Serio Continues to Dominate at Vermont Summer Festival

East Dorset, VT—July 17, 2003—For the second straight week, Louise Serio of Kennett Square, PA earned Championship honors in the Second Year Green Working Hunter Division at the Vermont Summer Festival, July 9-August 10, at the Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

Serio piloted Primo, owned by ARL Farm LLC, to victory at the Manchester Classic Horse Show, July 16-20. This well known hunter rider took over the reins for Primo’s usual rider Caitlin Venezia after Venezia had a mishap in the schooling ring, which kept her from showing the horse.

“He’s a wonderful jumper, and he’s really come a long way,” Serio said of the gelding, who she showed a few times in Florida over the winter.

Earlier in the day, Serio also added a Championship in the First Year Green Working Hunter division to her list of wins in East Dorset. She rode Laissez Faire, owned by Bridget Hallman, to earn the tri-color ribbon over the division’s 12 entries. “He’s been so consistent this week. He’s a beautiful jumper and really fun to ride,” she said of her mount.

Other hunter champions included Shablis, owned by Nicole Chaney and ridden by Rachael B. Kennedy of Brookeville, MD who earned the tri-color in the Green Conformation Hunter Division. Jennifer Hannan rode Nordic Legacy for owner Amy Tucci to Championship honors in the Regular Working Hunter Division.

Courtney McCay of Ocala, FL dominated the equitation classes, which got underway on July 17. Early in the day, she took top honors in the BET/USET Show Jumping Talent Search Class Presented by Sooner Trailers. McCay proved herself over fences as well as on the flat where riders were asked to demonstrate their skills at a walk, trot, and canter.

Later in the morning, McCay continued her winning ways and bested a field of 60 horse-and-rider combinations to earn the blue ribbon in the hunter phase of the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Equitation Classic. Tania Hack of New York, NY took second place in the class.

After her second place finish, Hack went on to earn first place honors in the USAE Medal topping a field of 46 horse-and-rider combinations.

In the Grand Prix ring, Gabby Slome of Riverdale, NY earned the blue ribbon in the high Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Class aboard Espina du Manior, owned by North Run & Double H Farm. Slome topped the field of 22 horse-and-rider combinations to earn the win. Joy Slater rode Salvia Ferincia, owned by Fat Chance Farm, to a second place finish.

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.