July 19, 2006 – East Dorset, Vermont – The 'Manchester Classic Horse Show' opened on Wednesday, kicking off Week 2 (July 19-23) of the five-week Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, Vermont. Dick Carvin, based out of Meadow Grove Farm in Lakeview Terrace, California, rode Hazel for owner Priscilla Tampkin and her China Blue Farm to victory in the featured class in the Grand Prix ring, the $2,500 Open Jumper. This week’s course designer is Michel Vaillancourt of Canada, Individual Silver Medalist at the 1976 Olympic Games.

As the only duo to post a double-clear performance, Carvin and Hazel, a 13-year-old Dutch mare, topped the field. Wednesday’s class marked the first time Carvin has ever competed at the Vermont Summer Festival and Hazel was making her debut in the Open Jumpers.

Carvin and the talented mare have been partnered for four months and he was thrilled with her performance. “I’ve had a lot of mares with heart but she’s the first mare that I get to ride!” Carvin beamed. Of the 13 horses stabled with Carvin in Vermont, he is showing two while his client’s children are showing the others. “A lot of the mares that we have at our barn that are just the best are owned by the kids, and it’s just so nice to have those mares, but now I actually get to have one of those good-hearted mares!” Carvin laughed. “She’s really great.”

For Wednesday’s Open Jumper competition, course designer Vaillancourt set a first round track of 11 fences, including two doubles. Horse and rider combinations that were clear over the first round remained in the ring to jump the shortened jump-off course. Carvin and Hazel were the second duo on the roster and set the pace with a double-clear performance and a jump-off time of 31.498 seconds. John Brennan riding San Remo for owner North Run and Missy Clark went next and beat Carvin’s time, but had a rail down for four faults in 31.417 seconds and had to settle for second place.

The remaining field chased Carvin and Hazel, but only two other riders made it to the jump-off. Evan Coluccio riding Champigny for owner Alex Carl went off course and ended up fourth. Jimmy Torano, who had three horses in the class, qualified Sir Neel, a horse he owns with wife Danielle Torano, for the jump-off but had a refusal and time faults to finish third.

Carvin gave all the credit to his jump-off success to Hazel. “She’s a really fast horse. If there are inside options, you take them. You give her the jump and stay out of her way,” he said. “She just focuses in and she measures the jump. She’s very careful. If I can be at the angle and just give my rein to her, she just takes care of it. She’s really good.”

Carvin had originally entered Hazel in the Level 6 class, but Torano had urged him to move her up to the Open Jumper. “Jimmy Torano said this is a great place to move up because they all jump well here,” Carvin explained. “The courses are really welcoming.”

Prior to the Open Jumper win, Carvin also moved his other mount, Corsica, a young gelding that he owns, up from Level 5 to Level 6 and finished third. Robert Ross riding Argensohn for owner Joe Zada/Romance Farm won the Level 6, while Torano aboard Edesa’s Caruso for owner Pirtle/Caruso Group placed second.

“The Open Jumper was a big jump up for the mare,” Carvin noted. “And, I have to say, some of the oxers were a little bigger than I probably jumped her before, but she feels strong and she feels good. She has a lot of ‘want’ and she got to have it!”

Over the past four years, Carvin has developed a summer East Coast tour with some of his clients. While his wife and long-time business partner Francie Steinwedell-Carvin is currently competing in Europe with a string of her own horses, Carvin has a new business partner, Susie Schroer and an assistant Nina Herrara, who travel with him and fly back and forth to Meadow Grove Farm in California. His clients, Jim and Debbie Burrows, and their rider daughter, Paris Sellon, have a farm in Millbrook, New York, and initiated the summer tour, which has included Spruce Meadows, Lake Placid, HITS Saugerties, and the Hampton Classic.

Carvin started showing Hazel at Spruce Meadows in the 1.30 meter division, and has been steadily moving her up. They earned ribbons in every 1.35 meter class at Spruce Meadows and, during the second week of Lake Placid, again earned ribbons in the 1.35 meter and 1.40 meter speed.

With a win under their belt, Carvin is now considering moving Hazel up to the Grand Prix, and will determine later this week if she will compete in the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix on Sunday, July 23. “I just want her to be fit,” he noted. “The whole trip was to build her up and I don’t know if it’s the right time yet. She was sure good in this class. She sure tries!”

Carvin decided to add Vermont to his east coast tour this year because he has a new Canadian client, the Chad family of Stone Ridge Farm based in Calgary, Alberta, that have two daughters, Kara and Bretton, who ride and brought 11 horses to Vermont.

“I have to say, I really love it here,” Carvin enthused. “For the clients, the hotels, the food – they love all that. It has a great feel here with the mountains around. We really love it.” Carvin and his clients will compete Weeks 2 and 3 in Vermont and then head for the North American Young Riders' Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

Competition Highlights – Two Hunter Champions Crowned
Two new hunter championships have been introduced at the 2006 Vermont Summer. Lindsay Hendrickson riding Coach won the New England Restricted Children’s Hunter, which requires ponies to jump two-foot fences and horse to jump 2’ 6” fences. Hendrickson placed first and fourth in the over fences classes and was first in the under saddle class. For her performance, Hendrickson received a $50 gift certificate for the Manchester Designer Outlets.

For the second consecutive week Mary LeBlanc riding Serendipity won the New England Novice Adult Hunter Championship, which requires horse to jump 2’ 6” fences. It was a clean sweep for LeBlanc – she won both the over fences classes and the under saddle class. For her achievement, LeBlanc again received a $300 gift certificate from custom bootmaker, Der Dau.

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).

For more information about the 2006 Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com. For full show results, visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.