Tag Archives: Devon Horse Show

Awards, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Laura Chapot Earns Devon Leading Open Jumper Rider Award and Open Jumper Championship

June 1, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Laura Chapot in her winning presentation. Photo © The Book LLC.

Devon, PA – May 31, 2014 – The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair featured its final night of Open Jumper competition under the bright lights of the Dixon Oval on Saturday with a win for Todd Minikus of Lake Worth, FL, and Quality Girl in the $50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake sponsored by Land Rover/Jaguar of the Main Line. Minikus earned The John Wanamaker Perpetual Trophy for his win and went on to take home the tricolor for reserve champion in the Open Jumper division. Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ guided Mary Chapot’s Zealous to the division championship. Chapot was then honored as the Leading Open Jumper Rider and Leading Lady Rider of the week.

For the Open Jumper Championship sponsored by The Capital Grille King of Prussia, Chapot was presented with The Little Big Man Challenge Trophy, an award which she previously retired and re-donated to the show. As the Leading Open Jumper Rider, an award sponsored by Thos. Moser, she was presented with The Orchard Lodge Perpetual Trophy in memory of Hope Montgomery Scott, donated by the Devon Horse Show Committee and Elizabeth Busch Burke. Chapot also earned the award for Leading Lady Rider in the Open Jumper division and was presented with the Carol Hoffman Thompson Leading Lady Rider Challenge Trophy.

“It’s great,” Chapot remarked of the Leading Rider title. “I have probably won it six times. I think it’s nice because to do that you have to be pretty consistent all week. To be consistent here at Devon and come out on top that many times is not so easy. There are a lot of good people here, and everyone is going to try to win. No one’s practicing in the ring.”

“I think that Devon is special because of the crowd, the excitement, and the atmosphere,” Chapot added. “It entices the horses to perform, and it is just exciting to be here.”

The Leading Lady Rider Award was especially meaningful for Chapot as the award was donated this year by the family and friends of Carol Hoffman Thompson, with whom the rider was very close.

“It is super meaningful. She was a great lady,” Chapot acknowledged. “She was an inspiration to me and helped me out a lot. It is a great honor to be the first name on that trophy. We were great friends, and she and my parents were on the team together. She was always there to lend a hand to anyone. She was a person you could call in the middle of the night and she would be there. She lent me a horse when I needed one for equitation finals one year and gave me advice if I had a question. It is a great honor; it’s great she has a trophy here at Devon, and to be the first name on that is super.”

*Catherine Wheeler and CH Swing An Singin. Photo © Doug Shiflet Photography*

Catherine Wheeler won the Three-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake Junior Exhibitor class, sponsored by Carol Hillenbrand in memory of Isabel Robson, with CH Swing An Singin, owned by Ceil and Kenny Wheeler. This is the second season Wheeler, of Charlottesville, VA, has competed with CH Swing An Singin. Wheeler noted, “She was really smooth. When she gets in the ring, she really just lights up. When she gets in there, she’s all business and tries hard. You can tell she really likes the show.” This was Wheeler’s second time winning at the Devon Horse Show. “I love Devon. It’s my favorite show. I love the atmosphere and seeing all the different breeds,” she said.

Devon Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Champion – David Gochman’s Empire and Becky Gochman
Awarded The Bond Street Perpetual Trophy donated by Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Scott

Amateur-Owner Hunter Over 35 Champion – David Gochman’s Empire and Becky Gochman
Awarded The Morris H. Dixon Memorial Challenge Trophy
Reserve Champion – KJ Robinson LLC’s Amarillo and Katie Robinson

Devon Leading Amateur-Owner Hunter Rider – Becky Gochman
Awarded The Thorndike Duncan Perpetual Memorial Trophy

The Sambalino Award – David Gochman’s Empire
Awarded The Sambalino Perpetual Trophy presented by The Gochman Family

Devon Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” Champion – Russian Gold and Kimberly Maloomian
Awarded The Jenepher McLean Kelly Challenge Trophy

Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” 18-35 Champion – Russian Gold and Kimberly Maloomian
Awarded The Kelly Lynn Parker Perpetual Trophy
Reserve Champion – Taylor Willever and Whisper

*Adrienne Marciano and Laspari. Photo © The Book LLC*

$20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic Winner – Adrienne Marciano and Laspari
Awarded The Good Enough Challenge Trophy donated by Wendy Chapot

Amateur-Owner Jumper Champion – Adrienne Marciano and Laspari
Awarded The Goblin Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. Sieta van Eesteren and daughter
Reserve Champion – Leah de Martini and Elm Rock LLC’s True Love

Leading Amateur-Owner Jumper Rider – Adrienne Marciano
Awarded The Marshall-Hale Perpetual Trophy

Three-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake Winner – Amateur – Ceil Wheeler with Ceil & Kenny Wheeler’s Kentucky Proud
Sponsored by Carol Hillenbrand in memory of Isabel Robson – Awarded The Champion Winter Day Challenge Trophy donated by Walter and Jackie Stred

Three-Gaited Park Horse Stake Winner – Open – Annika Bruggeworth and Revel
Sponsored by Elisabeth Goth

Single Hackney Horse Champion – Mark H. Schofield and Glenn A. Werry, Jr.’s Gosford Soloist
Sponsored by Glenn A. Werry, Jr. – Awarded The Henry G. Vaughan Memorial Perpetual Trophy

Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake Winner – Amateur – Allyson Ehle and Nancy Ehle’s Ava Gardner
Sponsored by Willisbrook Farm

Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 Champion – Pony Lane Farm’s Fredrick and Kelsey Thatcher
Sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott – Awarded The James J. Fallon Memorial Trophy
Reserve Champion – Tenerife and Noel Fauntleroy

Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” Over 35 Champion – Isalou, Inc.’s Winner and Daryl Portela
Reserve Champion – Academy Award and Jane Fraze

Local Hunter Section A Champion – Wizard of Oz and Madelyn Wojdak
Reserve Champion – Have a Little Faith and Abigail Davenport

Local Hunter Section B Champion – Gerald Camera’s Biarritz and Jeffrey Ayers
Reserve Champion – Quinn and Catharine Cox

The 2014 Devon Horse Show will conclude on Sunday young horse breeding classes. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the final day in the Dixon Oval is being live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Shownet shot individual video clips for purchase through the website www.shownet.biz of both the Dixon Oval and Gold Ring. If you have any questions, please contact info@shownet.biz.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Jennifer Wood

Smith Lilly and Central Perk Win Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake at Devon Horse Show

June 1, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Smith Lilly and Central Perk. Photo © Doug Shiflet Photography.

Devon, PA – May 30, 2014 – The Devon Horse Show & Country Fair hosted its ninth day of competition on Friday featuring hunters, jumpers, driving, gaited horses, Friesians, Hackney ponies, and much more. Concluding another exciting day, the $3,000 Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake class was held, sponsored by Willisbrook Farm, with a win for Smith Lilly and Woodlea Farms LLC’s Central Perk. For the win, the pair was presented The Walter Graham Memorial Perpetual Trophy donated by Willisbrook Farm.

Annika Bruggeworth’s Attache’s Crown Royal placed second with Dannette Musselman riding, and Geraldine Meanor’s CH Five O’Clock and Jason Molback earned the third place prize.

