Kirk Webby of New Zealand guided Sitah to victory in the $30,000 Mount Equinox Grand Prix, Presented by Hand Motors, on Sunday, July 26, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Photo Credit - David Mullinix Photography

July 27, 2009 – East Dorset, Vermont – Week four of the Vermont Summer Festival concluded with Kirk Webby of New Zealand winning the $30,000 Mount Equinox Grand Prix, Presented by Hand Motors. The six-week Vermont Summer Festival runs until August 9 in East Dorset, VT.

In Sunday’s featured class, only four riders managed to post clear rounds over the track set by Kenny Krome. First back for the jump-off, Kimberly Mulligan of New Canaan, CT, and Butterfly Rouge were conservative to turn in a clear round in a time of 40.79 seconds. Ireland’s Darragh Kenny, winner of back-to-back grand prix events during weeks two and three, was next into the ring. He turned in his usual fast and clean performance, shaving almost two seconds off of Mulligan’s time to finish in 38.65 seconds with Gael Force. Ken Berkley of Flemington, NJ, and Carlos Boy then took their turn, and successfully took over the lead with a time of 37.93 seconds.

Last to go, Webby and his 2008 Olympic mount, Sitah, surprised everyone by taking an inside cut to the double combination at fence four. The inside cut, which no other rider had attempted, gave Webby the advantage he needed, and he and Sitah stopped the clock in 36.60 seconds to win the class and claim the winner’s check of $9,000.

“I’ve had this mare for three or four years,” said Webby of Sitah, a 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. “She won a Grand Prix here two years ago, and she is the horse that I took to the Olympics last year. She is actually coming off a long break. The others in the jump-off were big, scopey gallopers, but she is pretty cunning. We’ve been around the world together, and I really know her.”

While the Grand Prix win went to New Zealand, victory in Friday’s featured class stayed closer to home. Louis Jacobs of East Aurora, NY, was the winner of the $10,000 Escada & Giorgio Armani Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, riding Kachina.

Jacobs, who last year won the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix at the Vermont Summer Festival with Kachina, was the first of seven horse and rider combinations to post a clear round and advance to the jump-off. First to go in the jump-off, Jacobs and his 11-year-old selle francais mare, posted a clear round in a time of 31.69 seconds which would hold up for the win. For his victory, Jacobs was awarded his share of the prize money as well a gift bag from sponsor Escada that contained $1,000 in gift cards.

On Thursday, July 23, Avery Dimmig of Rougemount, NC, was a busy competitor, taking the championship titles in the First Year Green, Second Year Green, and Green Conformation Hunter divisions. In the First Year Green division, Dimmig piloted Oberon around the course for owner Lyn Pedersen, garnering a total of 30 points to take the tri-color. With Smart Pak, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Bross, Dimmig accumulated 38 points to win the Second Year Green Hunter championship title. For her third championship title, Dimmig piloted Perfektionist, owned by Tracey Topping, to win the Green Conformation Hunter division.

Also on Thursday, Lindsay Portella of Southwest Ranches, FL, won the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search. Riding Millesime du Valy, a nine-year-old selle francais stallion owned by Gigi Stetler, Portella beat out 35 other horse-rider combinations for top honors. The 18-year-old trains with Fort Lauderdale’s Jimmy Torano, a regular competitor at the Vermont Summer Festival.

On Saturday, Lisa Zimmer of Wycoff, NJ, won the $1,500 Marshall & Sterling Children's Jumper Classic. Zimmer, 15, took top honors riding her Belgian-bred horse, Kaniny H. A student at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, NJ, Zimmer has enjoyed a whirlwind of success so far in 2009 with numerous wins in the Children’s Jumper divisions at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, the Kentucky Spring Classic Horse Show in Lexington, KY, and the recent Lake Placid Horse Show in New York, just to name a few. In Vermont, Zimmer and Kaniny H posted a jump-off time of 33.36 seconds, almost three seconds faster than the second-placed finisher, to take the win.

Meanwhile, the $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Adult Jumper Classic was won for the fourth week in a row by Alissa Kinsey of Ft Myers, FL. Not only does Kinsey show Grisset, her 12-year-old Hannoverian mare, she also serves as her own trainer and groom.

Alexandra Arute of Farmington, CT, was named Best Child Rider – Horse following a stellar week in both the equitation and hunter competitions. With Ostentatious, she won all four classes over fences in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division. Riding Tucker, Arute won both the USEF Hunter Seat Medal and the WIHS Jumper Phase.

Ashley Foster of Brookeville, MD, was named Best Child Rider – Pony after completing the week’s competition with a total of 30 ribbons to her credit! She won prizes in the Pony, Junior, Children’s Jumper and Pony equitation divisions.

The Vermont Summer Festival continues with the fifth week of competition, The Manchester & The Mountains Horse Show, highlighted by the $30,000 Manchester & The Mountains Grand Prix, on Sunday, August 2, 2009. A special guest, Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, will be in attendance to present the ribbons and prizes to the horse shows smallest horse show competitors, the leadline contestants, during the $30,000 Manchester & The Mountains Grand Prix.

Running through to August 9, 2009, the six-week Vermont Summer Festival is the largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show in New England, as well as the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont, offering more than $750,000 in prize money. For more information about the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.