Lake Placid, NY—July 10, 2004—Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, FL rode Gardenio to victory in the $50,000 Hermes I Love New York Grandprix at the 27th annual I Love New York Horse Show in Lake Placid.

Minikus was one of eight entries from the starting field of 25 to qualify for the tiebreaking jump-off by riding without penalty over the 17-jump, first-round course at the North Elba Showgrounds. The first of the eight to return for the eight-jump tiebreaker was Margie Engle of Wellington, FL, who was trying for an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in the Hermes I Love New York Grandprix. Engle set a tough mark to beat by going fault-free in 39.478 seconds on Hidden Creek’s Perin, her 2000 Sydney Olympic mount.

Next up was Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ who, as winner of last week’s $50,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid, was in a position to win a $25,000 bonus by completing the inaugural $25,000 Hidden Creek Challenge that awards the bonus to any rider who wins both the Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid and the Hermès I Love New York Grand Prix. Chapot, however, scored four faults in 40.253 seconds on Little Big Man to miss out on the bonus and ultimately finish seventh.

After Candice King of Wellington, FL finished clean in 42.634 seconds on Coco Cabana, Minikus took the ring. He moved into the lead with a clean round in 36.004 seconds. Engle’s shot a fourth consecutive win was not over, however, as she had another ride on her winning mount of last year, Hidden Creek’s Jones. Engle again rode clean, but her time of 40.270 seconds could not catch Minikus, giving the 2001 U.S. Equestrian Rider of the Year his first Hermes I Love New York Grandprix win.

Engle, who finished second on Hidden Creek’s Perin and third on Hidden Creek’s Jones was awarded the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for Excellence given to the rider with the most total prize money in Lake Placid’s two Grand Prix events. King and Coco Cabana finished fourth.

Earlier in the day, Katrina Woods rode Susdal to victory in the Charlotte Bobcats $10,000 Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic and Blythe Marano rode River to victory in the Shamrock Ventures LLC High Junior Jumper Classic. Both classics are Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic series events. 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.

Also featured on Saturday was the horse show’s 12th annual Doggie Costume Contest, sponsored by the Lonesome Landing Garden Center of Saranac Lake and the Brown Dog Café & Wine Bar of Lake Placid. More than 35 dogs participated in one of the most popular and fun events of the Lake Placid and I Love New York Horse Shows.

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.

The I Love New York Horse Show concludes Sunday. Admission is just $5.00 for adults. 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