On Saturday, August 8, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT, Alexa Lowe-Wiseman of Upperville, VA and Ami Du Hoissoit boasted the day's only double-clear performance to win the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix. Twenty entries contested the final grand prix, but only three double-clears advanced. In the jump-off, Lowe-Wiseman and Ami Du Hoissoit were the only combination to jump a second double-clear round to harvest the win.

An amateur jumper rider based at Windsor Farm in Upperville, Lowe-Wiseman imported Ami two years ago and only stepped the now 9-year-old Belgian-bred gelding up to grand prix in June at the Upperville Jumper Classic where he went clear in the first round with 1 time fault.

In the Vermont grand prix, Lowe-Wiseman had two horses entered; Gringo, with whom she jumped sixth in the order of go, and Ami in the 17th slot. "I overrode my first one a little and had two rails down," she said. "I knew there weren't going to be a lot clear after that, but I also knew I had to keep my head for Ami."

First to jump off was Melissa Orlick-Zbierkski (FL) riding Bonzay, who clocked a fast 45:50, but had a rail to finish second. Elizabeth Mahoney (NY) and Mimosa, incurred four faults on a time of 51:94 for third. Fourth place went to Manuel Torres (Leesburg) and Anabella, owned by Santa Catalina Farm (Waterford, VA), who scored the fastest 4-fault first-round on 78.48.

In the jump-off, "I was so lucky to go last," said Lowe-Wiseman. "Ami wants to jump the jumps clean, so normally if I stay out of his way that's what happens. I still went for it. The horse has everything, and I hope to be able to jump some big tracks with him in the future."