Eve Jobs and Sandor de la Pomme. Photo By: The Book, LLC.
Devon, Pa. – May 28, 2016 – Eve Jobs has closed out her first and last Junior Weekend at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair on a spectacular note. Competing in the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic, Jobs and Sandor de la Pomme topped an eight-horse jump-off to take home the prestigious victory. Combined with a second place finish during Friday night’s event, Jobs also captured the Junior Jumper Championship and the Leading Junior Jumper Rider Award for her outstanding performances over the weekend.
“This is my first time here at Devon, and it’s my last class here, so I couldn’t have imagined a better way to end it,” expressed Jobs. “I think my horses have been so consistent and so amazing all three days. To win the Leading Junior Jumper Rider Award is just so special to me, because it showed that I was consistent over the last three days, which is important to me.”
Twenty-eight entries took their turn over the Kelvin Bywater course, but only eight were able to advance to the final tiebreaker. Emma Sargent and Winchester set the time to beat as the first pair to complete the jump-off without error, but they were more conservative with a time of 43.634 seconds.
Jobs and Sandor de la Pomme entered the ring one round later and still had three horses coming behind them. Leaving nothing to chance, they made tight turns and galloped speedily through the timers in 37.109 seconds to take over the top spot.
“The plank was a very careful jump, so we definitely practiced it in the warm-up with the short turn,” noted Jobs. “I was most worried about that jump. After that it was just nice. I had a rub on the last two fences, and I got lucky today. I couldn’t have asked for more from my horse.”
None of the other riders were able to best Jobs’ time and leave the jumps intact. McKayla Langmeier had the fastest 4-fault round as the pathfinder during the tiebreaker with Manhattan. Their beautiful effort earned them the third place honors as well as the Shalanno Style of Riding Award, which is presented to the junior rider who best exemplifies the American style of equitation.
The fourth place award went to Giavanna Rinaldi and Dulf van den Bisschop, who also had one rail, while Friday night’s winners Madison Goetzmann and Wrigley rounded out the top five and earned the Junior Jumper Reserve Championship.
Seventeen-year-old Jobs began riding Sandor de la Pomme in December of 2014 and has been riding with Missy Clark and John Brennan since she was 12 years old. “I’ve had Sandor de la Pomme for about a year and a half,” said Jobs. “He is the most amazing horse. I have so many incredible things to say about him. He has brought me up from the 1.30m to this level. He’s really a once in a lifetime horse.”
Although this is Jobs’ last junior year, she is dedicated to the sport and plans to spend the summer in Europe and take a gap year before college to focus on riding. “I plan to be down in Florida after Finals in November,” she stated. “I have a great group of horses under me right now and great trainers. We’ll see where it takes us!”
Jobs concluded, “I’d love to thank my groom, Ruben Herrera, and the whole staff at North Run. There are so many people who put in all the time and work. It really makes the job easier for me.”
The action will continue Sunday with the Carriage Pleasure Drive and Pony Jumper Championship. Highlight events during the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair include the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4*.
The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair is the longest running and largest outdoor multi-breed competition in the United States. With the grandeur of Philadelphia’s prestigious Main Line setting the stage, the event features a world-class field that annually ranks among the most prominent internationally. The event also includes the Country Fair that offers world-class shopping, rides and games for kids, multiple dining options and special entertainment events.
For more information, please visit www.DevonHorseShow.net.
Emma Kurtz Outshines the Field in Junior Hunter Divisions
For junior superstar Emma Kurtz, delivering four amazing rounds atop the stunning Evermore to sweep the Small Junior Hunter 15 and Under division was a piece of cake. The judges also selected Kurtz and Evermore as the winners of the Angelo Perpetual Trophy for exemplifying classic hunter style.
Evermore is a fairly new ride for Kurtz, who said the 6-year-old gelding set foot in the Dixon Oval for the first time on Friday. Kurtz and Scott Stewart both showed Evermore at WEF and Kentucky in the Juniors and First Years, respectively, before heading to Devon.
“He’s pretty impressive, but I had no expectations at all for him,” Kurtz explained. “I know he’s an amazing horse, but he’s still green, so sometimes he makes mistakes; it’s normal. And then after I won both classes the first day, the second day was the same thing. The handy was a little difficult, so I wanted to have a smooth round and not scare him or anything. He jumped it great, so it was good.”
In addition to the division championship, Kurtz and Evermore rode away with the Overall Small Junior Hunter Championship and the Devon Grand Junior Hunter Championship.
“It was incredible,” Kurtz smiled. “We just kept having to keep circling back. It was funny. I think I have five new saddle pads.”
Emma’s mother, Chris Kurtz, said she was very proud of her daughter.
“It’s a very unique situation for us where she doesn’t own anything of her own,” Chris explained. “Her dad is a high school math teacher. To be able to do this at this level… just the people and the support are incredible. Amanda (Lyerly) looks out for her and is always coordinating things for her. She obviously has to ride well and keep the rides, but the generosity of people has been overwhelming.”
Kurtz also earned the honor of second-best child rider on a horse, while the top honors went to McKayla Langmeier. Lucy Deslauriers earned the third place recognition, and Coco Fath earned enough points for fourth.
