Vermont Summer Festival Welcomes Returning Sponsors
June 19, 2017 - East Dorset, Vermont
Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography
Leading horse sport industry and Vermont-area sponsors will return as supporters of the 24th annual Vermont Summer Festival held from July 4 through August 13, 2017, at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.
Eastern Hay, The Equinox Resort, Johnson Horse Transportation, Purina Horse Feed, and the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program highlight the list of returning sponsors. Thanks to the generous contributions from its sponsors, the 2017 Vermont Summer Festival is once again New England’s largest hunter/jumper competition and the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont offering more than $750,000 in prize money.
Leading the charge, Eastern Hay is the exclusive provider of Purina Horse Feed at the Vermont Summer Festival and will present the first five weeks of $5,000 Hunter Derbies, taking place each Thursday. In addition, Purina Horse Feed has once again been named the Official Horse Feed of the 2017 Vermont Summer Festival and will present the $30,000 Grand Prix on Saturday, August 5.
For over a decade, Johnson Horse Transportation has been the Official Horse Carrier of the Vermont Summer Festival, and returns in 2017 as the number-one choice for safe and comfortable delivery of horses to and from the Vermont Summer Festival. Johnson Horse Transportation is also the title sponsor of the $30,000 Grand Prix on Saturday, July 29.
“The Vermont Summer Festival is a happy horse show,” said DJ Johnson, owner of Johnson Horse Transportation based in Charlottesville, PA. “Everyone is glad to be there and our drivers always fight to get to drive the loads to that venue!
“The Vermont Summer Festival is one of our top venues and the shipping numbers are up this year,” continued Johnson. “We deliver horses to Vermont from all over the country, from as far west as Texas and as far south as Florida. We drive through many states and pass several horse shows where our customers could be showing, but they choose Vermont. It is clear that the Vermont Summer Festival is a popular horse show with so many people.”
The Equinox Resort has been a Vermont Summer Festival supporter since 2001. This year, The Equinox Resort will present the $30,000 Grand Prix on Saturday, July 15. Located on 1,300 acres between the Green and Taconic Mountains, Equinox Resort was established in 1769 and is an expansive property featuring 195 rooms and suites. The Equinox Resort boasts a range of restaurants as well as a spa and golf course, making it a comfortable place for riders, trainers, grooms, and spectators alike to spend time away from the horse show.
Inside the competition ring, weekly $500 Thoroughbred Hunter and $1,000 Thoroughbred Jumper divisions return to the Vermont Summer Festival for the fourth consecutive year thanks to a sponsorship from the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program. Founded by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, in collaboration with the New York Thoroughbred Breeders and New York Racing Association, TAKE2 offers hunter and jumper classes for registered Thoroughbreds nationwide. Created to demonstrate that retired racehorses can be retrained for sport horse careers with great success, TAKE2 is helping to ensure happy and productive futures for these equine athletes.
“Sponsors play such a pivotal role at the Vermont Summer Festival and we look forward to welcoming long-time supporters back this year,” said Ruth Lacey, Marketing Director of the Vermont Summer Festival. “We are proud to say that the riders who attend the Vermont Summer Festival cherish the horse show as a favorite year after year, and our sponsors contribute so much to ensuring that we offer an unmatched exhibitor experience.”
For more information on the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.