From Princeton, West Virginia, Smith Lilly operates his family’s Mercer Springs Farm, a public training stable specializing in American Saddlebreds. He showed Central Perk on Friday for owners Mike and Amy Stinnett of Woodlea Farms. Lilly also won the $5,000 Three-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake earlier in the evening with Woodlea Farms LLC’s My Hail Mary.

Five-Gaited winner, Central Perk, is a five-year-old gelding by Superb Manhattan. He was a World Champion three-year-old and now mostly shows in the amateurs with his owner, Amy Stinnett. Central Perk qualified for Friday night’s class by showing in the unique Five-Gaited Special that was held Wednesday night. The class brings a group of hunter and jumper riders together to show their skills aboard the gaited Saddlebreds. Central Perk finished fourth ridden by two-time U.S. Show Jumping Olympic Team Gold Medalist McLain Ward leading into Friday night.

“We really just brought him up for the special class, for the celebrity class for the jumper riders to ride the gaited horses, and then we thought, ‘Well, he’s up here. Let’s go ahead and show him,’” Lilly detailed. “I thought he could get a little more seasoning. He’s only been in training with us since January, so I’m trying to know him a little bit more. He’s certainly a quality animal. I thought it would just be a great opportunity to get to know him in the ring a little bit, and then he goes and pulls it off and wins. I was really proud of him.”

Speaking about Central Perk’s big win and the horse’s strengths and best qualities, Lilly described, “He is beautiful, the classic picture of what you want a five-gaited Saddlebred horse to look like. He absolutely just fits the mold. He is beautiful in every way, from the way he is turned out, to his beautiful hair coat and his head and ear. He just looks the part.”

“Beyond that, he has nice motion,” Lilly continued. “He is a square trotting horse. He is particularly classy at the slow gait. We call it a money gait. I knew he would have the best slow gait in the ring. The rack, he’s not the fastest horse yet, but he is younger than most. He is only five years old, and I think he will develop more speed as he comes along. I thought if we didn’t win tonight, it would be because we lacked a little foot speed. I tried to present him in a way where we sort of covered up that weakness as best we could and, fortunately, we were able to pull off the win.”

Lilly grew up in the horse business and has been coming to Devon for more than ten years. It is always a special show for him to compete at, and to have the opportunity to show Central Perk and win the big class was very exciting.

“I have been fortunate to win the gaited stake here one other time,” he recalled. “It has also always been fun to come up here and rub elbows with the big-time jumper trainers and learn what we can learn, and watch people like Guy McLean do their thing. It’s nice to be exposed to some different things.”

Lilly noted that the atmosphere of the Devon Horse Show makes competition even better. “The show horses love this ring, the saddle horses love it. It’s a big, open space to look at, and the crowd is always cheering. We say a cheering crowd makes everything about a show horse get better. We love coming to Devon with nice horses because they always seem to show well here,” he expressed.

Central Perk, named after the coffee shop from the television show ‘Friends,’ is also known as Joey in the barn after one of the show’s main characters. Lilly describes the horse as very “friendly and gregarious.”

Following his win at Devon, Central Perk will continue to compete with his owner long term, and Lilly hopes that he will continue to learn and improve.

“We’ll see if we can build on this experience and move forward,” he stated. “With a young horse, you just want them to keep getting better every show, and I think he’s doing that. Hopefully we can keep him on that path and see how good he can get.”

Coaching Champion – Tucker Johnson and the Johnson Brewster Road Coach
Sponsored by Travel Services
The Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Foster Bright Perpetual Trophy donated by the officers and members of the 1972 Devon Horse Show Committee

Three-Gaited Park Horse Amateur Stake Winner – Catherine Kunkel and Anderson Cooper
Sponsored by Elisabeth Goth

Western Country Pleasure Champion – Ali Degray and Helen Rich’s Starlite Voyager
Sponsored by Northwind Stables

*Rick Martin and Sue Me. Photo © Doug Shiflet Photography.*

Fine Harness Horse Champion – Rick Martin and Annika Bruggeworth’s Sue Me
Sponsored by Grey Ridge Farm Clients – Awarded The Vanity Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. & Mrs. James K. Robinson, Jr.

Hackney Pony Champion – Amateur to Drive – Toni Nastali and Heartland Rough and Ready
Sponsored by The Capital Grille King of Prussia – Awarded The Mrs. J. Macy Willets Perpetual Trophy

Friesian Horse Pleasure Saddle Champion – Annika Bruggeworth and Ilus Waldman
Sponsored by The Blackburn Family

$5,000 Three-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake Winner – Smith Lilly and Woodlea Farms LLC’s My Hail Mary
Sponsored by Carol Hillenbrand in memory of Isabel Robson – Awarded The Lena Solomon Perpetual Trophy donated by Mrs. Mildred S. Leboff

$1,500 Hackney/Harness Pony Champion – Amateur to Drive – Ali Degray and Helen Rich’s Mr. Brightside

Saddlebred Show Pleasure Driving Horse Champion – Cathy Rogers Holmes and Who
Sponsored by The Capital Grille King of Prussia

Single Roadster Pony Champion – Tom Fiedler and Heartland’s Showin’ Off
Sponsored by B&D Builders

$20,000 Open Jumper Gambler’s Choice – Charlie Jayne and Handel’s Classic
Sponsored by Lufthansa – Awarded the USET Foundation, Inc. Perpetual Trophy donated by Mr. & Mrs. Whitney Stone

*Laura Chapot and Zealous. Photo © The Book LLC.*

$7,500 Open Jumper Faults Converted – Laura Chapot and Mary Chapot’s Zealous
Awarded The Salem Perpetual Trophy donated by Carl Hofmann Thompson

$3,750 Amateur-Owner Jumper Accumulator – Kelsey Thatcher and Pony Lane Farm’s Everything
Sponsored by Lufthansa – Awarded the Ward Sullivan Perpetual Memorial Trophy

$3,750 Amateur-Owner Jumper Time First Jump-Off – David Oberkircher and Southfields Farm LLC’s Cadzand

For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Paul O’Shea and Primo de Revel Win $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon

May 30, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Paul O’Shea and Primo de Revel. Photos © The Book LLC.

Devon, PA – May 29, 2014 – The Devon Horse Show’s famous Dixon Oval hosted an exciting evening of grand prix show jumping Thursday night as fans watched Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and Primo de Revel jump to victory in the $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon, sponsored by Main Line Dental, Land Rover, and Horseshoe Trail Farm, LLC. In his first time ever competing at Devon, O’Shea took the victory gallop in front of thousands of cheering spectators in the highlight event of the week.

Olaf Petersen, Jr. set the course for thirty-one entries in Thursday’s $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon with nine clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. Four riders qualified two horses each, including USA’s McLain Ward and Laura Chapot, and Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and Kevin Babington. The short course saw five entries jump clear in the second round.

O’Shea set the pace with the first double clear round aboard Gotham Enterprizes’ River Dance Semilly in 43.63 seconds, which eventually finished fifth. Last year’s winners, McLain Ward and Sagamore Farms’ Rothchild, upped the ante in the next round, stopping the clock in a blazing 40.79 seconds to place third. Laura Chapot and Quointreau Un Prince, who she owns in partnership with Ward, put in the fourth place round in 41.95 seconds.

