June 28, 2013 – East Dorset, Vermont – Competitors at this year’s Vermont Summer Festival will once again be rewarded for their consistency with the return of the Sir Ruly, Inc. Open Jumper Awards.  A total of $10,000 in bonus money is on offer to riders competing in the Open Jumper division at the Vermont Summer Festival running July 2 through August 11 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

Now in its seventh year, the Sir Ruly, Inc. Open Jumper Awards offer $10,000 in cash bonuses to the top three riders in the Open Jumper division based on points earned throughout the course of the Vermont Summer Festival.  At the end of the six-week circuit, the top rider in the standings will receive $5,000 while the second and third placed competitors will ride away with $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.

Riders earn points toward the awards by placing in the top eight of the 1.40m Open Jumper and the Open Jumper Welcome Stake classes throughout the six-week circuit.  In the Saturday grand prix events, points are awarded to the top 12 finishers.

The $10,000 Open Jumper Awards, presented by Sir Ruly, Inc., now serves as a legacy and reminder of Raul ‘Ruly’ Torano’s generosity and commitment to show jumping excellence, both at the Vermont Summer Festival and to the sport as a whole.  Torano lost his battle with cancer in 2010, but his contribution to the sport he loved remains.  His wife, Maria Teresa Torano, has continued the award in his honor, providing a platform to recognize riders’ efforts in the sport.

“All of us at the Vermont Summer Festival have such warm memories of Ruly Torano’s fierce enthusiasm for show jumping and especially remember how much he loved seeing his family compete,” said Ruth Lacey, Marketing Director for the Vermont Summer Festival.  “The Sir Ruly Open Jumper Awards are not only an incentive for the top open jumpers of the circuit, but also serve as an opportunity for all of us associated with the horse show to remember this giant of a man.”

Ruly Torano’s nephew, United States Equestrian Team veteran Jimmy Torano, has been competing at the grand prix level for more than two decades.  The Vermont Summer Festival is a regular stop on his competition calendar, and 2013 will be no exception.  Having previously claimed the top prize in the Sir Ruly, Inc. Open Jumper Awards in 2007 and 2008, Jimmy Torano will once again attempt to claim a portion of the bonus money at this year’s Vermont Summer Festival.

“My uncle first started coming to the Vermont Summer Festival to watch us compete,” said Jimmy Torano.  “He liked it so much that he decided to build a house here and got involved with buying horses.”

In homage to the Vermont area where he kept his summer home, Ruly Torano even named one of his horses Ormsby Hill.  It was another horse he owned, Lancier IV, that Jimmy rode at the 1999 and 2000 World Cup Finals and in the 2000 Nations’ Cup in Aachen, Germany.

Based in Ft. Lauderdale, Jimmy Torano and his wife, fellow grand prix competitor Danielle Torano, typically bring 30 horses to the Vermont Summer Festival each summer.  This year, there will be some smaller mounts on the horse trailer for their children.  Natalia, age six, will be showing in the short stirrup division while Jimmy Jr., who turned three in June, will be delighting the crowds in the lead line competition.

The first five Saturdays of the Vermont Summer Festival will feature a $30,000 Grand Prix.  The $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix will be held during the sixth and final week on Saturday, August 10.  The weekly $10,000 Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, will be held each Thursday.  The hugely popular $5,000 3’3” Hunter Derby will also be held each Thursday for the first five weeks, with week six featuring the $15,000 Hunter Derby.

For over 20 years, the Vermont Summer Festival has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region in southern Vermont.  Known for its wide variety of area amenities including a large range of lodging options, restaurants to suit every taste, outdoor activities, and lots and lots of shopping, Manchester-area businesses warmly welcome horse show competitors to the area each summer.

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.