Lake Placid, NY—July 15, 2004—The 2004 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows were the most successful in the shows’ 35-year history. Record turnout, record sponsorship, and non-stop fun in the Adirondacks sent everyone home happy. Added in was the excitement of mixing with a variety of celebrities including actresses Glenn Close and Alfrie Woodard, rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, and TV news hosts Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs.

“Our goal in Lake Placid is to put on the best horse shows anywhere and to make sure that everyone has fun,” said Lake Placid Horse Show Chairman Richard M. Feldman. “We have a family party in Lake Placid and we call it ‘Everyday’ because everyday is a family party at the Lake Placid Horse Shows.”

In the horse shows’ two major competitions, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ and Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, FL emerged as champions. Chapot, the daughter of Olympians Mary and Frank Chapot, won the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid for the Whitney Perpetual Challenge Trophy. Chapot was one of only five from the starting field of 38 to qualify for the tie-breaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 17-jump, first-round course.

Chapot blazed over the Steve Stephens-designed course, finishing clean in 36.030 seconds on her 10-year-old Dutch-bred, Little Big Man. Sydney Olympic veteran Margie Engle, of Wellington, FL finished in second place with a clean round in 36.846 seconds, and Callan Solem of Colt’s Neck, NJ took third place by finishing clean in 37.070 seconds on Allison.

The following weekend, Minikus rode Gardenio to victory in the $50,000 Hermès I Love New York Grandprix. He moved into the lead with a clean round in 36.004 seconds, setting a tough mark for Margie Engle who was riding two horses with a shot at a fourth consecutive win of the Grand Prix. Minikus held on winning by more than 3 seconds, giving the 2001 U.S. Equestrian Rider of the Year his first Hermès I Love New York Grandprix win.

Engle finished second on Hidden Creek’s Perin and third on Hidden Creek’s Jones. She was awarded the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy as the rider with the most total prize money in the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid and the $50,000 Hermès I Love New York Grandprix.

The two horse shows also featured many other exciting classes. The Adirondack Store 1.35m Time First Jump-off was won by Engle aboard Naren. Ramiro Quintana of Argentina edged Engle by two-tenths of a second to win the Hilton Lake Placid Resort Speed Challenge on the opening day of the 35th annual Lake Placid Horse Show.

Francie Steinwedell-Carvin of Glendale, CA rode Online to victory in the Whiteface Mountain Open Jump-off. Steinwedell-Carvin, the 1999 U.S. Equestrian Team Show Jumping Champion, sailed over the jump-off course fault-free and her time of 33.646 seconds gave her the win.

Callan Solem rode Warsaw to victory in the Holiday Inn Lake Placid Resort North American League (NAL) Open Speed Stake. The Hilton Lake Placid Resort 1.35 m Time First Jump-off was won by Jimmy Torano, a consistent force on the grand prix circuit, aboard Edesa’s Caruso. Laura Chapot, on Little Big Man, gave a preview of her Grandprix win by winning the Turtle Lane Farm Open Jumper Stake.

Ariat Kids’ Day took place on Friday, July 2. This event was an educational and fun way for children to learn about horses and see their favorite riders compete. The day featured a variety of activities including sessions with horse show vet Dr. John Lowe, Wayne Rasmussen of the Country Saddler, an Ariat fashion show and autographs with Olympic stars Margie Engle and Joe Fargis.

Kate Levy of South Salem, NY got Saturday, July 3, started when she rode Sampson to victory in the Charlotte Bobcats Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Engle rode Nobility to victory in the Golden Arrow 1.45m Open Jump-off. Other big winners that day were Jane Silfen riding Mancuso to win The Phelps School NAL Adult Amateur Classic and Savanna Cummin riding After Midnight to win the Sidelines NAL Children’s Jumper Classic. Cummin also placed third on her horse Athena. In second place was Erica Garcia aboard Nifty. Rounding out the day was Julie Welles who prevailed in The Adirondack Life Low Junior Jumper Classic aboard Lapeti.

Sunday the fourth of July concluded the Lake Placid Horse Show and set the stage for the I Love New York Horse Show. Leading up to the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid was the $10,000 Mirror Lake Inn Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, where Jessica Siuda rode Jasmine to victory, topping a field of 30 horses by turning in two penalty-free rounds and the fastest jump-off time of 34.418 seconds. Paige Johnson placed second on Landria W in addition to placing fourth on Reddy Teddy and sixth on Kadena R in the Mirror Lake Inn Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic which is a member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. Another member event of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series was the Shamrock Ventures LLC Junior Jumper Classic that was won by Charlie Jayne on Kinda Blue. Jayne topped a field of 26 entries with two clean rides and a jump-off time of 41.319 seconds.

