Caitlin Chapin and Margaret Bopp Gallop to Victory at the Manchester & The Mountains Horse Show in East Dorset, VT

East Dorset, VT - August 5, 2004 - Caitlin Chapin of Rancho Santa Fe, CA came across the country to compete at the Manchester & the Mountains Horse Show, part of the Vermont Summer Festival. Today, she and her mount, Becoming, won the prestigious BET/USET Show Jumping Talent Search class at the event. This is the 11th year the Vermont Summer Festival has taken place at the Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

In the U.S. Equestrian Federation Junior Medal Class, Margaret Bopp of Greenwich, CT took the blue ribbon. Her four-legged partner was Sommersby.

Several hunter champions were also crowned today. In the Green Working Hunter division, Coconut Grove owned by Kori Pickette of Mt. Airy, MD was the top horse. The reserve championship went to Samantha Hallman's CC Bloom, ridden by Rob Bielefield. Hallman is from Wellington, FL.

Continuing his winning ways, Rob Bielefield piloted Showcase to the Green Hunter Division championship. Showcase is owned by Regi Baker and Avatar Farms of Wellington, FL. The reserve championship went to Westerly, owned by Windswept, Inc. of Reading, PA and ridden by Jay Matter.

Lucky lived up to his name, taking the Regular Working Hunter division. Lucky is owned by Samantha Hallman of Wellington, FL and ridden by Rob Bielefield, one of the hardest working riders on the show grounds. Additionally, Bielefield rode Carol Sollak's Done Deal to the reserve placing. Sollak is from Wellington, FL.

Judges for the Manchester & the Mountains Horse Show include Jeff Wirthman, Linda Andrisani, and Randy Mullins. The course designer for the week is Pierre Jolicoeur.

The Manchester & the Mountains Horse Show is the fourth event in the five-week Vermont Summer Festival series in East Dorset, VT. The Vermont Summer Festival is New England's largest "AA" rated hunter/jumper horse show circuit and runs from July 14 to August 15. This year's series includes five $35,000 Grand Prix and five $10,000 Mini Prix. Each of the five weeks will also feature a $10,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class, part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series.

The $35,000 Manchester & the Mountains Horse Show Grand Prix on August 8, 2004 will be sponsored by Hand Motors. This is the fourth of five Grand Prix events of the Vermont Summer Festival series. This year's sponsorship by Hand Motors continues a history of support by the Manchester Center, VT based Chevrolet and Volkswagen dealership. Hand Motors celebrates over 30 years in Manchester, VT, serving the automotive needs of the community, and is proud to be a sponsor of the Vermont Summer Festival.

For many riders, the pinnacles of the show series are the three prestigious classes that take place every Sunday at the show. The $35,000 Grand Prix, the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur Owner Jumper Classic, and the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic showcase the best American and international riders competing over challenging jumping courses.

While not watching exciting jumping action, spectators will enjoy visiting the Festival's trade fair that contains interesting boutiques and gift shops. Families will enjoy the ambiance of the show grounds, as there are hundreds of horses and ponies to observe.

Admission to the Vermont Summer Festival is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, and $2 for children. For further information about the Vermont Summer Festival, please call (802) 362-7548 or go to http://www.vt-summerfestival.com/ for complete results. For more information about Hand Motors, please see http://www.handmotors.com/ on the Internet.

Photo Credit: Flashpoint Photography© 2004