“It’s amazing,” Langmeier said. “I actually thought Emma was going to get it. The week started out really well because I had my horse in the equitation that I’ve known forever, and then John (Brennan) was so nice to let me ride his two hunters. It’s such a prestigious horse show, and it’s an anniversary year, which makes it even more special.”
The Overall Large Junior Hunter Championship was awarded to Teddy Vlock and Grey Street, who also earned the championship in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division.
Vlock, who only began riding four years ago, said Grey Street was his first junior hunter. Over the course of a year, the duo went from being unable to claim even a reserve championship to being crowned circuit champions at WEF and winning at Devon.
“He’s a horse of a lifetime for me,” Vlock said. “Not only is he a famous horse, but he’s also helped me get some exposure. I’m really grateful to him. My other horses are actually easier for me to find the jumps on, but I just have such a good connection with him at this point that I ride him better. The more rounds I get with him, the better it gets. He’s been awesome all year. He’s number one in the country right now.”
The reserve championship in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division went to Hunter Siebel and Pure Abundance.
In the Large Junior Hunter 15 and Under division, Kaitlyn Williams and Rockette earned enough points to come away with the championship. McKayla Langmeier and Levland were awarded the reserve championship honors.
The Small Junior Hunter 15 and Under championship went to Emma Kurtz and Evermore, while the reserve championship was earned by McKayla Langmeier and Maraschino.
In the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division, the championship was claimed by Hunter Siebel and Krave, with Bergen Sanderford and Perspective picking up the reserve championship.
Augusta Iwasaki and Kingston Earn Devon Grand Hunter Pony Championship
The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair added several more champions to its historic list of victors on Saturday. With Junior Weekend winding down, many young and hopeful riders awaited to hear final results announced in the Gold Ring. However, only one was crowned the Devon Grand Hunter Pony Champion and that was Augusta Iwasaki.
The 12-year-old rider and her 13-year-old mount, Kingston, had a triumphant weekend in the Large Pony Hunter division. Over the course of two days, Iwasaki secured three first place ribbons to lock in the Large Pony Hunter Championship and the overall Grand Hunter Pony Championship.
“He’s perfect,” Iwasaki said about Kingston. “He’s amazing. He takes some leg, but not a lot of it. Other than that, he’s perfect. It felt really good to win the Grand Champion at Devon. It’s my favorite horse show.”
Liz Reilly, who assumes the role of mother and trainer, shed some light on her daughter’s training. “They work on being straight,” she commented. “Other than that, she takes lessons with the big kids. They could jump the horse jumps, take the horse strides. We don’t do pony lessons. Kingston is a ‘freak-a-zoid’ of a pony. He’s very special.”
Also celebrating victories in the Gold Ring was the Gochman family. Sisters, Mimi and Sophie Gochman, secured multiple tricolor ribbons on Saturday.
The reserve championship title in the Large Pony Hunter division went to the older of the two siblings, Mimi Gochman, who also earned the reserve honors in the Medium Pony Hunter division.
“Devon is one of the best shows,” Mimi expressed. “It’s one of my favorites, for sure. I love Devon. Being reserve at Devon is a big honor, because it’s hard to qualify, hard to do well and even harder to get reserve.”
Sharing her sentiments about Devon was Mimi’s younger sister, Sophie, who rode away with the champion and reserve champion recognition in the Small Pony Hunter division.
“This is one of my favorite shows,” Sophie said. “It’s such a privilege to be here and to qualify. I love the fair. I love showing here. It’s such a great atmosphere. I love the crowds.”
Sophie posed with Bit of Love for the championship presentation photo, before running out of the ring and swapping ponies for the reserve championship photo op with Love Me Tender. Between the two ponies, Sophie rode away with five blue ribbons.
“Bit of Love is a little bit more round,” Sophie said, while comparing her ponies. “His stride is a bit bouncier, while Love Me Tender is really long and low. For Love Me Tender you have to be really soft on her neck, or she gets a little sassy. For Bit of Love, you just have to move very slow and smooth.”
The New York natives train with Scott Stewart and Ken Berkley at River’s Edge Farm, and have been working out of the New Jersey base for about three years.
“I’ve known Scott for a really long time,” Sophie shared. “He knows my quirks. He tells me I have to stay still and calm down. He’s so great and I’ve learned so much since I’ve been with him.”
Grace Debney was crowned champion of the Medium Pony Hunter division. She pulled double duties in the medium pony classes, riding Sportster and Denmark.
“Sportster is kind of slow, but he has an amazing personality,” Debney said about her top-performing pony. “He’s kind of goofy and he’s so sweet. He just wants to do his job right. We’ve been together for a year.”
Proud trainer, Stacey Schaefer, shared her thoughts on the two ponies and how they’ve transformed Debney’s riding. “It was nice that Denmark got to win a class here, because he’s been a rock, and he’s shown her the way. Without him she could never have learned to ride Sporty. Denmark has won the USEF Pony Medal finals a few times – he’s been great. He hasn’t been here for a long time because he hasn’t had that hard of a job. But it was easy for her to get him qualified without going to many horse shows. He’s definitely special.”
The Junior Weekend will come to a close on Sunday with the highlight event being Pony Jumper Championship, and the Adult Jumpers will close out the evening session at the Dixon Oval.
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