O’Shea went next with his second mount, Primo de Revel, and raced to the winning time of 38.95 seconds. The final clear jump-off round belonged to Todd Minikus and the Quality Group’s Quality Girl, who jumped into second place in 39.63 seconds despite breaking a rein on the third to last jump.

Primo de Revel, owned by Michael Hayden, is a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Quinault x Lys de Darmen. O’Shea has had the horse for seven years and has had a great partnership with him, including 11 grand prix victories. Although they have had many wins, this was one of the biggest, and it was a great moment in the rider’s career.

“What can I say? I loved it,” O’Shea said of his first Devon experience. “The atmosphere is obviously very special here. The crowd really gets into it, and it is just an incredible atmosphere and feeling here. I originally came to America through Harry Gill and Sherry Robertson, so I actually lived 20 minutes from here when I first came to America. I wasn’t at the show, but I know the area, so it is nice to be back here again.”

Commenting on the trust that he had in Primo de Revel to really go for the win in the jump-off, O’Shea detailed, “I have had him seven years now, so we know each other very well, and he is an extremely competitive horse. He is very rideable. He has a very good canter, so you can go quite fast on him and he doesn’t get long and flat. He is experienced against the clock. I watched McLain go, and I thought I just had to go as fast as I could. Everything worked out tonight.”

Watch an interview and the winning jump-off ride of Paul O’Shea!
Jump-off video courtesy of ShowNet.biz.

“He has been great since the start,” the rider further described. “He has a fantastic mind; that is his best trait I think. From one show to the next I never jump him because he is so easy, which is very unusual. He is just so balanced, and he just knows what to do. Obviously I don’t want to do too much with him, so I keep him fit on the flat and maybe jump once or twice for the first show of the year, but after that he just competes. I think that atmosphere here tonight helped him a little bit too. Some horses might get worse, but it actually raised him up.”

Last year’s winner McLain Ward did his best to defend his title with Rothchild this year, but ended up third. “He’s been here a few years. He won here last year when it was a little bit of a slower jump-off,” Ward noted of Rothchild. “Where I went in the order, it was the right round. It was just an amazing jump-off. Todd is one of the fastest riders in the world and Paul kicked his butt. I don’t think it was going to be very easy to beat him tonight. I don’t think there was much room.”

Thursday’s Grand Prix kicked off the 2014 Taylor Harris Insurance Services Triple Crown Challenge. As the night’s winner, O’Shea will have the opportunity to claim a $200,000 rider bonus if he and Primo de Revel can go on to win at the Hampton Classic Grand Prix and then again at the National Horse Show Grand Prix in Kentucky. O’Shea accepted a special award as the winner of the first leg of the challenge. For his grand prix victory, O’Shea was awarded with The Celeste McNeal Harper Perpetual Trophy. He was also presented with the Richard E. McDevitt Style Award, earning The Richard E. McDevitt Style Trophy donated by Mr. Wade L. McDevitt.

Mindful and Kelley Farmer Top $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

A $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby was held on Thursday afternoon, presented in honor of Kenneth and Sally Wheeler, with a win for Kelley Farmer of Keswick, VA, riding Glefke & Kensel LLC’s Mindful. Mindful, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Graf Grannus x Bold Indian), won his first derby with Farmer just a few weeks ago in Kentucky after transitioning out of the jumpers this winter. He was also presented with the High Performance Hunter division championship on Wednesday.

“He is an amazing animal,” Farmer stated after their win. “Everything I have asked of him he has not only given it to me, but far beyond. He has a ton of ability. He is so rideable, and the harder you ask him, the harder he tries.”

Thirty-three entries showed in the first round of Thursday’s hunter derby competition over a natural course set by Allen Rheinheimer of Zionsville, IN. The exhibitors were scored by two panels of judges, including Jack Towell and Chris Wynne on panel one and William Ellis and Brian Lenehan on panel two. The top twelve scoring entries from round one returned in reverse order over a second-round handy course to determine top honors.

Hayley Barnhill and John and Stephanie Ingram’s Airport 48 earned the high score of 184.5 to finish first in round one and added 204 points in round two to place second overall with a 388.5-point total.

Jennifer Alfano and Billie Steffee’s Maggie May earned the second highest score in round one of 176.5 and scored a 193 in round two to finish third overall with 369.5 points.

Farmer had the third, fourth and fifth place scores in round one and finished first, fourth and ninth overall with her top three mounts. Farmer showed five horses in the class, all owned by Glefke & Kensel LLC. Mindful took the win, earning the third best score of 176 in round one and moving up to earn the top score of 217 in round two for a 393-point total. Scripted finished fourth with 360 points after scores of 176 and 184 in the two rounds of competition.

Barnhill was also aboard a new mount who has transitioned from the jumpers with Airport 48 and competing in his second derby. The pair finished second behind Farmer and Mindful in their Kentucky win as well.

Barnhill noted, “He was so great. I could not have expected him to be better. We got him as an equitation horse for Martha Ingram, but he is seeming to be very ‘huntery.’ He is amazing at this job.”

With Barnhill ahead in round one, Farmer knew she needed an impressive handy round to pull off the win, and Mindful put in a fantastic performance.

Watch Kelley Farmer’s and Mindful’s winning handy hunter round!
Video courtesy of ShowNet.biz.

“The only way I was going to beat her is if I did what I did,” Farmer detailed. “I didn’t know if it was possible to catch her, but I figured I would try. He is light on his feet, and he is so athletic. Anything I have asked of him that I thought was on the verge of not possible he has done, and he has done easily. Every time I have walked in the ring and there was something hard, he has delivered completely.”

Jennifer Alfano was also very happy with her top finish aboard Maggie May, a young mare that she has brought along since the Pre-Green division. “I could not be happier with her. She just started doing the derbies this year, and she has actually been quite consistent. She really stepped up today, and I was thrilled with her,” Alfano stated. “She’s getting the hang of the derby thing, so I am excited about the future for her. I think she likes it, and it is great to see her progress. She was really quite green when we got her and she was a little slow coming along, but it has been worth it.”

Thursday Results

Coaching – Timed Obstacles – Tucker Johnson and Johnson Brewster Road Coach
Sponsored by Main Line Dental – Awarded the Vicmead Coaching and Driving Club Perpetual Trophy donated by George A. Weymouth

Three-Gaited Park Horse Open – Jan Lukens and Completely Caveat
Sponsored by Elisabeth Goth

Single Hackney Horse Open – Jeromy S. Smith and Brickell Robert
Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Glenn A. Werry, Jr. – Awarded The Devon Victory Perpetual Trophy donated by Jane McElree

Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Amateur – Allyson Ehle and Nancy Ehle’s Ava Gardner
Sponsored by Willisbrook Farm

Five-Year-Old Young Jumper – Clear Rounds:

Devin Ryan and Lori Larrabee’s Eddie Blue
Maggie Jayne and Alex Jayne’s Jolita
Colin Savaria and The Coverboy Group’s VDL Electra
Colin Savaria and Amanda Flint’s VDL White Chocolate

Six-Year-Old Young Jumper – Melissa Ruderhausen and Undelie de Roset

Seven-Year-Old Young Jumper – Devin Ryan and Eagle Valley Partners’ Cooper

Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper – Laura Chapot and Mary Chapot’s Castellana

The 2014 Devon Horse Show will continue on Friday with the start of Amateur-Owner Hunter and Jumper competition. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Shownet will be shooting individual video clips for purchase through the website www.shownet.biz of both the Dixon Oval and Gold Ring. If you have any questions, please contact info@shownet.biz or ask for Tony in the exhibitor lounge at the side gate.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation

Scripted Takes Devon Grand Hunter Championship with Leading Hunter Rider Kelley Farmer

May 29, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Kelley Farmer and Scripted. Photo © The Book LLC.

