Lake Placid, NY—June 30, 2004—Ramiro Quintana of Argentina edged Sydney Olympic veteran Margie Engle of Wellington, FL by two-tenths of a second to win the Hilton Lake Placid Resort Speed Challenge on the opening day of the 35th annual Lake Placid Horse Show.

Engle, who has been a Grandprix champion at Lake Placid six times, was the 19th of 36 entries to ride the 12-jump, one-round course at the North Elba Showgrounds in Lake Placid. She took the class lead with a penalty-free ride in 49.529 seconds on Hidden Creek’s Charlie Brown.

Engle’s lead held up until Quintana, the day’s fourth-to-last entry, took the course on LaBelle. The Argentinean equestrian team veteran claimed the win when he matched Engle’s fault-free ride and crossed the timers a faction of a second faster, finishing with a time of 49.322 seconds. Third place went to Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ, who finished clean in 51.097 seconds on Sprite.

The 2004 Lake Placid Horse Show continues through Sunday when it culminates with its main event, the $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid for the Whitney Perpetual Challenge Trophy. The Whitney Perpetual Challenge Trophy was donated to the Lake Placid Horse Shows by Mary Lou Whitney, whose horse Birdstone upset Smarty Jones to win the Belmont Stakes and deny the popular Smarty Jones his bid to win racing’s Triple Crown. Horse show competition starts at 8:00 a.m. daily and continues till about 5:00 p.m. each afternoon. Tickets are available at the gate.

Special features of the 2004 Lake Placid Horse Shows include Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series events for junior and amateur-owner riders. At the Lake Placid Horse Show, the Shamrock Ventures LLC High Junior Jumper Classic and the Mirror Lake Inn Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic both take place on Sunday, July 4. At the I Love New York Horse Show, the Shamrock Ventures LLC High Junior Jumper Classic and the Charlotte Bobcats $10,000 Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic take place on Saturday, July 10. The standings on the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series help determine which junior riders and which amateur-owner riders will qualify to ride in the 2004 National Horse Show in Wellington, FL, in November.

The 2004 Lake Placid Horse Show schedule also includes the 1.45m Whiteface Mountain Open Jumper class on Thursday, July 1; the 1.35m Hilton Lake Placid Resort Time First Jump-off, the 1.40m Lake Placid Resort North American League (NAL) Open Speed Stake and the 1.50m Turtle Lane Farm Open Jumper Welcome Stake on Friday, July 2; the Charlotte Bobcats $7,500 Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, The Phelps School NAL Adult Amateur Jumper Classic, the Adirondack Life Low Junior Jumper Classic, the Golden Arrow 1.45m Open Jumper class, and the Sidelines NAL Children’s Jumper Classic on July 3; and the Juliam Farm Lead Line and C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery Parade of Champions, as well as the Practical Horseman Day of Hunter Classics on Sunday, July 4, prior to the $50,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid. The Lake Placid Horse Show also features a Large Junior Working Hunter section, sponsored by the Tytel Family.

The 2004 I Love New York Horse Show schedule includes the Trelawny Farm 1.45m Open Jumper Stake and the WPTZ News Channel 5 1.35m Time First Jump-Off on Wednesday, July 7; the 1.40m Wild Horse Winery NAL Open Jumper Speed Stake and the 1.50m Pin Oak Farm Open Jumper Stake on Thursday, July 8; the Nicola’s Family Restaurants 1.45m Open Jumper class, the Price Chopper 1.40m Speed Challenge, and The Hooker Family Children’s Jumper class on Friday, July 9; the Woodlea Farms Parade of Champions on Saturday, July 10; and finishing the week at the I Love New York Horse Show is the Pepsi Pony Hunter Classic, the Muirfield Insurance Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, the Levy Family Low Junior Jumper Classic, as well as the Lake Placid Lodge WIHS Adult Amateur Jumper Classic and the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic on Sunday, July 11. Both the Adult Amateur and the Children’s Jumper Classics are member events of the WIHS Championship series and these classes will count as bonus points towards the Championships held at the Washington International Horse Show. The I Love New York Horse Show also features a Large Junior Working Hunter section, sponsored by the Tytel Family.

After Saturday’s $50,000 Hermès I Love New York Grand Prix, the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for Excellence will be awarded to the rider who has won the most prize money in Lake Placid’s two Grand Prix combined. This year, for the first time, the Lake Placid Horse Shows will also offer the $25,000 Hidden Creek Challenge, to be awarded to any rider who wins both the Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid and the Hermès I Love New York Grand Prix. The rider may win the two Grand Prix on different horses.

The 2004 Lake Placid Horse Show and I Love New York Horse Show sponsors include A& M Beverages, Adirondack Life, Adirondack Store, American Grandprix Association, Anonymous, Ariat International, Inc., Barbara & Michael Bitterman, Brandy Parfums, Ltd., The Brown Dog Café and Wine Bar, Budweiser, The Charlotte Bobcats, Jane Forbes Clark, C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., The Cottage Café, The Country Saddler, Ltd., David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Der Dau Custom Boots and Shoes, Fox Run, Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel, Hermès, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, The Hooker Family, Horse Watch, James Leslie Parker Photography, Juliam Farm, Lake Placid Lodge, Lake Placid Resort Hotel & Golf Club, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, The Levy Family, Lonesome Landing Garden Center, M&M Mars, McDonald’s, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Mountain Horse, Mr. Mike’s Pizza & Pasta, Muirfield Insurance, Inc., Nicola’s Over Main, North Elba Park District, On a Fence Designs & Rentals, ORDA/Whiteface Mountain, The Pepsi Bottling Group, The Phelps School, The Phillips Family, Pin Oak Farm, Practical Horseman, Price Chopper, Red-Kap Sales, Ruthie’s Run, Sidelines, Shamrock Ventures LLC, SLVR by Aerogear, Trelawny Farm, Turtle Lane Farm, The Tytel Family, Unusual Silver, U.S. Olympic Spirit Store, Wild Horse Wines, Woodlea Farms and WPTZ News Channel 5.

Admission to the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows is just $2.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on weekends. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. 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.