Cynthia McGrath Wins $10,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic at Vermont Summer Festival

Cynthia McGrath of Hummelstown, PA, won the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Miller & Associates, riding Quinaro on Sunday, July 9, at the Vermont Summer Festival, running through August 13 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

McGrath produced the fastest round in a four-horse jump-off over tracks set by course designer Paul Jewell of Ewing, NJ. She and Quinaro, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Mapledale Associates, LLC, left all the rails in place and crossed the jump-off timers in a time of 40.07 seconds for the win. With the victory, McGrath also earned the reserve championship title in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner division.

Saly Glassman of Gwynedd Valley, PA, was also double clear but finished more than two seconds off the winning pace in a time of 42.52 seconds riding Argentino de Fee, owned by Kindle Hill Affiliates. Following a successful week, including second place in the Classic, Glassman earned the championship title.

Third place was presented to Veronica Bot of Burlington, ON, riding her own Calato’s Charles with a double-clear performance in 44.70 seconds. Anastasia Bezsylko of Harrisburg, PA, placed fourth with two rails down in the jump-off in a time of 43.62 seconds riding her own Cakoa 2, while McGrath also took fifth place with the fastest four-fault effort in the opening round riding Caruso for owner Wynnwood Farm, LLC.

The first week of the Vermont Summer Festival marked Quinaro’s third show back after an intestinal virus sidelined the gelding for the entire winter season. Quinaro was imported by McGrath’s husband, Richard, in the fall of the 2016 and had only jumped a few classes before falling ill.

“The vets were optimistic and we hoped he would come back and be in top form, but you just never know after an illness,” said McGrath who rides under the direction of her husband, Richard, as well as Mark Jungherr. “I was lucky to be able to keep this horse for a while after we imported him and he has come back very well after his time off.

“He’s so sweet,” continued McGrath. “He always wants to do the right thing, whether it’s in the barn around kids or in the big ring.”

McGrath hopes to move Quinaro into the grand prix ranks and got a taste of difficult courses during week one of the Vermont Summer Festival, saying, “I thought they were challenging and technical, yet fair. If you weren’t on it, the course won, and there were a few times this week when I wasn’t on it and the course won, but they were never so trappy that there was a problem.”

Earlier in the day, Glassman won the $5,000 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic riding Doctori for owner Kindle Hill Affiliates and received a pair of Tonic paddock boots and half-chaps from Schockemoehle for the win. Also on July 9, Jenna Imperatore of Morristown, NJ, topped the $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Adult Amateur Jumper Classic riding Daisy Chain VT while Josselyn Mersereau of Concord, MA, won the $1,500 Marshall & Sterling Children’s Jumper Classic riding C.J.

For over 20 years, the Vermont Summer Festival has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region in southern Vermont for great competition in an ideal summer setting. Offering more than $750,000 in prize money over the course of its six-week run, the Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest hunter/jumper competition as well as the state’s richest sporting event based on purse. Outside the show ring, exhibitors are immersed in the charm of Vermont's shopping, dining, and outdoor activities.

Competition at the 2017 Vermont Summer Festival runs weekly from Wednesday through Sunday, beginning each day at 8 a.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children from Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children with 100% of all gate proceeds benefiting the Manchester Community Library, Meals on Wheels of Bennington County, and the Rotary Club of Manchester.

For more information on the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.

$10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic
Presented by Miller & Associates
Sunday, July 9, 2017

Rider Hometown Horse Faults/Time
1. Cynthia McGrath  Hummelstown, PA  Quinaro  0:0/40.07
2. Saly Glassman  Gwynedd Valley, PA  Argentino de Fee  0:0/42.52
3. Veronica Bot  Canada  Calato’s Charles  0:0/44.70
4. Anastasia Bezsylko  Harrisburg, PA  Cakoa 2  0:8/43.628
5. Cynthia McGrath  Hummelstown, PA  Caruso  4
6. Sara Sprague  Richmond, MA  Ebonit  8
7. Emma Schauder  Greenwich, CT  Sesto Senso  23
8. Mary Katherine Hargreaves  Alpharetta, GA  Quartus  29