FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES JUNE 2012 75
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Vermont Summer Festival
The Vermont Summer Festival returns to East Dorset, Vermont,
for six consecutive weeks of competition running July 4 through
August 12, 2012. New this year, the weekly Grand Prix events
move to Saturday each week, with the $50,000 Vermont Summer
Celebration Grand Prix held Saturday, August 11. The weekly
$10,000 Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester
Designer Outlets, now moves to Thursday.
The top fve reasons to attend this year are:
1. 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.
2. Shopping, shopping and more shopping! From Ralph Lauren
and Banana Republic to Coach and Jockey (hey, we all need
underwear!); your credit card will be put to the test!
3. Endless fun after the horse show is over. Swimming at the
quarry, zip lining at Bromley Mountain Thrill Zone, ice skating at
Riley Rink – there’s something to keep everyone entertained!
4. The new weekly $5,000 3’3” Hunter Derby each Thursday,
culminating in Week Six’s $15,000 Hunter Derby, sponsored
by Vermont-based equestrian luggage manufacturer, Oughton
Limited.
5. The exhibitor parties! EachWednesday, competition organizers
John and Dotty Ammerman invite exhibitors to join them at various
local venues, each hand selected to showcase the historical and
scenic rural region surrounding the Vermont Summer Festival.
For more information about the Vermont Summer Festival,
please visit www.vt-summerfestival.com
All photos by David Mullinix
Darragh Kenny and Bazooka de Muze won the $30,000
Battenkill Grand Prix at last year’s Vermont Summer Festival
Competitors lined up to compete at the
picturesque Vermont Summer Festival