For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Marty Bauman – 508-878-2394, Marty@Classic-Communications.com
2026 Marked a Celebration of the Rebirth of the Lake Placid Horse Shows
Lake Placid, NY – July 6, 2026 – Wins by Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) in the $100,000 FEI 3* Richard Feldman Grand Prix Presented by Friends of Lake Placid and her daughter, Taylor, in the $15,000 Horseflight SJHOF 1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic made for a memorable Saturday and highlighted the second week of the 2026 Lake Placid Horse Shows (LPHS), Sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies and Presented by Sea Shore Stables at the North Elba Showgrounds.
In many ways, this year marked a celebration of the Lake Placid Horse Shows as expressed by LPHSA Inc. Chairman Philip Richter. “As we celebrated the birth of our nation, we also celebrated the re-birth of the Lake Placid Horse Shows. With incredible support and major contributions from so many, we have succeeded in returning the Lake Placid Horse Shows to their former glory. We drew a record number of entries, including some of our sport’s greatest stars such as McLain Ward, Rodrigo Pessoa and Nayel Nassar.
“We are extremely proud of our new rings and the improvements that have been made to the stabling area, and we thank everyone who helped make all of that possible. I also want to give a special thank you to Rick Preston and the Town of North Elba for the incredible job they did in building our magnificent new Clubhouse. I also thank our Board, our staff, our officials, our sponsors, and above all, all our exhibitors. We can never thank them enough for their belief and trust in us, and for their incredible response to the investment we’ve made in these horse shows and in re-establishing Lake Placid and the North Elba Show Grounds as one of the premier horse shows and horse show facilities anywhere in the country!
“The Lake Placid Horse Shows are now firmly secure for the next 50 years and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for many years to come!”
In the Grand Prix, six horses reached the jump-off by riding clear over the 16-effort, first-round course designed by Alan Wade, course designer for the 2028 Olympic Games. Defending champion Philip McGuane (IRL), who won last year on Orphea HQ, was first to return for the 8-effort tiebreaker course and he rode Paso Doble SCF to a clean round in a blazing fast time of 37.73 seconds.
After the next three horses had faults, Ashe Cawley returned on Lorona, a 10-year-old, Dutch-bred mare owned by Louisburg Farm, and she took the lead with a clean ride in 37.21 seconds. The final entry failed to catch her, giving her the win, with McGuane placing second and Nicky Galligan (IRL) finishing third with the fastest four-fault ride of 40.69 seconds on Jolly-Jessy.
“I watched Philip go and he’s blazing fast and that horse is blazing fast,” said Ashe Cawley, Lake Placid Grand Prix champion in 1999. “When he turned back to the third jump, it was a little dicey and when he cleared it, I thought ‘game over.’ But I went in and gave it the best shot I could and somehow, I’m not sure how, we caught him.”
Following the Grand Prix, Ashe Cawley was presented with The Richard and Diana Feldman Perpetual Trophy for Excellence which is presented to the rider with the best combined finishes in Lake Placid’s two Grand Prix.
Molly Ashe Cawley and Lorona © Kind Media
Ashe Cawley’s daughter, Taylor, rode Klaartje Z to victory in the $15,000 Horseflight SJHOF 1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic. She topped a 24-horse field with two clean rides and the fastest jump-off time of 27.290 seconds. Saturday winners also included Hunter Champey on Jisborn in the $5,000 Great American Insurance Group 1.35m Jumper Stake.
Hunter Champey and Jisborn © Kind Media Taylor Cawley and Klaartje Z
Baylee Rowan was honored as the winner of the Kathy Scholl Equitation Challenge, awarded to the top overall accumulated points-earner in all equitation classes 3’6″ and above; and Holland McDonough was presented the Hollow Brook Wealth Management Junior Sportsmanship Award, given to the junior rider who best personifies the highest standards of integrity, sportsmanship, honor, kindness and generosity throughout the 2026 Lake Placid Horse Shows.
Baylee Rowan © Kind Media Holland McDonough
Among the week’s Hunter champions were Valencio, owned by Frances Moppett and shown by Amanda Steege, who won the Championship in the 3’6” High Performance/Performance Hunter Division. In the Green Hunter 3’6” division, St. Moritz, owned by Susan Moriconi and shown by Michael Andrade, won the championship. Londarco, owned by Elizabeth Sobel and shown by Michael Desiderio, won the Performance Hunter Grand Championship. Irene Neuwirth and Scout’s Honor earned the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship
Valencio with Amanda Steege © Kind Media St. Moritz with Michael Andrade
Londarco with Michael Desiderio © Kind Media Irene Neuwirth with Scout’s Honor
Located in the historic Olympic town of Lake Placid, NY, the annual Lake Placid Horse Shows offer two weeks of exciting equestrian competition in a setting no other horse show can match that helps make the Lake Placid Horse Shows, “The Best Two Weeks of a Horseman’s Summer!” LPHS hosts competitions for riders of all levels and ages ranging from young children on polished ponies, to glistening hunters and Olympic veterans aboard their grand prix mounts. Competition starts at 8:00 a.m. daily and features classes running simultaneously in four spectacular show rings.
Feature class winners during Week 2 included:
Wednesday, July 1 – Brianne Goutal-Marteau on S&L Marlon VD Heffinck in the $5,000 North Star Equine Sports Medicine 3* Two-Phase; Goutal-Marteau on Imogen D’Aiguilly in the Hampton Inn and Suites 1.40m Jumper Class.