Devon, PA – May 28, 2014 – The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair hosted its final day of professional hunter divisions on Wednesday and awarded Grand Hunter and Leading Rider awards for its 2014 competition. For the second year in a row, Kelley Farmer of Keswick, VA was Devon’s Leading Hunter Rider as well as the Leading Lady Rider in the High Performance division. She guided Glefke & Kensel LLC’s Scripted to the Devon Grand Hunter Championship after taking top honors in the Green Conformation Hunter division.

Scripted, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding by Sandro Hit, earned the most points out of all of the divisions with first, second, second, and third place ribbons in the four classes of Green Conformation Hunters over fences as well as a win under saddle. He was also the division’s model winner. For the Grand Hunter Championship, Scripted was presented The Fourth Sally Deaver Murray Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. Ernest Scott and Mr. & Mrs. Stillman F. Kelley II.

Along with Scripted’s division championship, Farmer topped three divisions this week to earn the Leading Hunter Rider title. She also guided Glefke & Kensel LLC’s So To Speak to the First Year Green Hunter championship and won the High Performance Working Hunter championship with Glefke and Kensel LLC’s Mindful.

Scott Stewart won the other two divisions, taking the Regular Conformation Hunter Championship with Krista and Alexa Weisman’s Showman and the Second Year Green Hunter Championship with David Gochman’s Mythical. He dominated Devon’s Leading Hunter Rider title from 2009-2012, but Farmer has edged him out the last two years.

As Leading Hunter Rider, Farmer was awarded The Hope Montgomery Scott Perpetual Trophy presented in her honor by the 1985 Devon Horse Show Committee. For the Leading Lady Rider award in the High Performance division, she was presented The Tarad Hill Perpetual Trophy presented by Mr. & Mrs. Leonard A. King in memory of Betty Jane Baldwin Meister.

“Last year was the first year I dethroned Scott,” Farmer said of taking over the title. “It has been close for the last few years. The rivalry definitely makes me sharper; any good competition does when you show against the best.”

Farmer was Best Child Rider at Devon when she was young and has continued to excel. The Devon Leading Hunter Rider title was always something she hoped to achieve. “It has been a goal since I started,” she stated. “I have always thought about it, but until you are here and have the horses, until you find that it is within your grasp, it doesn’t matter what we know and what we learn unless you have the animals to do it. I am very fortunate that I have great horses and very fortunate that the people around me have supported that.”

Farmer’s top mount Scripted is a special horse for Larry Glefke. He was originally intended to do dressage, but found his way to Lane Change Farm instead and is what Glefke describes as the perfect picture of conformation.

“I have never had a horse with as beautiful a hind leg,” Glefke noted. “If you were to write a book on how a conformation horse is supposed to be built that would be it. He is beautiful. He came with an immense attitude, but he is a quiet, kind horse. He is a great horse, one of my favorite horses. You can do anything in the world with him and once you turn to the jump, I would very seldom say this, but that horse has as good a timing as Kelley Farmer does.”

Farmer commented on Scripted, explaining, “The ride is to do nothing. He wants you to leave him alone. He is a very quiet horse, and he has so much ability, but he wants it to be his opinion. He wants you not to get in his way. He is so talented. He is an amazing horse to ride and you feel like you could jump this building; he has so much ability.”

Regular Conformation Hunter Champion – Krista and Alexa Weisman’s Showman and Scott Stewart
Awarded The Charlotte I. Montgomery Perpetual Trophy
Reserve Champion – Glefke and Kensel LLC’s Quotable and Kelley Farmer

High Performance Working Hunter Champion – Glefke and Kensel LLC’s Mindful and Kelley Farmer
Awarded The Second Pin Oak Farm Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. & Mrs. Albert D. Williams, Jr.
Reserve Champion – Stephanie Danhakl’s Golden Rule and Scott Stewart

Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Special – Jennifer Alfano and Ceil & Kenny Wheeler’s CH Callaway’s Born For This
Sponsored by Willisbrook Farm

Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Open – Jason Molback and Geraldine Meanor’s CH Five O’Clock
Sponsored by Willisbrook Farm – Awarded The Callaway’s Mr. Republican Challenge Trophy donated by Walter and Jackie Stred

Leading Mare in the High Performance Hunter Division – Douglas and Kenneth Wheeler’s Queen Lattifa with Hunt Tosh

Awarded The “Bunty” Sellers Perpetual Trophy donated by Joannah Hall Glass and the Trophy committee in loving memory of Mrs. “Bunty” Sellers

Devon Leading Groom Award – Pancho Gomez (Groom of Scripted)
Awarded The Gerald Johnson Perpetual Memorial Trophy

Ladies Side Saddle Champion – Susan Sisco and Lauren Shock’s Capezio
Sponsored by Holly H. Griffin – Gowrie Group & Great American Insurance Co.
Awarded The True Blue Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. Robert E. Rogers & Mrs. John B. Denegre

$1,500 Seven-Year-Old Young Jumper Winner – Candice King and Louisburg Farm’s Diamond of Picobello Z

$1,500 Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Winner– Laura Chapot and The Edge’s Out of Ireland

The 2014 Devon Horse Show will continue on Thursday with an exciting line-up of competition, including the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented in honor of Kenneth and Sally Wheeler, and the $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon sponsored by Main Line Dental/Land Rover/Horseshoe Trail Farm, LLC. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Driving, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Laura Chapot Kicks Off Open Jumpers with Back to Back Wins at Devon Horse Show

May 28, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Laura Chapot and Quointreau Un Prince. Photos © The Book LLC.

Devon, PA – May 27, 2014 – The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair hosted its first day of Open Jumper competition on Tuesday with double wins for local favorite Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, NJ. Chapot and the 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding Quointreau Un Prince (Diamant de Semilly x Rosire), owned by Chapot and McLain Ward, took the win in the first jump-off class.

An Open Jumper speed competition was also held in the evening with another win for Chapot aboard Mary Chapot’s Zealous, a 10-year-old Hanoverian/KWPN mare (Royal Kaliber x Starman). Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines through Sunday, June 1.

Kicking off the Open Jumper competition on Tuesday, Germany’s Olaf Petersen, Jr. set the track for 24 entries in the $10,000 jump-off class with eight jumping clear in the first round, and seven double clear rounds over the short course after one withdraw. In a time of 38.917 seconds, Laura Chapot and Quointreau Un Prince took top honors to earn The Sylvester L. Quigley Memorial Challenge Trophy.

Candice King and Louisburg Farm’s Balous Day Date finished second in 39.365 seconds. Ali Wolff and John Wolff’s Brianda placed third in 39.368 seconds, and Hayley Waters and Chuck Waters’ Fidele finished fourth in 39.803 seconds.

