Judy Garofalo Torres and Oliver won the $10,000 Giorgio Armani Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, at the 2010 Vermont Summer Festival. Photo by David Mullinix Photography

June 3, 2011 – East Dorset, Vermont – Manchester Designer Outlets and the retail brands it represents will once again be a major sponsor during the six-week Vermont Summer Festival horse show taking place July 6 to August 14, 2011, in East Dorset, VT.

Each Friday of the Vermont Summer Festival, Manchester Designer Outlets will present the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake. The winner will take home their share of the prize money as well as a prize from the sponsoring brand. The sponsorship agreement with Manchester Designer Outlets, now in its sixth year, marks the largest and broadest local sponsorship in the history of the Vermont Summer Festival.

“It’s no secret that the Manchester area boasts terrific shopping opportunities, led by the brands of Manchester Designer Outlets,” said Ruth Lacey, Marketing Director of the Vermont Summer Festival. “This year, beyond Manchester Designer Outlets generous sponsorship, various stores will be hosting /Jump To It Parties /with light refreshments and giveaways on three evenings during the show to welcome our exhibitors to the area.”

A generous sponsor of the Vermont Summer Festival since 2006, Manchester Designer Outlets represents many well-known designer brands. Together with a different label each week, Manchester Designer Outlets will sponsor the weekly $10,000 Open Welcome Stake every Friday as follows:

   Week 1 (Friday, July 8): The Vermont Bird Place & Sky Watch

   Week 2 (Friday, July 15): Five Seasons / Lilly Pulitzer

   Week 3 (Friday, July 22): Betsey Johnson

   Week 4 (Friday, July 29): Giorgio Armani

   Week 5 (Friday, August 5): Kenneth Cole

   Week 6 (Friday, August 12): Polo Ralph Lauren

“The Vermont Summer Festival offers top-notch equestrian competition and Manchester Designer Outlets offers world-class shopping,” said Ben Hauben, President of Manchester Designer Outlets. “This partnership adds yet another exciting event to the long list of cultural and leisure activities that help make Manchester a vibrant summer destination year after year.”

Manchester Designer Outlets offer designer label fashions for both men and women with savings of up to 70%. In addition to offering some of the newest fashion trends, there are also unbeatable deals on luxury home furnishings, gifts and stylish accessories. The combination of culture and style makes for an enjoyable and relaxing shopping experience for those who visit.

Recognized as New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show, the Vermont Summer Festival is the richest sporting event based on purse in the state, offering more than $750,000 in prize money. The first five Sundays of the Vermont Summer Festival feature a $30,000 Grand Prix, culminating with the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Sunday, August 14. In addition to the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, held each Friday, the weekly $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Classics are hotly contested. New for 2011, the Vermont Summer Festival will host a $5,000 Hunter Derby five of the six weeks.

Rewarding those exhibitors who consistently enjoy success while making Manchester their ‘home away from home’ each summer, the Vermont Summer Festival will once again offer the $10,000 Open Jumper High Score Award, sponsored by Sir Ruly, Inc. In recognition of the large number of Canadian competitors that visit Vermont each year, there is the $10,000 Canadian Circuit Championship. Both awards are based on points earned throughout the six-week Vermont Summer Festival. Additional sponsors including Purina Feeds, Johnson Horse Transportation, Devoucoux, The Equinox Resort, Parlanti and Hand Motors help make the Vermont Summer Festival a memorable experience.

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.