For Immediate Release

Jennifer Ward for Starting Gate Communications

MEDIA CONTACT: cell: (613) 292-5439 or www.startinggate.ca

The Equinox Resort & Spa Renews Grand Prix Sponsorship
With the Vermont Summer Festival

East Dorset, VT — January 27, 2006 – For the fifth consecutive year, The Equinox Resort & Spa has partnered with the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show as a Grand Prix presenting sponsor.

The five-week Vermont Summer Festival will be held from July 12 to August 13, 2006, at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT, just outside of the Village of Manchester. The Manchester-based Equinox Resort & Spa, one of the premier properties in the RockResorts portfolio, will be the presenting sponsor of the $30,000 Mt. Equinox Grand Prix to be held Sunday, July 30, during the third week of competition, the Valley Classic Horse Show. The final Exhibitor Party, hosted by the Vermont Summer Festival, will also be held at The Equinox Resort & Spa on Wednesday, August 9.

“The Vermont Summer Festival exhibitors have been enjoying the fine services and friendly staff of The Equinox for years, and they are now also taking advantage of the beautiful Gleneagles Golf Course and the luxurious Avanyu Spa during their free time,” recognized Dotty Ammerman, Executive Director of the Vermont Summer Festival. “While our competitors love the rural nature of the Manchester area, they also appreciate luxury and first-rate amenities in their accommodations.”

The Equinox Resort & Spa was established in 1769 and is situated on 1,300 acres between the Green and Taconic Mountains. The property features 183 rooms and suites, as well as three restaurants and a wide variety of creature comforts, all within its New England village setting. For the past 14 years, it has been a recipient of the AAA Four Diamond Award.

“It is a priority at the Equinox to support community events that promote business and tourism in the region, making this partnership a natural,” noted Courtney Lowe, Sales and Marketing Director of the Equinox Resort. “We look forward to providing the horse show clientele with first-class, personal service and are prepared to customize their stay with a wide range of activities that include such unique programs as our Off-Road Driving School, fly fishing, and courses in falconry.”

The Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest “AA” rated hunter/jumper horse show circuit. This year’s competition features a weekly $10,000 Mini Prix, four USEF-recognized $30,000 Grand Prix events and a USEF-recognized $50,000 Grand Prix to be held on August 13, the final day of competition.

Each of the five weeks will also feature a $10,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class, part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series which determines which junior and amateur-owner riders qualify to compete at the 2006 National Horse Show. There will also be Marshall & Sterling and North American League (NAL) Child/Adult Classics and NAL Open Speed classes. For more information on the 2006 Vermont Summer Festival, please call (802) 496-9667, or e-mail.

For more information on The Equinox Resort & Spa, please visit www.equinox.rockresorts.com or contact Courtney Lowe at (802) 362-7894 or clowe@equinoxresort.com.

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