July 27, 2006 – East Dorset, Vermont – Katie McDaniel gambled and won, riding Casino to victory in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search held Thursday, July 27, during Week 3 of the five-week Vermont Summer Festival running July 12 to August 13 in East Dorset, Vermont.

A total of 37 competitors contested the first phase of the competition, which was a show jumping phase. While most of the other riders took nine strides to the final fence, McDaniel chose to pick up the pace, hand galloping to the last fence in eight strides. As a result, she was ranked in top position when the best 20 competitors were called back for the second phase of 'testing', the flat phase.

"I thought our jumping phase was pretty good," said McDaniel, who hails from Campobello, SC, and turned 18 in April. "I did a nice flowing eight strides to the last fence in hand gallop. You didn't have to, but I chose to. I think that set the standard. Plus, the time allowed to complete the course was tight, so going faster and leaving out the stride helped."

When McDaniel returned for the flat phase, admittedly not her strongest, she was determined to hang on to her first place ranking. She was nervous about Georgia Lee Tryon, who is her best friend, who was called back in third place, because "she is a beautiful flat rider. I am okay, but not outstanding. My horse is perfect, but before I used to try too hard and be way too stiff. Now I have learned to loosen up my legs."

Loosening up seemed to be the key to success, and McDaniel maintained her first place ranking to take the victory.

"We flatted pretty well, the judge kept her eye on both me and Georgia Lee," said McDaniel whose friend finished runner-up. "I tried not to get too stiff, and my horse behaved perfectly. Casino has the best lengthening of stride in the canter, his extended canter is fantastic."

While some horse shows hold the flat phase before the jumping phase, McDaniel prefers when the jumping is held first, as has been the case at the Vermont Summer Festival.

"I like when they jump first, because if they flat first, I get called back lower in the order and don't have much of a chance to move up," she explains. "When we jump first, I like to try to put in a really good round, then hope that I maintain my position or that they only move me down a bit."

That theory has worked well for McDaniel at the Vermont Summer Festival, as she has now contested the USEF Talent Search for three consecutive weeks. The first week of competition, she was sixth following the jumping phase and moved down following the flat to finish seventh overall. During Week 2, she was seventh following the jumping phase and was then able to maintain her position. Of course, nothing is better than starting out on top and staying there, as McDaniel managed to do to capture Week 3's victory riding Casino.

McDaniel has only been partnered with Casino, a nine-year old Holsteiner gelding, since the second week of the Lake Placid Horse Show at the beginning of July. That's when she began leasing Katherine Von Holstein's light bay with two big white stocking on his hind legs, and a big white face.

"He's very slow and laid-back about everything," said McDaniel. "He's pretty cool, he is very personable. He is so collected and balanced and he has a really big step. He jumps fantastic and his ears are always forward! I've always had difficult horses, horses that run away or spook or stop, but he is so easy. I love him!"

McDaniel will continue to lease Casino through the indoor fall show circuit where she is qualified to contest the USEF Medal, the USET Talent Search, the Washington International Horse Show Medal, and the Maclay Medal Final. She is particularly excited about riding in the Maclay Final as, although she has qualified for the past five years in a row, it will only be her second time competing. "The first year my trainer said I was too young, the next year I didn't have a horse, and the third year I broke my jaw. So last year was the first year I got to go, and I was respectable, placing in the top 30."

Although she is excited to show in the Maclay Final to be held at the Syracuse International in November, October's Washington International Horse Show is McDaniel's favourite. "I have competed there the last four or five years, and I have won ribbons every time."

McDaniel trains with Bobby Braswell and Christina Schlusemeyer of Quiet Hill Farm based in Ocala, FL. Having trained with them intermittently in the past, McDaniel has now been with them steady for the past nine months and says, "I love the Quiet Hill program."

Having been home schooled since eighth grade, McDaniel graduated in May, saying "the only way I was allowed to go to show at Devon was if I graduated before then. "She will now take a semester off before going to Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA, where she plans to major in Equine Studies. She then plans to become a professional rider and trainer, a career move that fits in with her family; her stepfather is a farrier and her mother is a riding instructor. Not surprisingly, McDaniel has been riding since before she could walk.

Week 3 marks the last that McDaniel will be showing at the Vermont Summer Festival as she will be competing at the North American Young Riders' Championship in Lexington, VA, from August 2-6. However, McDaniel has greatly enjoyed her first trip to the Vermont Summer Festival.

"I love it! I wish I had been allowed to come up here before!" she exclaims. "The town of Manchester is so cute, and I love all the shopping outlets."

Featuring more than $650,000 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, including full results, please visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.