East Dorset, VT—July 21, 2002—Federico Sztyrle of Bridgehampton, NY, won the $35,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix, sponsored by Hand Motors, on Sunday at the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show held at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT. Sztyrle won riding Caya, owned by Sag Pond Farm. Peter Lutz of Katonah, NY, and Maroline, owned by Coker Farm, was second, and Ken Berkley of Flemington, NJ, aboard Laredo, owned by Rivers Edge, came in third.

Sztyrle (pronounced steer-lay) kept the crowd in suspense as he was the last to go in the jump-off of eight. Robert Ross and Galiana, owned by Joe Zada and Romance Farm, were the first to go in the jump-off and went clean in a time of 39.394 seconds. Then Lutz, riding Maroline, immediately took over the lead with a faultless round in a time of 35.688 seconds. Ken Berkley of Flemington, NJ, was unsuccessful at beating the time with the two mounts he had in the jump-off. Berkley and Laredo tried to repeat their Grand Prix winning performance from Week One in Vermont, but went too slow in a time of 36.064 seconds. Berkley’s other entry, Kontiki, owned by Rivers Edge & Karen Long Dwight, also went clear, but at a slower time of 37.846 seconds, which gave them a fourth place finish.

Then came Sztyrle and Caya. The pair were forced to go fast since there were already four clean rounds, but Sztyrle did not think his jump-off time of 35.446 was fast enough to clinch the title.

“This horse is a very careful jumper, but not fast,” said Sztyrle. “I didn’t think I could win, the time was very close.”

The former member of the Argentine Equestrian Team was second in the Grand Prix at Vermont last year with Caya. He was pleased with the improved position.

“I am very happy to win,” said Sztyrle. “We came so close last year, this was a nice surprise for me.”

The Vermont Summer Festival, New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter-jumper horse show, continues with 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 802-362-7548.

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