In a unique marketing technique applied by the Vermont Summer Festival, the six-week horse show not only caters to Canadian competitors, it actually rewards their patronage with cold, hard cash.
Introduced last year as a means to thank Canadians for choosing to spend their summers in the picturesque town of Manchester, $10,000 in cash bonuses are awarded to the top two hunter competitors and the top two jumper riders. Open to exhibitors who are Canadian citizens and members of Equine Canada, points are calculated throughout the six weeks of competition towards the Canadian Circuit Championships. This year, the Canadians were more competitive than ever, engaging in a friendly rivalry that had the show office tabulating points right up until the final day.
In the end, it was Tatiana Dzavik who dominated the proceedings, winning the Hunter Champion title for a $3,000 cash bonus and also finishing runner-up in the Jumper Championship for an additional $2,000. Although she competed all six weeks of the Vermont Summer Festival to earn the $5,000 in bonus money, the 17-year-old Toronto native was thrilled with her success.