“It sure is a good way to kick off the week. There is nothing like winning the first class,” Chapot smiled following her round of honor. “This is a special show. You have a lot of fans that come out and a lot of local people who really enjoy the horses. They are always out there cheering for you, which is great. It’s a nice horse show, and it gets the horses a little pumped up too because there is always a good crowd.”

“I was just very pleased,” Chapot said of her winning round with Quointreau Un Prince. “He was very brave and excited today. I knew that everyone was going fast, so there was no holding back in the jump-off this time.”

The exciting atmosphere of the Dixon Oval and the cheering fans helped get Chapot’s mount revved up in his jump-off round. “It makes it a little easier for me to ride because he is more pumped up and has a lot more energy and spunk,” she noted, going on to detail where she was fastest on course. “I think probably to the third fence in the jump-off. I thought I cut that pretty well and he took a good long distance there, and also the long distance across the center. He has a really big stride, so when I gallop it really opens up and I think he picked up a little bit of time there.”

After winning the jump-off class, Chapot then went on to top the $10,000 Open Jumper speed class with Zealous, earning The Second Erdenheim Farm Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. & Mrs. F. Eugene Dixon, Jr.

Twenty entries showed with five clear rounds. Chapot and Zealous completed the course in the fastest time of 62.40 seconds. Charlie Jayne finished second and third, taking second place honors in 67.78 seconds with Alex Jayne’s Top Top, and placing third in 68.56 seconds with Pony Lane Farm’s Valeska. Hayley Waters once again finished fourth, stopping the clock in 68.74 seconds with Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Waters’ No Doubt.

Hunter Champions

First Year Green Hunter Champion – Glefke & Kensel LLC’s So To Speak and Kelley Farmer
Sponsored by Dr. Betsee Parker/Hunterland – Awarded The James J. Piehler Memorial Challenge Trophy
Reserve Champion – Deborah Perkins’ Set To Music and Havens Schatt

Green Conformation Hunter Champion – Glefke & Kensel LLC’s Scripted and Kelley Farmer
Awarded The Just For Fun-Two For One Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. Haywood Nelms
Reserve Champion – Dr. Betsee Parker’s Lucador and Scott Stewart

Second Year Green Hunter Champion – David Gochman’s Mythical and Scott Stewart
Sponsored by Frontier Farms/Jane G. Andrew – Awarded The Fisher & Son Co. Challenge Trophy
Reserve Champion – Stephanie Danhakl’s Golden Rule and Scott Stewart

Driving

The Single Horse Driving Championship was also awarded on Tuesday with a win for the Demarino Ralli Cart, owned and driven by Betsy Demarino, VMD.

The 2014 Devon Horse Show will continue on Wednesday with presentations of the 2014 Grand Hunter Champion and Leading Hunter Rider. The day will feature more Open Jumper competition as well as the Five Gated Special, Young Jumpers, Ladies Side Saddle, Hackney Ponies, Gaited Horses and much more. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Nancy Hooker and Corianos Boy Win Adult Amateur Jumper Classic at Devon Horse Show

May 27, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Nancy Hooker and Corianos Boy. Photos © The Book LLC.

Devon, PA – May 26, 2014 – The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair continued with its fifth day of competition on Monday featuring a win for Nancy Hooker of Wellington, FL in the $7,500 NAL Adult Amateur Jumper Classic aboard Heather Hooker’s Corianos Boy. Alissa Kinsey of Danville, NH took home the division’s overall championship after back to back wins on Sunday and Monday afternoon with Grisset. Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines in Devon, PA through Sunday, June 1.

Monday evening’s feature competition was the $7,500 NAL Adult Amateur Jumper Classic, sponsored by The Capital Grille King of Prussia, with 20 entries competing over a course set by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany. Showing under the bright lights of the famous Dixon Oval, nine entries advanced to the tie-breaking jump-off, and four cleared the short course without fault. First to jump off, Nancy Hooker and Corianos Boy set an unbeatable pace in 32.24 seconds for the win.

Lynn Seithel and Midori finished second in 32.83 seconds. Wendy Chapot Nunn and Chado Farms’ Face Value placed third in 35.01 seconds, and Katie Carson and Aburhal earned fourth place honors with a time of 35.70 seconds.

“I knew I was beatable,” Hooker said of her lead-off round over the short course. “I left the door open a little bit, and there were some real competitors out there tonight. It was nerve-wracking to go first and hope. When I was getting ready for the jump-off I said, ‘Well, I am just going to have to make everybody chase me and hope they make a mistake.’ That’s what happened to a few people. I was hoping it would hold up, but you never know. I was on pins and needles.”

“I was going to stay on my horse and just stay in the schooling area, but my trainer made me come up and watch,” Hooker noted. “Ken Berkley helps me with the jumpers. He was very excited. All winter long he has been after me to ride for the win. He really takes his job seriously, and it was so rewarding to have him be almost more excited that I was. It is a real accomplishment for him too, to have us all do well.”

Although Hooker has shown at Devon in the hunters and won a class in the Amateur-Owner Hunter division in 2013, this was her first time competing at the show in the jumpers. Corianos Boy, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Coriano x Martel), is a new mount owned by her daughter, Heather, who is away at college.

“It was my daughter’s horse and she showed it here in the High Junior Jumper Classic a few years ago,” Hooker detailed. “She has gone away to college, so I stole him. I am wearing her clothes and riding her horse. She’ll be here Thursday and Friday showing in the Amateur-Owner Jumpers on her other horse. I started riding this one in Florida. It’s a team effort. He lives at home with me, and I take care of him every day. I took care of him when she rode him, so he has been my baby for a few years.”

“He was kind of without a job, so I thought, ‘Let’s try it,’” Hooker continued. “Everybody kind of doubted whether or not we would get along and what would happen, and we are really just starting to click. He has a very powerful jump. He jumps way high and cracks his back. He’s a little difficult to stay with, but we are starting to build some confidence in each other and it is really showing in our performances the last month or two. We have had better and better results in the ring.”

The Adult Amateur Jumpers showed in two classes on Monday, with a win for Alissa Kinsey and Grisset in the afternoon class, sponsored by A. J. Blosenski. Fifteen entries showed over the speed course with eight clear rounds. Kinsey and Grisset jumped the fastest round in 51.97 seconds. Lucy Mitchell-Innes and Casey Curtis’s Riley II finished second in 52.78 seconds, and Charlene Graham guided Capricette to this place honors in 52.83 seconds.

Kinsey and Grisset also won the division’s opening class on Sunday to accrue the most points overall and earn the Adult Amateur Jumper Championship along with The Judy Hill Groves Memorial Challenge Trophy. Hooker and Corianos Boy were the reserve champions.

Driving classes were also held on Monday. The Horse Pairs Championship went to the Werry Phaeton, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Glenn A. Werry Jr., and driven by Glenn A. Werry, Jr. The Single/Pair Pony Driving Championship was awarded to the Koehler Gig, owned by Lisa Koehler, and driven by Nicole Cable.

The 2014 Devon Horse Show will continue on Tuesday with the presentation of championship honors in the First Year, Second Year, and Green Conformation Hunter divisions. The High Performance Hunters, Regular Conformation Hunters, and Open Jumpers will also compete in their first day of competition. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Driving, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Merrill Harvey and Pandamonium Take Pony Jumper Championship at Devon Horse Show

May 26, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Merrill Harvey and Pandamonium. Photo © The Book LLC.

