McLain Ward Wins The Phelps School Open Stake To Kick
Off the 26th Annual I Love New York Horse Show
Lake Placid, NYJuly 2, 2003 McLain Ward of Brewster, NY
won The Phelps School Open Stake to highlight opening day competition
at the 26th annual I Love New York Horse Show.
Thirteen
of 33 entries qualified for the tiebreaking jump-off by riding without
penalty over the 14-jump first-round course at the North Elba Showgrounds.
The first of these 13 to ride penalty-free over the seven-jump tiebreaker
course was four-time Olympic veteran Anne Kursinski of Flemington,
NJ. Kursinski took a temporary lead when she finished the jump-off
in 39.030 seconds on Sincere.
Peter
Leone of Greenwich, CT, Kursinskis 1996 Silver Medal Olympic
teammate, moved her out of the lead when he finished the jump-off
fault-free in 38.451 seconds. His lead held until Ward, a two-time
American Grandprix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year, mastered
the course designed by Pierre Jolicoeur fault-free in 37.234 seconds.
The final three entries in the jump-off failed to top Wards
time, giving him the win. Leones time held for second place
and Kursinski finished third.
The
I Love New York Horse Show continues through Sunday with its main
event, the $50,000 Hermès I Love New York Grand Prix, scheduled
for Saturday. Following Saturdays Grand Prix, the horse show
will award the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy
for Excellence, presented to the rider who competed in both grand
prix events at the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows and
won the most combined prize money.
Saturdays
action also includes two Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic
series events for junior riders and amateur/owner ridersthe
Salamander Farm High Junior Jumper Classic and the Golden Arrow
Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Points earned in these two Show Jumping
Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series events will help determine which
junior and amateur/owner riders will qualify to compete in the 2003
National Horse Show in Wellington, FL.
Those
attending the horse show on Saturday are invited to dress up their
dogs and parade them in the 11th annual Doggie Costume Contest that
begins at 12:00 noon. The Doggie Costume Contest is sponsored by
The Brown Dog Cafe and Wine Bar of Lake Placid and by Lonesome Landing
of Saranac Lake. All people with leashed dogs in costume are admitted
to the horse show free of charge on Doggie Costume Day. Arrive at
11:30 a.m. for sign up and registration by the ring for the fun
and treats that are presented to all entrants.
Other
highlights of the I Love New York Horse Show include the Lake Placid
Resort Open Speed Stake and the Pin Oak Farm Open Jumper Welcome
Stake on Thursday; the Nicolas Restaurants Open Jumper class
on Friday; and the Price Chopper Adult Amateur Jumper Classic and
WIHS Childrens Jumper Classic on Sunday. Both of these Classics
are member events of the WIHS Championship series and count as bonus
points towards the Championships held at the Washington International
Horse Show. Sunday also features the Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship,
the $1,000 Pony Hunter Classic, and numerous hunter and equitation
divisions.
Sponsors
for the 2003 Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows include
A&M Beverages, Inc., Adirondack Life, American Grandprix Association,
Anonymous, Ariat International, Inc., Bayer Legend, Brandy Parfums,
Inc., Budweiser/Anheuser Busch, Inc., C.M. Hadfields Saddlery,
Inc., David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Der Dau Custom Made Boots
& Shoes, Enterprise rent-a-car, Fox Run Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel,
Hermès, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, Jane Forbes Clark, Juliam
Farm, Kiehls Since 1851, Lake Placid Resort, Lake Placid/Essex
County Visitors Bureau, Lisa A. H. Cudahy, Lonesome Landing,
M&M Mars, Mirror Lake Inn/The Cottage, McDonalds of Lake
Placid, Moss Communications, Nicolas Family Restaurants, Barbara
Nugent and Michael Bitterman, On a Fence Designs and Rentals, ORDA-Whiteface
Mountain, The Country Saddler, The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., Pin
Oak Farm, Price Chopper, Red Kap Sales, Inc./CITGO, Salamander Farm,
Sand Castle Farm/The Dammerman Family, Shamrock Ventures LLC, Sidelines,
The Brown Dog Café & Wine Bar, The Hooker Family, The
Levy Family, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Town of North
Elba Park District, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, Unusual Silver,
U.S. Olympic Spirit Stores, Wild Horse Winery and WPTZ News Channel
5.
Admission
to the I Love New York Horse Show is $2.00 on weekdays and $5.00
on the weekend. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.
Tickets are available at the gate. For more information, please
call the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at (518) 523-9625 or
visit www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com
.
|