Darren Graziano of Wellington, FL rode Kinetic to victory by two tenths of a second in the WPTZ News Channel 5 Jump-off to open the 27th annual I Love New York Horse Show. Also setting the stage for a successful week of competitions was Mark Leone, a 23-year veteran of the grand prix circuit, who rode Galinska de Rouet to victory in the Trelawny Farm Open Jumper Stake.

Callan Solem, who finished third in the previous week’s $50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid, rode Warsaw to win the Wild Horse Winery NAL Open Speed Stake. Finishing in 52.350 seconds, Solem saw her time beaten by Engle who finished in 52.350 seconds; however, her mount lowered a rail at the fourth-to-last fence adding four penalty seconds to their time. Just after the excitement of the Wild Horse Winery NAL Open Speed Stakes class was the Pin Oak Farm Open Jumper Stake. This class was won by Kate Levy aboard Lydia and concluded the day’s festivities in the Richard Feldman Grand Prix Ring.

Laura Chapot once again rode to the lead just in front of Margie Engle, this time riding a horse named Three Coins, to win the Price Chopper Speed Challenge. Later that day, Ramiro Quintana rode LaBelle to victory in the Nicola’s Family Restaurants Open Jump-off; he defeated both Callan Solem and Margie Engle who placed second and third respectively.

Saturday, July 10 brought an action packed day. Starting the day was Blythe Marano’s success in the Shamrock Ventures LLC High Junior Jumper Classic aboard River. That was followed by the Charlotte Bobcats $10,000 Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Both classics are Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series events; Katrina Woods riding Susdal won the latter.

There was a mid-day break in the competition to feature the Doggie Costume Contest, where dogs of all breeds showed off many outlandish and innovative costume designs. The contest was won by Heather and Charlie Hooker’s dog dressed as “Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz and by the Jacobs’ family dog dressed as the rock star, Pink.

Finishing out the day was the only Equitation class held in the Grand Prix Ring, the Kathy Scholl Equitation championship. This was won by Blythe Marano on Moon Dance.

Closing the two weeks of successful competition in Lake Placid was the Muirfield Insurance, Inc. Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic won by Jill Gumberg on Challenger 16. Earlier that day Erica Garcia aboard Nifty won the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic. The Levy Family Low Junior Jumper Classic was won by Emilie Sandle on Rubis du Laubry and Joan Jacobs of East Aurora, NY rode Nero Van Het to victory in the Lake Placid Lodge WIHS Adult Jumper Classic.

Lake Placid village merchants got into the spirit of the horse shows too, demonstrating their “horse sense” and artistic flair in the 17th Annual Equestrian Window Decorating Contest. First place in the contest was awarded to The Market, second went to The Bear Haus and third to Reflections Antiques all located on Main Street. The equestrian-themed window displays were popular with horse show participants, spectators, and shoppers as local businesses welcomed members of the horse show community to town.

The 2004 Lake Placid Horse Show and I Love New York Horse Show sponsors included A& M Beverages, Adirondack Life, Adirondack Store, American Grandprix Association, Anonymous, Ariat International, Inc., Barbara & Michael Bitterman, Brandy Parfums, Ltd., The Brown Dog Café and Wine Bar, Budweiser, The Charlotte Bobcats, Jane Forbes Clark, C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., The Cottage Café, The Country Saddler, Ltd., David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Der Dau Custom Boots and Shoes, Fox Run, Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel, Hermès, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, The Hooker Family, Horse Watch, James Leslie Parker Photography, Juliam Farm, Lake Placid Lodge, Lake Placid Resort Hotel & Golf Club, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, The Levy Family, Lonesome Landing Garden Center, McDonald’s, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Mountain Horse, Mr. Mike’s Pizza & Pasta, Muirfield Insurance, Inc., Nicola’s Over Main, North Elba Park District, On a Fence Designs & Rentals, ORDA/Whiteface Mountain, The Pepsi Bottling Group, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Pin Oak Farm, Practical Horseman, Price Chopper, Red-Kap Sales, Ruthie’s Run, Sidelines, Shamrock Ventures LLC, SLVR by Aerogear, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, The Tytel Family, Unusual Silver, U.S. Olympic Spirit Store, Wild Horse Wines, Woodlea Farms and WPTZ News Channel 5.

For further information on the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows, please call the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at (518) 523-9625 or visit www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.

.