Devon, PA – May 25, 2014 – Sixteen-year-old Merrill Harvey of Huntington, NY, dominated the Pony Jumper division at this year’s Devon Horse Show & Country Fair to take home championship honors in the division with wins in two of the three classes with her 13-year-old Pinto Pony mare Pandamonium. Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines in Devon, PA, through Sunday, June 1.

Wrapping up the weekend’s Pony Jumper competition, Harvey and Pandamonium won Sunday night’s $2,500 Pony Jumper Classic to win The www.horseinoil.com Challenge Trophy donated by Cezanne Stutsmann. Show over a course set by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany, 17 entries showed with three advancing to the jump-off. All three jumped double clear, but Harvey and Pandamonium had the fastest round of more than six seconds in 33.86 seconds to take the win. Sedona Chamblee and Lucky Star finished second in 39.83 seconds. Prima Rose Bonaventura Postorivo and Just One Look finished third in 39.89 seconds.

In addition to their classic win, Harvey and Pandamonium won the division’s first class on Saturday and took home the division championship to earn The Leonard Tose Memorial Challenge Trophy. There was a three-way tie for reserve champion between Hannah Robbins and Jodi Linn Gitschier’s As It Fits, Chamblee and Lucky Star, and Camilla Siekmann and Mist of a Champion. A special Pony Jumper Style Award was also presented to rider Grace Allen.

Training with Robin Fairclough, Harvey has spent a lot of time getting to know Pandamonium over the last several years, and was excited to excel at Devon. “I have had her for about five years, and I am still trying to figure her out, but this was my last show on her in the pony jumpers,” Harvey explained. “She has a lot of energy, but we bonded over the years and I love her, even if she is a little crazy.”

“I showed here last year with her too and to be champion is really exciting,” Harvey acknowledged. “I hoped that I would get it this year, but I wasn’t too sure because I was out for a couple of months. I had an accident in Florida in February. I got stepped on and I severed my liver and I fractured a transverse process. As of yesterday, in April a month ago, I was actually allowed to get back on a horse. All of my friends helped me keep her going and it has only been a couple of weeks, but she was great for me.”

Commenting on her winning round in Sunday’s classic, Harvey detailed, “She has a lot of speed. We were going to do all inside turns, but then when we saw the times. They were a little slower, so we decided to do one outside turn and the rest of them inside. She was awesome tonight; she was really jumping.”

Driving

Sunday’s competition at Devon included the Pleasure Carriage Drive, sponsored by Sheffield’s Furniture, as well as driving divisions in the Dixon Oval later in the afternoon. The double harness pairs tandems team for Werry Geo IV Phaeton was the winner of the championship drive-off with Michelle Werry at the reins.

From Madison, WI, Werry has been driving for three years and also won the championship in her first visit to Devon in 2012. Her horses on Sunday were Bart and Pilot, seven and 11 years old, who she and her husband Glenn have had for four years.

“They are sweethearts,” Werry smiled after her win. “They love being on the road. They get more excited in the ring, but they are very responsive. They are very voice command; they do what you ask of them.”

Werry and her husband have seven horses that they drive. Her husband drives four, and they sometimes try out different horses together. Although driving is just a fun hobby for the couple, winning at Devon means a lot. They only compete three times a year, including Devon, Walnut Hill in Rochester, NY, and Toronto.

“Driving on the road was so much fun,” Werry detailed of her day. “That is my relaxation time; it is just enjoyable. Getting ready for this, now I can just chill out the rest of the day, so I am happy about that. The weather has been perfect, and the hospitality here is always wonderful.”
“It is amazing to win at Devon. Devon is the show,” Werry declared. “It is an honor.”

In the first Pony Jumper class of the day, 17 showed with seven entries advancing to the jump-off, and three double clear rounds. The win went to Hannah Robbins and Jodi Linn Gitschier’s As It Fits in 31.23 seconds. Camilla Siekmann and Mist of a Champion finished second in 32.76 seconds, and Daisy Fenwick and Loughnatousa Squire finished third in 35.03 seconds.

The first class in the Adult Jumpers was also held on Sunday, sponsored by Purina Mills, Inc., with a win for Alissa Kinsey and Grisset. Twenty showed, with 12 advancing to the immediate jump-off, and six double clear rounds. Kinsey and Grisset stopped the clock in 32.19 seconds. Patricia Hennessey and Little Tom finished second in 34.51 seconds, and Rachel Boggus and Wiedam placed third in 34.56 seconds.

The 2014 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair will continue on Monday with the first day of professional hunter divisions as well as additional driving and adult jumper competition. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Carriage Pleasure Drive Continues Devon Tradition
By Caroline Goldstein

Crowds of neighbors and Devon visitors lined the streets of Devon as the Carriage Pleasure Drive made its way through the neighborhoods surrounding the show grounds on Sunday.

History and tradition run deep at the annual Carriage Pleasure Drive. Carriages have been a part of the competition at Devon since the show’s inception in 1896. At that time, carriages were the most common form of transportation. Many local horse shows began as a way for neighbors to show off their horses, and naturally the locals showed their carriages as well.

*A Four-In-Hand carriage in the Dixon Oval for judging. Photo © Brenda Carpenter*

All of the carriages in today’s competition have storied histories. The carriage that Chairman Jamie O’Rourke drove in the Pleasure Drive is a restored carriage from 1890. It was originally made in Buffalo, NY for the grandfather of actor Harry Hamlin. Among the other carriages that O’Rourke owns, one such carriage has a painting on it by artist Andrew Wyeth.

The carriages are all restored and date back several centuries. Some carriages are imported from England, but many come from the United States. O’Rourke noted that the American carriages are sturdier because, at that time, America had better woods from which to select lumber.

The preparation for the Pleasure Drive is extensive. O’Rourke’s crew of four people works for two and a half days to get their horses and carriage prepared. While the four and a half mile route may seem long, the horses are actually trained for much longer distances, O’Rourke said.

The carriages began the day by entering the Dixon Oval for judging before making their way out on the drive around Devon. This change to the carriage program was implemented last year, and crowds now gather at the show grounds on Sunday morning to see the carriages.

The four and a half mile long course was lined with tailgaters, who were all excited to get a glimpse of the historical carriages. Tailgaters along Berkeley Road in Devon even had the opportunity to participate in a tailgate competition, judged by Chairman Missy Schwartz.

The Carriage Pleasure Drive is a favorite for Devon visitors and is a Devon tradition that will continue for years to come.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Victoria Colvin Named Devon’s Best Child Rider on a Horse for Fourth Consecutive Year

May 25, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Devon, PA – May 24, 2014 – Sixteen-year-old Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, added several accolades to a long list of accomplishments in her junior riding career this weekend competing at the 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair. Colvin was Best Child Rider on a Horse for the fourth year in a row after taking multiple championship titles, including the Grand Junior Hunter Championship with Dr. Betsee Parker’s Way Cool. Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines in Devon, PA through Sunday, June 1.

Watch an interview with Victoria Colvin!

