FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marty Bauman (518) 523-9625, classic.pr@verizon.net

McLain Ward Wins Friday Feature at 29^th Annual I Love New York Horse Show

Lake Placid, NY—July 7, 2006—McLain Ward of Brewster, NY swept the top two places in the Nicola’s Restaurants 1.45m Open Jump-off to highlight Friday competition at the 29^th Annual I Love New York Horse Show.

Sydney Olympic veteran Margie Engle of Wellington, FL was the first to qualify for the tiebreaking jump-off by riding clean over the 14-jump, first-round course at the North Elba Showgrounds.  She then rode Calippo 12 to a four-fault score in 32.399 seconds over the seven-jump tiebreaker course to set the early mark.

Ward was up next and he rode Galant to a clean ride and then followed it with a four-fault jump-off ride in 32.399 seconds.  No remaining competitor could manage a clean ride to reach the jump-off until Ward turned the trick again on Larioso, the 17^th of 18 entries.  The 2004 Athens Olympic team Gold Medalist rode Larioso to a clean jump-off ride in 32.497 seconds to claim the win based on having the fewest faults.  Ward placed second on Galant while Engle finished third.

 The I Love New York Horse Show continues through Sunday.  It is highlighted by the $60,000 Hermès Grandprix CSI 3* Presented by the Heidegger Family on Saturday.  The I Love New York Horse Show also offers North American League, Washington International Horse Show, World Champion Hunter Rider, and Show Jumping Hall of Fame classes.

Weekend highlights of the I Love New York Horse Show schedule include:

Sat., July 8 Marantz Family High Junior Jumper Classic

Charlotte Bobcats Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic

Woodlea Farms Parade of Champions

$60,000 Hermès Grandprix CSI 3* presented by the Heidegger Family

Sun., July 9     Whiteface Lodge WIHS Adult Amateur Jumper Classic

The Levy Family Low Junior Jumper Classic

Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic

Price Chopper WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic

Pony Hunter Classic

Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship

After the Hermès Grandprix on Saturday, the Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Challenge Trophy for Excellence will be awarded to the rider who has won the most prize money in Lake Placid’s two Grand Prix combined.  The Lake Placid Horse Shows also offer the $25,000 Hidden Creek Challenge with $25,000 to be awarded to any horse-and-rider combination that wins both the Budweiser Grandprix of Lake Placid CSI 3* and the Hermès Grandprix CSI 3*.

The I Love New York Horse Show features another beloved Lake Placid tradition, the 14^th annual Doggie Costume Contest, on Saturday at noon.  All people with leashed dogs in costume are admitted to the horse show free of charge.   The doggie costume contest is sponsored by the Lonesome Landing Garden Center of Saranac Lake and the Brown Dog Café and Wine Bar of Lake Placid.  There is no entry fee and all contestants receive prizes.

The horse show’s annual Animal Planet Kids’ Day for horse club members returned on Friday and included activities such as a stable tour, jumper course walk, farrier visit, and question-and-answer seminar on safety in and out of the ring.  There was also a raffle, giveaways, and autograph sessions with top riders.  The day continued the Lake Placid Horse Shows’ long history of giving back to the local community.

The 2006 Lake Placid Horse Show and I Love New York Horse Show sponsors include A&M Beverages, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Adirondack Life, Adirondack Store, American Grandprix Association, Animal Planet, Anonymous, Bainbridge Farms LLC, Barbara & Michael Bitterman, Brandy Parfums, Ltd., The Brown Dog Café and Wine Bar, Budweiser, Carr-Hughes Productions, The Charlotte Bobcats, Chronicle of the Horse, Jane Forbes Clark, C.M. Hadfield’s Saddlery, Inc., Clothes Line Laundry, The Cottage Café, The Country Saddler, Ltd., Crowne Plaza Resort & Golf Club, David R. Fowler Custom Tack Trunks, Deeridge Farms, Der Dau Custom Boots and Shoes, Ecogold, Equifit, Farm and Ranch Magazine, Fox Run, Ltd., Golden Arrow Hotel, Grill 211,  Mr. James Harpel, The Heidegger Family, Hermès, Hilton Lake Placid Resort, The Hooker Family, Horse Watch, James Leslie Parker Photography, Juliam Farm, The Kessler Family, Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau,  Lake Placid News, The Leone Family, The Levy Family, Lonesome Landing Garden Center, The Marantz Family, McDonald’s, Mirror Lake Inn, Moss Communications, Mountain Horse, Mr. Mike’s Pizza & Pasta, Muirfield Insurance, Nicola’s On Main, North Elba Park District, On a Fence Designs & Rentals, ORDA/Whiteface Mountain, The Pepsi Bottling Group, The Phillips Family, Price Chopper, Mr. Jeffrey Prosser, Red-Kap Sales,  Royal Reflections, Ruthie’s Run, RV Sales of Broward, Sand Castle Farm, Michael & Lora Schultz, Sidelines, SLVR by Aerogear, Stretton Enterprises, Turtle Lane Farm, The Weeks Family, The Whiteface Lodge, Wild Horse Wines, Woodlea Farms, WPTZ News Channel 5, and Y106.3 – Mountain Communications LLC.

Admission to the horse show is $5.00 on Saturday and Sunday.  Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.  Tickets are available at the gate.  For more information, please call the Lake Placid Horse Show Association at (518) 523-9625 or visit www.lakeplacidhorseshow.com.  Results of the 2006 I Love New York Horse Show are available at:  www.stadiumjumping.com/sj/cfm/result.cfm?show_id=204.

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