The Vermont Summer Festival is Just Around the Corner
March 6, 2019 - East Dorset, VT
Photo by Jump Media
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
The Vermont Summer Festival will return to Harold Beebe Farm, nestled in the hills of Southern Vermont in East Dorset, VT, for six weeks of diverse offerings for hunter, jumper, and equitation competitors from July 2 through August 11, 2019.
After celebrating its 25th anniversary during the 2018 season, the Vermont Summer Festival is preparing for an even bigger and more popular 2019 edition. The 2019 Vermont Summer Festival offers an all-inclusive competition schedule with international-caliber course designers from all corners of the world, as well as endless opportunities for post-show entertainment.
Weekly offerings at the Vermont Summer Festival once again include the $10,000 Open Welcome, held each Thursday, and the $30,000 Grand Prix, held the first five Saturdays of the six-week circuit, before the season culminates with the $50,000 Grand Prix on Saturday, August 10, during the final weekend. Additionally, jumper riders can celebrate the return of a $10,000 Open Jumper Rider Bonus, presented by World Equestrian Center, to be divided among the top-scoring open jumper competitors during the six-week circuit.
Popular “Equitation Tuesdays” give junior riders opportunities to punch their tickets for year-end equitation finals. Hunters will be showcased in the $5,000 3'3" NEHJA Hunter Derbies each Thursday, highlighted by a $15,000 finale on Thursday, August 8. Once again, the Vermont Summer Festival hosts World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week during the fourth week of competition.
Course designers for the 2019 season include Gerry Briggs (USA), Manuel Esparza (MEX), Paul Jewell (USA), Ken Krome (USA), Michel Vaillancourt (CAN), and Alan Wade (IRL).
Jewell will open the 2019 Vermont Summer Festival followed by Wade, who set the tracks to rave reviews for the 2018 World Equestrian Games™ Tryon (WEG) in Tryon, NC. Esparza, who was part of the course building team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will take over course designing duties during week three before Vaillancourt, the 1976 Canadian Olympic individual silver medalist, sets the tracks during week four. Krome will return for week five before Briggs closes out the circuit by serving as course designer during the sixth and final week of competition, which features the $50,000 Grand Prix.
“I always enjoy coming back to Vermont!” said Jewel, a rider himself who has been designing courses at the Vermont Summer Festival since he first became a “R” course designer. “The atmosphere in Vermont is nice because I can really personalize the courses and get them exactly like I want for each class. The jump crew and the jumps themselves are top notch.”
In addition to building for the pinnacle events of the Vermont Summer Festival, course designers have the opportunity to work with Kruse Cushion Ride (KCR) footing. The surface was installed during an extensive property and footing upgrade that took place at Harold Beebe Farm in 2015 and was again refreshed in 2018.
“The Vermont Summer Festival gets bigger and better each year,” said John Ammerman, Vermont Summer Festival show manager. “Our team works tirelessly to make the showgrounds, the courses, the competition, and the overall experience the best it can be for our visitors. We are really proud of what we will offer in 2019.”
The Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest hunter/jumper competition and the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont with more than $750,000 in prize money. The event is also a proud member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL).
For more information on the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.