Showing over two days, Colvin guided Way Cool to Devon’s 2014 Grand Junior Hunter Championship, sponsored by Courtyard Marriott. For the win, they were awarded the “Ovation” Perpetual Trophy donated by Dr. Betsee Parker. Way Cool, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, won all three classes over fences in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division with high scores of 92, 95, and 93, to take top honors. He was also overall Large Junior Hunter Champion and was then awarded the Angelo Perpetual Trophy donated by the Miller-Dinan Family as the horse who, in the opinion of the judges, best exemplifies the classic hunter horse in movement, jumping, style and presence.

For her success aboard Way Cool, in addition to wins aboard Parker’s Canadian Blue, Inclusive, and Ovation, Colvin was named Best Child Rider on a Horse, an award sponsored by the Peacock Family. She was champion with Canadian Blue and reserve champion with Ovation in the Small Junior Hunter 16 & 17 as well as champion with Way Cool and reserve champion with Inclusive in the Large Junior Hunter 16 & 17.

Colvin also won the Best Child Rider award three consecutive years in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and retired the original trophy. This year, Dr. Betsee Parker donated a new trophy that turned out to have a lot of Devon history. The 1902 Edward T. Stotesbury Perpetual Trophy was found, purchased and returned to Devon from many years past.

“A friend of mine that is a silver dealer in New York found the trophy at an auction, and I jumped at the chance immediately and bought it,” Parker detailed. “Historically, it is so important for the legacy of these kinds of shows, to preserve these pieces. It was originally for the Ladies Champion Hunter and it is still engraved, which seems so unusual 115 years later. Not only is finding the trophy a piece of very significant history for Devon, but it is also significant that for the first time in Devon’s long history, a child has won Best Child Rider four years in a row. That has never happened before.”

For Colvin, earning the Best Child Rider honor four years in a row, retiring the first trophy and then winning the next, was an incredible accomplishment. “I never thought that would happen,” the rider acknowledged. “It is amazing. I have had dreams about doing this, but I didn’t think they would come true.”

Although she has a room full of ribbons and trophies at home, continuing to win and build relationships with her horses is always important to Colvin, and she takes her improvement as well as theirs very seriously.

“I am completely different from when I won it the first time,” she said of the honor. “I have the same horses though, and they are still good; they still love this show. I have gotten to know them all much better. I think I have gotten to know their quirks, and how they go, and when they are happy and not every day. In the mornings, I love to ride them to feel how they are.”

Recalling her winning rounds with Way Cool, Colvin remarked, “This year he was probably the best he has ever been I think. All three rounds, he was spot on. He was really great. I thought he would get a little distracted by the crowd, but he wasn’t fazed by it at all.”

Jumpers

On Saturday evening, Addison Gierkink of Harpswell, ME guided Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stable’s Promised Land to victory in the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic to earn the Second Marie Cramp Hill Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by her grandchildren. Twenty-three entries showed over the Olaf Petersen, Jr. (GER) designed course with four advancing to the jump-off. Gierkink and Promised Land had the fastest of three double clear rounds in 40.88 seconds.

Michael Hughes and Christina Fried’s Luxina finished second in 43.15 seconds, and Virginia Ingram and Riverview Farm LLC’s Urban placed third in 44.86 seconds. Lillie Keenan and Chansonette Farm LLC’s Balance had eight faults in the jump-off in 42.78 seconds to finish fourth.

Concluding two great days of Junior Jumper competition, 14-year-old Giavanna Rinaldi of Wayne, IL earned the overall Junior Jumper Championship to win the Barry G. Balmer Memorial Trophy donated by Blair Balmer. Lucy Deslauriers was the reserve champion.

Rinaldi also earned the Leading Junior Jumper Rider Award, sponsored by The Capital Grille King of Prussia, and was presented with the Second Richard W. Atkinson Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by The Atkinson Family.

Just last year, Rinaldi was still riding in the pony divisions and stepped up quickly training with the Jayne Family at Our Day Farm. She won her first grand prix in Florida this April and was excited to have a very successful weekend at Devon with her horse G.P.S. Brilliant Disguise.

“It just feels so amazing because I never thought I would get this far in the Junior Jumpers, especially at Devon,” Rinaldi stated. “I did the juniors over the winter at WEF and that went really well. I was just so happy how things went.”

Talking about G.P.S. Brilliant Disguise, better known as ‘Hugo’ in the barn, Rinaldi smiled. “He has the best personality ever. He is so fun to be around, and he makes me happy.”

She bought Hugo just over a year ago from Hunter Holloway. “We saw him in Ocala last year, and he just really stood out. He needs a strong rider with a lot of arm because he gets really excited, but if you pull him back too much, he falls behind your leg. It is kind of getting used to something like that, but he is really straight forward. He is such a nice horse and I love him.”

The 2014 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair will continue on Sunday with Carriage Pleasure Driving and Pony and Adult Jumper competition. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.

For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation

Caitlin Boyle Crowned R. W. Mutch Equitation Champion at Devon Horse Show

May 24, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Devon, PA – May 23, 2014 – The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair hosted its second day of competition on Friday with the conclusion of junior equitation classes and the first day of pony hunter divisions. Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines in Devon, PA, through Sunday, June 1.

On Friday, the junior exhibitors completed their final day of equitation competition in the Dixon Oval for 2014. The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class saw three sections with wins for Ailish Cunniffe of South Salem, NY, Caitlin Boyle of Hampshire, IL, and Megan MacPherson of Boulder, CO.

Boyle was then named the winner of the 2014 R. W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation Championship after two days of exceptional competition. In addition to her win in Section B of the ASPCA Maclay, the 17-year-old high school junior won Thursday’s Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Section A. Boyle also finished second in the WIHS Equitation Classic Jumper Phase Section B as well as the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Section C. For the overall equitation championship, she was awarded The R. W. “Ronnie” Mutch Challenge Trophy, donated by his friends.

Boyle began training with Heritage Farm’s Andre Dignelli this winter in order to up her game for her final year showing as a junior. She rode Heritage Farm’s Clearway to all of her top finishes this weekend and praised the horse and trainer for their roles in her success.

“I did not ever imagine that this would happen,” Boyle expressed. “I have never won anything at Devon. I came last year and I had low ribbons, but nothing to ever even come close to qualifying for this.”

“It was Clearway. He was perfect,” she declared. “I started riding him about halfway through WEF (the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival) this year when I started riding with Andre. He just has a presence when he is in the ring. Anything that looks difficult, he can make it look so easy. It is just so easy for him, and I am finally clicking with him now. It turned out really well. I have all the confidence in the world with him.”

“Andre has been helping me so much and I could not be any more grateful for that,” Boyle added. “He has helped so much with my look as I go around and just a better position around the whole course. Even if I find the jumps, just making everything in between better and really working on the flat work. I struggled a little bit in the beginning with the flat work on Clearway and just getting to know him has made a huge difference.”

From Chicago, Boyle grew up riding with trainers Freddie Vazquez and Kim Gardiner. She also had the help and support of her father, Patrick Boyle, who manages horse shows in the area. “My dad has helped me so much, especially when I was younger because he was really strict with me, which made me a much stronger rider,” Boyle acknowledged.

Although she has aspirations to compete in the jumpers, Boyle decided to focus all of her efforts on the equitation in her final junior year and joined Heritage Farm as a working student this year for the opportunity to work with one of the nation’s best trainers.

