July 12, 2006 – East Dorset, Vermont – The 2006 Vermont Summer Festival opened today to relentless rain but plucky exhibitors participated in five rings of competition on the first day of Week 1, the 'Manchester Summer Festival', at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, Vermont.

Despite the heavy downpour, Jimmy Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, claimed back-to-back wins in the Grand Prix ring Wednesday afternoon. He won the Open Jumper Level 6 aboard Sir Neel and came back in the next class to claim victory with Ralvesther in the featured event, the $2,500 Open Jumper, a New England Horseman’s Council (NEHC) Rated AA class. Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, New York, designed the Grand Prix ring courses.

The heavy rain had evolved to a downright deluge by the time Torano and Ralvesther jumped their winning round. “It was raining pretty hard,” Torano acknowledged. “I actually scratched my other two horses because of the weather, but this mare has been really solid and I wanted to get her in the ring once before the Mini Prix and the Grand Prix on Sunday. She jumped really well.” The eight-year-old bay Dutch mare owned by the Carr Family is a relatively new ride for Torano. “She jumped her first Grand Prix in April at Littlewood and she won that,” Torano said, recalling the $40,000 Zada Enterprises Grand Prix at the Littlewood Spring Finale in Wellington, Florida. “I think she’s a really good mare.”

Course designer D’Ambrosio set a 10-jump course that included a double at Fences 7 and 10, with a seven-obstacle jump-off round for the Level 6 class, and let that stand for the Open Jumper class as well. Horse and rider combinations jumped round one, and those that were clean immediately jumped the shorten course. Between the two classes, Torano actually jumped the same course four times today.

In the Level 6 class, Torano finished first, second, and third, topping a field of 23 horses. Ten horses cleared the first round, and seven of those then managed to go clean in the jump-off, but it was Torano and three horses he owns with his wife, Danielle, that claimed the top three slots. Torano aboard Sir Neel won with a jump-off time of 36.743 seconds. Torano placed second aboard Oselli, clocking in clean at 37.264 seconds. Torano claimed the third place slot with Edesa’s Caruso with a clear round in 37.568 seconds.

In the Open Jumper class that wrapped up the Grand Prix action as the day’s finale class, only two horses managed to clear round one. Robert Kraut riding Providence was first to go, setting the jump-off time to beat at 37.334 seconds. Kraut’s lead was short-lived, and he had to settle for second place when Torano and Ralvesther aced the course in 36.842 seconds. “Luckily with the weather, they just kept the same course that we had jumped earlier in the previous class so I knew my way around,” Torano explained. “From one to two you could leave out a stride, which I did, and then there were a couple inside turns. I really trust that mare so I took the inside turns and she was fast.”

With 153 rounds ridden in five different classes in the Grand Prix ring today, Dorothy Ammerman, Executive Director of the show, noted that, for the first time in the 13-year history of the Vermont Summer Festival, competition in the main ring continued long after the hunter rings finished. New competitors in Vermont this year include riders from California, Texas, and Canada. Management has added 240 more stalls to accommodate the increased entries for the show’s 2006 season.

Two Hunter Champions Named on Opening Day of Vermont Summer Festival
In a new class at the Vermont Summer Festival, Mary LeBlanc of Cotuit, Massachusetts, riding Serendipity won the New England Novice Adult Hunter Championship. LeBlanc placed first and fourth in the two over fences classes and won the under saddle class. LeBlanc trains with Patricia Harnois. LeBlanc was thrilled to receive a $300 gift certificate from Der Dau as part of her championship reward. The Reserve Champion was Kristin McCuin aboard Gettysburg.

Alice Howland of Lincoln, Massachusetts, riding Tolerant won the New England Restricted Children’s Hunter Championship. Howland placed second and first in the two over fences classes and then earned second place in the under saddle class to claim the championship. Howland trains with Joyce Mersereau. The Reserve Champion was Lisa Chantler riding Nemo.

Featuring more than $600,000 in prize money, the Vermont Summer Festival includes a $10,000 Mini Prix each Friday, and, for the first four weeks of competition, a $30,000 Sunday Grand Prix. The 2006 Vermont Summer Festival closes with the grand finale, the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Sunday, August 13. The Vermont Summer Festival is also a proud member event of the Show Jumping Hall Of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL). Enhancements to the show grounds this year include beautiful new landscaping at every ring and wireless Internet access throughout the 40-acre show grounds.

For more information on the 2006 Vermont Summer Festival, or to download or request a prize list, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.