East Dorset, Vermont — Kent Farrington claimed the $10,000 Tumi Outlet Store Mini Prix, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, during Week 4 of the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show running July 12 to August 13 in East Dorset, Vermont.

After a heavy rain fell in the early morning, the original starting field of 29 competitors was reduced to 21 starters. Course designer Ken Krome saw seven of those entries advance to the immediate jump-off. As the sixth jump-off challenger, Farrington sped around the course in a time of 36.921 seconds to surpass Mary Lisa Leffler who had held the early lead with a time of 37.63 seconds riding Edesa's Caruso. Farrington only had to wait to see what Ian Silitch and Escapade would do, but an early rail on course sealed their fate and Farrington was assured his place in the winner's circle.

"This is a fairly new horse for me, I have only had him a couple of months," said Farrington of Loriot, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Javier Salvador. "He is super-scopey, with a giant stride. He is a little bigger than most of my horses and is able to do five strides where other horses would take seven. The jump-off track suited us pretty well, it was a galloping course, so I could use his stride to my advantage."

Hailing from Greenwich, Connecticut, 25-year-old Farrington is competing at the Vermont Summer Festival for weeks 3 and 4, and finished fourth in the $30,000 Mt. Equinox Grand Prix, Sponsored by Equinox Resort & Spa on Sunday, July 30. A regular stop on his busy summer schedule, Farrington says, "The show itself is nice and quiet and, for the most part, the days don't last forever. It is also a good place to step up young horses."

Second-place finisher Mary Lisa Leffler of Brookeville, Maryland, is a past Grand Prix winner at the Vermont Summer Festival, but she settled for second in Friday's $10,000 Tumi Outlet Store Mini Prix riding Edesa's Caruso for owners James Pirtle and the Caruso Group. Another Connecticut native like Farrington, Libby McKinney of Norwalk, took third place with the only other clear round riding Gun du Desfi.

Tracy Magness of Hughesville, Maryland, had an impressive jump-off time of 37.03 seconds riding Tarco van ter Mundo, but the back rail came down at the final fence on course for four faults and fourth place. 2000 Sydney Olympian Lauren Hough of Wellington, Florida, had four faults in the jump-off with Rodos to place fifth while Ian Silitch, despite having two shots at the title, settled for sixth and seventh after incurring four faults with both Navigator and Escapade.

Featuring more than $650,000 in prize money, the Vermont Summer Festival includes a $10,000 Mini Prix each Friday and, for the first four weeks of competition, a $30,000 Sunday Grand Prix. The 2006 Vermont Summer Festival closes with the grand finale, the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Sunday, August 13. The Vermont Summer Festival is also a proud member event of the Show Jumping Hall Of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL).

For more information about the 2006 Vermont Summer Festival, including full results, please visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.

$10,000 Tumi Outlet Store Mini Prix, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets

Rider - Horse - Faults - Time
1. Kent Farrington - Loriot - 0:0 - 36.92
2. Mary Lisa Leffler - Edesa's Caruso - 0:0 - 37.63
3. Libby McKinney - Gun du Desfi - 0:0 - 39.85
4. Tracy Magness - Tarco van ter Mundo - 0:4 - 37.03
5. Lauren Hough - Rodos - 0:4 - 38.16
6. Ian Silitch - Navigator - 0:4 - 41.62
7. Ian Silitch - Escapade - 0:4 - 41.68

PHOTO CREDIT: Kent Farrington guides Loriot to victory in the $10,000 Tumi Outlet Store Mini Prix, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, during Week 4 of the 2006 Vermont Summer Festival. Photo Credit – David Mullinix