Sylvia de Toledo and Spock captured their second win in the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal during the fifth week of the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT . Photo by David Mullinix Photography

August 7, 2010 – East Dorset, Vermont – Sylvia de Toledo of New York, NY, has spent a lot of time in the winner’s circle at the Vermont Summer Festival, running July 7 to August 15 in East Dorset, VT.

In three weeks, de Toledo has amassed an impressive record with her equitation mount, Spock, placing in the ribbons in every class they have entered while her jumper, Tabella, has followed suit. de Toledo has won the USEF/Pessoa Medal class twice, won the Junior/Amateur Owner Low Jumper Classic, placed second in the ASPCA Horsemanship class, and placed second, fourth and sixth in the WIHS Equitation Overall, winning the WIHS Hunter Phase on two occasions. In addition, she shared riding duties with Charlotte Jacobs as they piloted Bring It On to the Large Junior Hunter 15 and Under Championship title.

“I’ve had a really good show here,” said de Toledo. “I won the USEF/Pessoa Medal last week and this week and was second in the WIHS with Spock, and my mare was great in the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner jumpers.”

Speaking of her young jumper, de Toledo smiled as she said, “Tabella just turned six and we just moved her up and she has been really good. I won the Classic and a class yesterday. I just love her; she is so special.”

Meanwhile, Spock, an eight-year-old gelding by Quick Star, has become a superlative equitation horse, having competed in the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals for the past two years. In addition to his equitation duties, Spock has successfully competed in both the hunter and jumper divisions.

The 15-year-old de Toledo has been riding with Jimmy Toon of JT Stables in South Salem, NY, for the past year with great success. She is currently standing third in the points ranking for the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals behind Chase Boggio and Amber Henter.

“She has had a really great season,” said de Toledo’s mother. “What I love about Jimmy (Toon) is that he is not afraid to let her learn with a young horse. They go in the ring and make their mistakes, but she is learning, they both are learning. Any success she has with the mare is her own.”

de Toledo added, “I’ve been riding since I was in fifth grade. Juggling school and the horses is tough, but I've learned how to balance everything, and it is all coming together. It’s what I want to do, so you make some changes in your life to get what you want.”

The winner of the $2,500 NAL/WIHS Adult Jumper Classic came as no surprise. NAL and WIHS League Finals veteran Alissa Kinsey of Fort Meyers, FL, and her horse, Grisset, meant business when they posted the blazing fast double-clear effort to win the $2,500 NAL/WIHS Adult Jumper Classic.

In the $1,500 NAL/WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic, Santa’s Rocket gave owner and rider Avery Marks a special present with their victory.

These wins qualify the horse and rider combinations for inclusion in the $15,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Child/Adult Jumper Classic on August 15, the final day of the six-week Vermont Summer Festival. To be eligible to compete in the $15,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Child/Adult Jumper Classic, horses and riders must have posted a clear round in any of the previous Children’s Adult Jumper Classics.

The fifth of six weeks of competition at the Vermont Summer Festival concludes on Sunday, August 8, with the $30,000 Manchester and the Mountains Grand Prix, Presented by Hand Motors, 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 .