September 8, 2006 – East Dorset, Vermont – The Vermont Summer Festival, New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show, will expand to six weeks in 2007.

Traditionally a five-week competition, the opportunity to add a sixth week to the summer show jumping series in 2007 was presented due to a date rotation anomaly in the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) competition calendar. Originally scheduled for July 18 to August 19, 2007, the Vermont Summer Festival will now begin on July 11 and feature six full weeks of hunter/jumper competition.

“The date rotation would have created a one-week gap between the end of the Lake Placid horse shows and the beginning of our series in Manchester, Vermont,” explained Dotty Ammerman, Executive Director of the Vermont Summer Festival. “We applied to the USEF and were granted this new week which will allow competitors to make a smooth transition from New York to Vermont, the same as always.”

Ruth Lacey, Vermont Summer Festival Marketing Executive, is pleased to report that the response to the extended date format has been extremely positive. “Show management has taken the time to talk to key staff members, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors, and community business owners, and we have found that the support for adding a sixth week has been overwhelming," she said.

Well-known for its wide variety of area amenities including a large range of lodging options, restaurants to suit every taste, and, of course, lots of shopping, the Manchester area happily welcomes horse show competitors for an additional week.

In 2007, the Vermont Summer Festival will offer $800,000 in prize money, making it the largest sporting event in the state of Vermont based on total purse. The Vermont Summer Festival is a proud member event of the Show Jumping Hall Of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL). For more information about the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.