Man.

Chapot earned her win in the speed stake by completing the 13-jump one-round course in the day’s fastest time of 57.441 seconds. The 26th of 28 entries, Chapot took the win away from Engle, a seven-time AGA Rider of the Year, who had been leading throughout most of the class with a time of 58.257 seconds on Camille.

In the Welcome Stake, Chapot edged Kursinski with a fast ride at the end of the class. Chapot was one of only three entries from the starting field of 20 to reach a tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 15-jump first-round course. She then rode fault-free over the eight-jump second-round course. Her time of 35.357 seconds proved good enough to beat Kursinski, who had been leading with a time of 36.072 seconds on Indeed.

The 2003 Lake Placid Horse Shows will continue with the I Love New York Horse Show, a second week of action-packed equestrian competition at the North Elba Showgrounds in Lake Placid, NY. Following off days on Monday and Tuesday, the I Love New York Horse Show opens on Wednesday, July 2 and continues through Sunday, July 6. The week’s featured event, the $50,000 Hermès I Love New York Grandprix, is scheduled for Saturday, July 5.

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, U.S. Olympic Spirit Stores, Wild Horse Winery and WPTZ News Channel 5.

Admission to the Lake Placid Horse Show on Sunday is $5.00 with children under the age of 12 admitted free. Tickets are available at the gate. For more information, including Lake Placid Horse Show results, please visit www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com or call the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at (518) 523-9625.

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