August 11, 2005 – East Dorset, Vermont – Victoria Birdsall of Topsfield, MA, claimed the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Children’s Jumping Qualifier at the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show running July 13 to August 14 in East Dorset, VT.

For the first time, the Vermont Summer Festival hosted a Qualifying event for the prestigious FEI Children’s Jumping Final being held for the second year in a row in Simi Valley, CA, from November 22-27. Open to athletes’ aged 12-14, this annual event brings together the world’s best, and youngest, show jumping competitors for a week of camaraderie and international competition.

In her first year of eligibility, 12-year-old Victoria Birdsall topped the field at the Vermont Qualifier held August 10 and 11. Over four rounds of competition, all held over four different courses, Birdsall incurred just four faults. Her one knock-down came in the first round on Wednesday, but after making that one mistake, Birdsall and her horse, Maxim W, didn’t put a foot wrong.

“I rode a lot better than yesterday,” said Birdsall, who has been riding since the age of five and trains with Patricia Harnois of Holly Hill Farm. As for her equine partner, an 11-year-old chestnut Dutch Warmblood gelding, Birdsall says, “I have had Maxim for a year, and I love him so much. He is so funny, and he has the biggest personality. I love to play with him, and I know when we go into the show ring together, I can gallop around the course and he will take care of me.”

If her final score of four faults qualifies her for the FEI Children’s Final, Birdsall will happily pack her suitcase for California. In fact, Vermont Summer Festival sponsor, Tumi, generously donated a wheel-a-way deluxe garment bag for exactly that purpose.

Two riders incurred eight faults each so their times for completing the courses were used to break the tie. That tipped the scales in favor of Holly Cerasano of Stillwater, NY, who was riding her cute bay mare, Koko.

Placing third was 13-year-old Zazou Hoffman who attended last year’s FEI Children’s Jumping Final. A native of Santa Monica, CA, Hoffman was the recipient of the first-ever R.W. Mutch Working Student Scholarship and, as a result, spent two weeks over the winter in Florida training with Vermont-based coach, Missy Clark. She again hooked up with Clark, traveling from her home in Southern California to the Vermont Summer Festival, in the hopes of finding a horse that she could ride in the FEI Children’s Qualifier under Clark’s tutelage. That horse was Mad Hatter, a big white Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Tony Weight, that arrived in Clark’s barn a week earlier. Riding the new mount, Hoffman took the early lead by posting two clear rounds on Wednesday and returned to the ring on Thursday to have eight faults in the first round.

“I hope that the three top competitors here at the Vermont Summer Festival will qualify for the Final in California,” said FEI Olympic judge Francois Ferland of Canada who presided over the competition. “All three are good candidates and demonstrated strong riding skills. It will be their first opportunity to compete at an international event, and this is not only important as a competitor, but as a human being. They will make friendships that will last a lifetime.”

As the host country, the United States will field 16 entries, and an additional 16 athletes will qualify based on their results in events held around the world. While American riders will have the luxury of competing on their own horses, foreign riders will compete on borrowed horses supplied by the host country.

The 2005 Vermont Summer Festival features five weeks of exciting equestrian competition running July 13 to August 14 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT. In addition to being New England’s largest ‘AA’ rated hunter-jumper horse show, it is also the largest sporting event in the State of Vermont, awarding a total of $.6 million in prize money.

Each of the five weeks of competition features a $10,000 Friday Mini Prix while the first four weeks has featured a $30,000 Sunday Grand Prix. New for 2005, the Vermont Summer Festival culminates with the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Sunday, August 14. For more information on the Vermont Summer Festival, please visit www.vt-summerfestival.com or call (802) 362-7548.