Hunters Take Center Stage on Opening Day of Valley Classic

East Dorset, VT—July 23, 2003—The Vermont Summer Festival opened its third week of competition, The Valley Classic, July 23-27, at the Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

In the morning, Danielle Torano of Fort Lauderdale, FL, who won the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic at the Manchester Classic Horse Show on July 20, piloted Luxor, owned by Jimmy Torano and Anna Tilestone, to win both of the over fences classes in the First Year Green Working Hunter Division.

Later in the day, the Manchester Classic Horse Show’s Green Conformation Hunter Champion, Shablis, owned by Nicole Chaney, and ridden by Rachael Kennedy of Brookeville, MD, continued to win. This successful pair topped the field of 6 horse-and-rider combinations winning both over fences classes as well as the under saddle.

Katie Milton rode Danielle Glass’s flashy chestnut, Kensington, to earn the blue ribbon in both of the over fences classes in the Regular Working Hunter Division. Milton bested a field of nine horse-and-rider combinations to take the wins.

The Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show. This year’s event includes five USET-recognized $35,000 Grand Prix to be held on the last day of each show and five $10,000 Mini Prix to be held on the Friday of each show. Each of the five weeks also features a $10,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class, part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series which determines which junior and amateur/owner riders will qualify to ride at the 2003 National Horse Show.

For further information on the 2003 Vermont Summer Festival, please call (802) 362-9023, or visit the Vermont Summer Festival website at
www.vt-summerfestival.com.