Louis Jacobs of East Aurora, NY, and Kachina won the $10,000 The Vermont Bird Place Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, on Friday, July 16, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Photo by David Mullinix Photography
John Williams, Owner of The Vermont Bird Place & Sky Watch, congratulates Louis Jacobs riding Kachina on his win. Photo by David Mullinix Photography

July 16, 2010 – East Dorset, Vermont – Louis Jacobs of East Aurora, NY, won the $10,000 Vermont Bird Place Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, on Friday, July 16, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT.

A starting field of 28 horses attempted the track set by 2009 World Cup Final course designer, Anthony D’Ambrosio with six successfully advancing to the jump-off. The first three riders back, Hillary Dobbs aboard Marengo, Sloan Coles riding Annie 66, and Devin Ryan aboard No Worries, all had four faults before Sophie Coppedge and the flashy chestnut gelding, Whiskey, delivered a clear round in a time of 30.74 seconds.

Her lead was short-lived, however, as the next rider into the ring, Louis Jacobs, guided Kachina around the shortened jump-off track in a time of 29.09 seconds to move to the top of the leaderboard. Hillary Dobbs of Sussex, NJ, is no stranger to the winner’s circle at the Vermont Summer Festival, but her time of 29.94 seconds riding Marlo was not fast enough to catch Jacobs. For his victory, Jacobs received $3,000 in prize money as well as a $1,000 gift card from title sponsor, The Vermont Bird Place & Sky Watch.

“She is a wonderful horse,” praised Jacobs who is also a repeat winner in Vermont, having won the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix in 2008, also riding Kachina. “I don’t do a lot of riding and when I do, I like to ride something with a lot of jump, and that’s her! She’s a very competitive horse, but I am very much an amateur rider.”

Jacobs purchased the chestnut mare as a six-year-old, and Kachina is now 13. Jacobs describes the huge mare, standing at 18hh, as “the barn pet. She’s the boss of the barn – she screams when a horse leaves, and she screams when a horse comes in. She’s a real busy body, but a fun personality.”

Before coming to the Vermont Summer Festival, the pair won two amateur competitions at the Lake Placid Horse Show.

“She’s in good form and was ready to move back into the open jumpers,” said Jacobs. “This was her first time competing in the open jumpers since Florida.”

Jacobs was not the only family member to enjoy winning at the Vermont Summer Festival on Friday. His wife, Joan, won the High Adult Amateur Jumper competition riding Nigels and also took second place with Boyke 2 while his daughter, Charlotte, 15, won the High Junior/Amateur-Owner competition for the second day in a row with Promised Land, the former grand prix mount of Christine McCrea.

Competing at the Vermont Summer Festival is an activity that the Jacobs family looks forward to each year.

“I have teenage kids, and when we come here, there is a lot to do,” said Jacobs, noting that his son, Louis, 17, who does not compete, enjoys activities such as swimming at the quarry. “It is very much a summer destination, and we treat it as a family vacation.”

The second of six weeks of competition at the Vermont Summer Festival concludes on Sunday, July 18, with the $30,000 Vermont Summer Festival Grand Prix, Presented by The Equinox Resort, beginning at 1 p.m. Located at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children Wednesday through Saturday. On Grand Prix Sunday, admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children. All gate proceeds benefit Manchester Elementary-Middle School (MEMS).

Running July 7 through August 15, 2010, the Vermont Summer Festival offers more than $750,000 in prize money, making it the richest sporting event based on purse in the state. The six-week Vermont Summer Festival culminates with the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Sunday, August 15. 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.

Rider/Horse/Faults/Time
1. Louis Jacobs Kachina 0:0 29.09
2. Hillary Dobbs Marlo 0:0 29.94
3. Sophie Coppedge Whiskey 0:0 30.74
4. Hillary Dobbs Marengo 0:4 27.91
5. Sloan Coles Annie 66 0:4 28.34
6. Devin Ryan No Worries 0:4 29.72
7. Geoffrey Case Veneziano-C 4
8. Jimmy Torano Winsom 4