August 12, 2006 – East Dorset, Vermont – Kelly Adams of Mystic, Connecticut, claimed the $2,500 NAL/WIHS Adult Amateur Jumper Classic during the final week of the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show running July 12 to August 13 in East Dorset, Vermont.

When 13 of the original starting field of 21 jumped clear to qualify for the jump-off, speed became the name of the game. As the third to last jump-off challenger, Adams knew what she had to do to claim the victory - jump clear and fast! With Primeur, a 19-year-old Hannoverian gelding formerly ridden by Canadian Olympian Mario Deslauriers, Adams accomplished her goal, leaving all of the rails in their place and stopping the clock at 33.73 seconds.

"Four others had already jumped clear in the jump-off and I still had two more coming after me, so I knew I had to put the pedal to the metal and try for the best," said Adams, 24, who has been competing in the Adult Amateur division for the past six years. "I liked the jump-off course for Primeur because there were a lot of places where I could let him gallop, which is where we can really make up the time. He can gallop, then come back to me and jump clean. And it is always fun to really let him dig in!"

Despite his age, Primeur is still young at heart, and Adams describes him as, "a very intense horse! He is very spirited, and a lot of fun to ride. He is also very smart and in-tune with his rider - if I just think about turning, he does it."

Adams has owned Primeur for the past four years and, in 2004, competed in the North American League (NAL) Final held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is a goal she hopes to meet again this year. In addition, the pair won the $25,000 Marshall and Sterling Adult/Child Classic at HITS Ocala, Florida, in 2005.

Adams manages Essex Equine, a veterinarian clinic in Bolton, Massachusetts, and has trained with Devon Bessette at Stone House Farm in Scituate, Rhode Island, for the past eight years. One competition that is always on her schedule is the Vermont Summer Festival, and this year Adams competed during Weeks 3, 4 and 5.

"We have been coming to Vermont for many, many years," said Adams. "It is one of our favorite shows. We love the atmosphere, and it is always a place nice for the horses to come."

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.

The North American League (NAL) runs season-long series in six hunter-jumper divisions – Children’s Hunter, Children’s Jumper, Adult Hunter, Adult Jumper, Pony Jumper and Open Jumper Speed. Each series culminates with a championship final at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in October. For more information, a list of qualifying competitions and results, please see the Ryegate Show Services website at www.Ryegate.com.

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Rider Horse Faults Time
1. Kelly Adams Primeur 0:0 33.73
2. Danielle Dill Callaway 0:0 35.26
3. Arwen Nanson Power Play 0:0 36.73
4. Carol Traver I Love Lucy 0:0 37.79
5. Kris Hoffman Kennedy Quest d'Or 0:0 38.79
6. Cindy McGrath Principaal 0:4 36.32
7. Danielle Strauch Randal 0:4 36.44
8. Kevin Foster Clifford the Big Red 0:4 38.13