June 14, 2005 – East Dorset, Vermont – The Vermont Summer Festival is proud to host a qualifying competition for the prestigious International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Children’s Jumping Final.
Open to show jumping athletes aged 12-14, the FEI Children’s Final sees riders from all across the globe competing in this unique annual event. The competition was created to promote and encourage talented young riders by giving them the opportunity to experience international competition with support from the FEI. For the second year in a row, the FEI Children’s Final will be held in the United States at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley, California, from November 22 to 27, 2005.

The Vermont Summer Festival will host the FEI Children’s Final Qualifier during its fifth week of competition, the Vermont Summer Celebration running August 10-14. The Qualifier, consisting of four rounds, will take place on August 10 and 11. Riders will compete over four courses set at a maximum height of 1.20m and maximum width of 1.30m. The courses are pre-determined and published by the FEI, and are built to the exact specifications of the course plan, meaning that competitors around the world all jump the exact same course.

The FEI tabulates results from all qualifying competitions and extends invitations to the FEI Children’s Final accordingly. Each country is represented by a maximum of two riders with the exception of the host country, who is entitled to have a number of competitors equal to the number of foreign entries. While American riders will have the luxury of competing on their own horses, foreign riders compete on borrowed horses supplied by the host country.

“We are extremely pleased to be selected to host a qualifying event for the FEI Children’s Final,” said John D. Ammerman, Manager of the Vermont Summer Festival as well as a licensed FEI ‘O’ official who had the distinction of being President of the Ground Jury for the 2001 FEI Children’s Final in Wellington, FL. “This competition is an excellent means of developing skill and camaraderie among the next generation of show jumping competitors, and exposes riders to international competition early in their careers.”

The Vermont Summer Festival runs July 13 to August 14, 2005, at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, Vermont. New England’s largest ‘AA’ rated hunter-jumper horse show, each week of competition at the Vermont Summer Festival features a $30,000 Sunday Grand Prix as well as a $10,000 Friday Mini Prix. New for 2005, the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix will be held Sunday, August 14, as the grand finale to the five-week Vermont Summer Festival.

For more information on the Vermont Summer Festival, please visit www.vt-summerfestival.com or call (802) 496-9667.