East Dorset, VT—October 27, 2004—The Vermont Summer Festival is increasing the purse of the Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix to $50,000. The Grand Prix will be the culmination of five weeks of world-class hunter/jumper action taking place from July 13 to August 14, 2005 with total prize money exceeding $500,000. In addition to the new $50,000 Grand Prix scheduled for the last Sunday of the Festival, a $30,000 Grand Prix will run on each of the first four Sundays. The 2005 series will mark the 12th year that the Vermont Summer Festival will call the Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT its home.

Conrad Homfeld has been tapped to design the courses in the Grand Prix Ring during the fifth week of the 2005 Vermont Summer Festival. Homfeld, 1984 Olympic Team Gold and Individual Silver Medalist, is a three-time winner of USEF’s Show Jumping Course Designer of the Year Award. “We’re thrilled to be increasing the Grand Prix prize money,” stated Dotty Ammerman, Executive Director of the Vermont Summer Festival. “Securing the talents of Conrad has now assured us of an eventful finale to the five weeks of the 2005 Vermont Summer Festival.”

Besides breathtaking equestrian competition, the Vermont Summer Festival provides a chance for equestrians to spend July and August in Vermont’s verdant Green Mountains where the summer is its most beautiful. The quaint New England towns of the Manchester and the Mountains area are noted for their charm, first-class accommodations, and superior dining. The region also offers a world-class shopping experience, including antiques and handmade arts and crafts as well as brand name outlets.

The Vermont Summer Festival is New England's largest "AA" rated hunter/jumper horse show circuit, showcasing the best American and international riders competing over challenging jumping courses. The 2005 Festival will include a weekly Grand Prix and five $10,000 Mini Prix. Each of the five weeks will also feature the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class, part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series.

For further information regarding the Vermont Summer Festival, please email ruth@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.