“I am a working student with Andre, so I help with anything I can in the barn when I’m not riding,” she detailed. “Just having all of those lessons and all of those horses available to ride has helped so much. I do anything from cleaning tack, a lot of grain-making since there’s almost a 100 horses, really anything. I tack up my horses if needed, or I will help the guys out if they need help. I really just try to be well-rounded in the barn and on a horse.”

After her success on Thursday, Boyle felt the pressure to do well in the final day of equitation competition in order to top the championship, but she kept calm and rode her best.

“I was a little nervous today because the pressure was on, on the final day, to see what everyone does,” she noted. “I watched Tori (Victoria Colvin) have a beautiful round, and I was a little nervous after that because I knew I had to put that effort in and have an equally beautiful round, which I believe I accomplished. I was thrilled with that outcome, and I have kind of learned how to stay calm. The number one priority is to just get the job done and just keep riding and try not to feel panicked. I am so happy that my last junior year at Devon ended so well.”

*Ailish Cunniffe and Venice won Section A of the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class*

After the completion of equitation classes for the weekend, the Juniors Jumpers started their competition in the Dixon Oval, showing in a time first jump-off class in the afternoon and a gambler’s choice in the evening. The jumper courses for the week will all be set by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany.

The $3,750 Junior Jumper time first jump-off class, sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott, was held first with a win for Giavanna Rinaldi and G.P.S. Brilliant Disguise. Twenty-five entries showed, with twenty advancing to the jump-off, and nine double clear rounds. For the win, Rinaldi was presented with The Flight Cup in memory of Fran and Lou Jaffe, donated by Reed Kessler. Lucy Deslauriers guided Lisa Deslauriers’ Hester to second place honors, and Madeline Thatcher and Pony Lane Farm’s Show Show placed third.

The $2,500 Junior Jumper Gambler’s Choice was held in the evening, sponsored by The Capital Grille King of Prussia, with a win for Lucy Deslauriers and Hester with 1,260 points. Deslauriers was awarded the Wigg’s Bar Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. James Fairclough. Giavanna Rinaldi and G.P.S. Brilliant Disguise placed second with 1,230 points. Virginia Ingram and Riverview Farm LLC’s Urban finished third with a 1,060 point total.

Junior and Pony Hunter competition also began on Friday and will conclude with division championships on Saturday. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.com. For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, you can watch every single round of competition thanks to continuous live-streaming from the USEF Network at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Pony

2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair Hosts First Day of Competition

May 23, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Devon, PA – May 22, 2014 – The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair kicked off on Thursday with junior equitation and young pony competition at the renowned showgrounds in beautiful Devon, PA. Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines through Sunday, June 1.

While junior competitors showed their equitation in Devon’s famous Dixon Oval, the young hunter ponies competed in-hand in the Gold Ring on Thursday. The ponies showed in their respective age groups divided by gender, and the top ponies of all ages were then judged together for championship honors. The Best Young Pony was ultimately crowned overall.

The Hunter Pony Championship for Fillies and Mares was awarded to Denise Hankinson’s Three Royal Cheers with handler Emily Anne Belin. Jody Vesty’s Bryn Taran Miss Riley placed in reserve with handler Jay Raach.

The Hunter Pony Championship for Colts and Geldings went to Orchard Hills Dragonflyy, owned by Orchard Hill Farm Ponies, with handler Oliver Brown. Jamie Sindell’s Secretive and handler Dowell Johnson placed in reserve.

Orchard Hills Dragonflyy then earned the Best Young Pony award and was presented The Violet Haines Memorial Challenge Trophy. Handler Oliver Brown was awarded The Magic Hill Farm LLC Challenge Trophy as the Leading Pony Breeder Handler. A special Pennsylvania Pony Breeders Association Perpetual Trophy was also presented to Denise Hankinson’s Three Royal Cheers for the second year in a row.

Orchard Hills Dragonflyy (known in the barn as ‘Wesley’) is a two-year-old colt by Smoke Tree Dragon Tail out of Vanity Fair, owned by Sara McCormick’s Orchard Hill Farm Ponies in Aiken, SC. Former top junior rider Elizabeth Lubrano brought the pony along this year after turning professional and deciding to get involved in different aspects of the sport after college. Based out of her family’s Horizon Hill Farm in Glenmore, PA, Lubrano has enjoyed making a name for herself in a new way and becoming more well-rounded in the industry.

“I started doing pony handling this year, and Wesley has been living with me since February,” Lubrano explained. “I have been handling him until this horse show and then I handed him off to Oliver Brown because I am still learning and this is a huge venue. I knew that this pony could do something big, and I thought that for Devon we needed to put him in the hands of someone that could do that for him.”

“It was definitely a team effort to get him here,” Lubrano emphasized. “Cindy Diebert was a huge help as well as Jessica Forliano. Without Cindy putting all of the pieces together for today none of this would have happened. She had the connection with Oliver and she knows Jess, who helped handle him today. Stud colts can be difficult, so it is good to have someone who is proficient and Jess is very good. She is the one who made the magic happen today. I have just kind of been managing it from the beginning.”

Owner Sara McCormick plans to keep Orchard Hills Dragonflyy for breeding and can be proud of his top placing and development. Lubrano described the colt as “a bundle of personality,” noting, “He is a funny pony. He runs around in the field with this big jolly ball. He is the one where you go in the barn in the morning, and he is throwing his ball around the stall. He is a goof, but he is a two-year-old colt who is still trying to figure out who he is.”

“He has matured a lot this year,” she added. “He is really easy to live with, and it is just a pleasure to work with ponies like that because they keep you entertained. They have all of this personality and places like this are great venues where they can really show themselves. He likes to show off. He stands there and presents himself and I think that is what really makes a show pony.”

Lubrano thanked McCormick for the opportunity to work with a great young pony. “Sara has done a fantastic job with that breeding program,” she stated. “I can’t give her enough compliments. Orchard Hill ponies were represented more than any other line here in the hunter breeding. I think she had eight showing. There’s a lot to be said about her lines and her hard work. I am really happy that she has given me the opportunity, because not a lot of people would give a 24-year-old an opportunity to take a winning pony and get it ready for Devon and trust them. Trust is a big foundation for a lot of relationships, and I hope that this is one that will continue for a long time.”

While the young ponies were showing off in the Gold Ring, the junior exhibitors competed in their equitation classes in the Dixon Oval. The WIHS Equitation Classic Jumper Phase was held in a California Split and awarded four sets of prizes. Top honors went to Megan MacPherson of Boulder, CO, in Section A. Kelli Cruciotti of Elizabeth, CO, won Section B. Spencer Smith of Wellington, FL, topped Section C, and Michael Hughes of Allendale, NJ, was the winner in Section D.

The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search was held next in the Dixon Oval with two sections and wins for Caitlin Boyle of Hampshire, IL, and Spencer Smith of Wellington, FL. Boyle was also presented the Honey Craven Perpetual Memorial Trophy for her top score.

The Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal, presented by Randolph College, was held in the Gold Ring with three sections to show. Ashton Alexander of Ocala, FL, won Section A; Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, won Section B; and McKayla Langmeier of East Granby, CT, won Section C.

The 2014 Devon Horse Show & Country Fair will continue on Friday with junior equitation, hunter and jumper competition as well as the start of the pony hunter divisions. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.com. For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, you can watch every single round of competition thanks to continuous live-streaming from the USEF Network at www.usefnetwork.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

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