East Dorset, Vermont — Following two days of rest and relaxation in the beautiful Green Mountains, horses and riders returned to the show grounds for the fourth week of competition at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT.  The six-week equestrian competition is running at Harold Beebe Farm from July 6 through August 14, 2011.

Jimmy Torano of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, was determined to win the $5,000 Open Jumper Stake, speeding around the course with Katina, owned by wife, Danielle.  Torano made sure that the judges knew that it was him riding the horse so that the points counted towards his place in the $10,000 Sir Ruly Inc. Open Jumper High Score Award standings.  Torano trails several riders in the current standings, including his wife, who won the $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix on Sunday, July 24.  Torano’s clear round to win the $5,000 Open Jumper Stake on Katina, as well as a seventh place finish on Winner, moved him up a few places on the leader board. In the hunter rings, Abercrombie, a six-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood owned and ridden by Jeff Ayers of Sellersville, PA, dominated the competition in the Green Hunter division, winning every class that they contested. French Kiss carried Brooke Baldwin-DeGrazia to a sweep of the Regular Working Hunter classes for owner Tina Furey of New Canaan, CT.  The seven-year-old Westphalian gelding has shown his prowess in the ring on numerous occasions, winning in several different divisions over the season. Riders and their mounts are gearing up for major action in both the hunter and jumper rings during week four of the Vermont Summer Festival.  Hunter competitors are preparing for the $5,000 NEHJA 3’3” Hunter Derby, which will be contested on Thursday, while the jumpers are focused on the $10,000 Georgio Armani Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets. Offering more than $750,000 in prize money, the Vermont Summer Festival is the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont.  The first five Sundays of the Vermont Summer Festival feature a $30,000 Grand Prix at 1 p.m., culminating with the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Sunday, August 14.  In addition to the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, held each Friday, the weekly $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Classics are hotly contested. New for 2011, the Vermont Summer Festival will host a $5,000 Hunter Derby each Thursday five of the six weeks. Competition begins at 8 a.m. daily, Wednesday through Sunday.  Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children, Wednesday through Saturday.  On Grand Prix Sunday, admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children.  As always, 100 percent of the gate proceeds benefit the Friends Foundation for MEMS, (Manchester Elementary and Middle School). For over 20 years, the Vermont Summer Festival has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region each summer.  For more information about the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com. $10,000 SIR RULY INC. Open Jumper High Score Awards – Mid-Circuit Standings Name/PointsRyan, Devin  134Kenny, Darragh  76Dorman, Michael  66Torano, Danielle  56Flint, Amanda  48Venezia, Caitlin  45Kerins, Darragh  44Campbell, Kaitlin  35Demetriou, Teddy  31Young, Megan  31Torano, Jimmy  30Pope, Emily  23Boggio, Chase  23Schaefer, Samantha 22Garofalo-Torres, Judy  21    Mulligan, Kimberly     15Syphers, Janice  14Jadidi, Jamal  11Leone, Mark  10Mahoney, Kathleen  5Webby, Kirk  5Wayda, Sarah  2North, James  2Gallego, Juan  1 Photo: Jimmy Torano and Katina won the $5,000 Open Jumper Stake on Wednesday, July 27, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, Vermont. Photo credit – David Mullinix Photography