Thursday, July 2 – Giavanna Rinaldi on Big Beauty Z in the $45,000 Brianne Goutal LLC 3* Jump-off; Hunter Champey on Jisborn in the Wolfstone Stables 1.40m Speed Challenge; Devin Ryan on Under Armor Waldstar Z in the Copperline Young Jumpers 1.30m Speed Class; Rylynn Conway on Bonhomme Richard in the Highpoint Stables 1.40m Junior/Amateur Jumper Class.
Friday, July 3 – $32,000 Purina Animal Nutrition 3* Speed Class; Laura Chapot on Ciego in the $5,000 Merrill L. Thomas, Inc. 1.25m Jumper Classic; Ava Papez on Hamilton in the $1,000 Camp Treetops and North Country School NAL Children’s Hunter Classic; Logan Baras on On Your Mark won the $2,500 Whiteface Club and Resort Pony Hunter Classic; and in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by Perfect Products, David Wilbur won the Open on Culiko EB and Elizabeth Rinehart won the Junior/Amateur on Talk.
Saturday, July 4 – Hunter Champey on Jisborn in the $5,000 Great American Insurance Group 1.35m Jumper Stake; Taylor Cawley on Klaartje Z to victory in the $15,000 Horseflight SJHOF 1.45m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic; Molly Ashe Cawley on Lorona in the $100,000 FEI 3* Richard Feldman Memorial Grand Prix.
Sunday, July 5 – JJ Torano on Dora Du Valon in the $25,000 Knockers Field/Postage Stamp Farm 1.45m Jumper Classic; Campbell Brown on Caiam D’Ivraie in the $10,000 Grandview Lake Placid 1.35m SJHOF Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic; Georgina Jewell in the $5,000 Lutz Manfredi 1.25m Junior Jumper Classic; Jole Kosloske on Floralie De Riverland in the $5,000 Chrome Horse Society Tequila 1.25m Amateur Jumper Classic; Sophie Schaeffner on Kokonut RFB in The Hooker Family 1.15m Junior Jumper Classic; Wendy Chapot Nunn on Miss Keros in the Higher Ground Farm 1.15m Amateur Jumper Classic; Lindsey Delfiandra on Frybalia SMH in the MMK Equestrian 1.05m Amateur Jumper Classic; Logan Elizabeth Smith on Queen B De Boerendans in the 1.05m Junior Jumper Classic; Irene Neuwirth on Scout’s Honor in the 3’6” Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic; Margot Peroni on Yesterday in the 3’3” Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic; Valerie Colin on Connect The Dots in the NAL Adult Amateur Hunter Classic.
The Lake Placid Horse Shows are available at ClipMyHorse.TV. The Grand Prix live streaming was sponsored by Hollow Brook Wealth Management, who also sponsored the Hollow Brook Wealth Management Junior Sportsmanship Award. This award recognizes the junior rider who best personifies the highest standards of integrity, sportsmanship, honor, kindness and generosity throughout the 2026 Lake Placid Horse Shows.
LPHSA, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that runs the Lake Placid Horse Show, a hallmark of the summer equestrian season which presents two weeks of world-class competition at the historic North Elba Showgrounds in Lake Placid, New York. Attracting top riders and horses from across the globe, the shows feature prestigious hunter, jumper, and equitation classes, including FEI-rated events. Steeped in tradition and set against the stunning backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains, the Lake Placid Horse Show, a USEF Heritage competition, offers a unique blend of high-level equestrian sport and family-friendly entertainment, contributing significantly to the region’s economy and community spirit. All donations are tax-deductible (TIN: 82-5074078). Further information for exhibitors, spectators, sponsors, and donors is available at www.lakeplacidhorseshows.org or by calling 518-523-9625.
Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!
Many sponsors and supporters have joined with the Lake Placid Horse Shows (LPHS) to undertake this significant effort to upgrade the showgrounds and invest in the future of the LPHS. This joint effort of dedicated equestrians, the Town of North Elba, and local Lake Placid supporters will continue to foster equestrian excellence, family fun and community bonds in the heart of the picturesque Adirondacks. LPHS would like to thank our partners who have joined us in this effort, including The Bainbridge Companies LLC, Sea Shore Stables LLC, 1800 Tequila/Empire Merchants North, Alorian Saddlery, AS Stables, Brianne Goutal LLC, Camp Treetops, Charles Ancona, Dalman Jump Co., Eastern Hay Corp., Essex Classics, FarmVet, Grandview Lake Placid, Great American Insurance Group, Hampton Inn, High Peaks Resort, Higher Ground Farm, Highport Stables, Hollow Brook Wealth Management, Horseflight, IGEA, Lukens Horse Transportation, Lutz Manfredi, McLain Ward, Inc., Merrill L. Thomas, Inc., Mirror Lake Inn/The Cottage Café, Mobile Tack, Mrs. Pastures Cookies, NGP Future’s Program, North Country School, North Star Equine Sports Medicine, Northland, Pepsico, Perfect Products, Postage Stamp Farm Foundation, Purina Animal Nutrition, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), Rood & Riddle, Saratoga Horseworks, Stonehenge Stables, The Caristo Family, The Clothes Horse, The Hooker Family, Trelawny Farm, Whipstick Farm, Whiteface Lodge, Wölffer Estate Vineyard, and Wolfstone Stables.
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