Canadian riders dominated at Dressage at Devon, CDI-W, held in Devon, PA, September 27-30, sweeping the Grand Prix and Young Riders divisions, and earning numerous top placings in the Advanced, Junior and Pony divisions.
David Marcus of Campbellville, ON had redemption on his mind after a problematic performance in torrential rain with Chrevi’s Capital at the London Olympics. He found that redemption at Devon, winning the Grand Prix for Freestyle with Chrevi’s Capital, Deborah Miculinic’s 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevi’s Lavallo x Weinberg), scoring 71.213%. Marcus and his second Grand Prix mount, Don Kontes, won both the Grand Prix for Special and Grand Prix Special and scoring 68.468% and 69.400% respectively. Don Kontes is a 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (sired by Don Schufro) also owned by Deborah Miculinic.
“I could not have asked for a better week at Devon,” said Marcus, who also won awards for best Grand Prix rider who also competed at the North American Young Rider Championships, best turn out of a male rider at the jog, highest average between the Grand Prix and Freestyle with Chrevi’s Capital and highest average between the Grand prix and the Grand Prix Special with Don Kontes. “Chrevi’s Capital had room for redemption after the Olympics, and he showed how happy and talented he is in his work.”
“Last year at this time, Don Kontes was in colic surgery, and this year, in only his first season competing at the Grand Prix level, he wins both of his classes at Devon,” added Marcus. “This has exceeded all of our expectations. I would also like to congratulate the rest of the Canadian riders at Devon. We really showed what potential we have as a country.”
Indeed, Canadians earned top spots in the Grand Prix for Freestyle class as well. Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON and Devon L were third with 69.106%. Devon L is a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding sired by De Niro, owned by Creech’s long-time sponsor Douglas Leatherdale. Olympian Jacqueline Brooks of Cedar Valley, ON earned a 67.830% for fourth place with her 2012 Olympic mount D Niro, Brookhaven Dressage Inc’s 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (D-Day x Napoleon 625). Jaimey Irwin of Stouffville, ON, rode Lindor’s Finest, a 15-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding owned by Sylvia Carlton and Ute Busse (sired by Eastern Ruler) to seventh place with
66.851%.
Behind Marcus and Don Kontes in the Grand Prix for Special was four-time Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer of Toronto, ON, who rode Windhaven Farm’s Degas 12, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding (De Niro x Regazzoni) to a score of 67.170%.
In the Grand Prix Special itself, Holzer and Degas 12 placed second again behind Marcus with 68.400%. Lindsay Kellock of Cedar Valley, ON, finished in fifth place in the Special with a score of 64.644% riding her own 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, Eminence (sired by Burggraaf). Rounding out the Canadian entries was Canadian Olympian Evi Strasser of Sainte Adele, QC in sixth place riding Action Tyme, her 12-year-old Oldenburg stallion (Aktuell x Aleksander), with a score of 64.467%.
Saturday evening at Devon is the Freestyle night, and Canadians did not disappoint. Brooks and D Niro debuted their new Grand Prix Freestyle to rave reviews. The duo scored 74.300% to win the class.
“I have been working with Tamara Williamson and Kurboom on this freestyle since returning from the Olympics,” said Brooks. “We are ecstatic with the response of both the judges and spectators at Devon. We knew in our preparation that freestyle night at Devon is a big deal, and we wanted to have this new test ready. It is composed of all Canadian artists and was recorded with live musicians to specifically match D Niro’s gaits. I can’t wait to ride it again at The Royal Winter Fair in November.”
Brooks led the Canadian domination of the class. Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital were third scoring 73.500%. Irwin and Lindor’s Finest, placed fourth also scoring 73.500%. Creech and Devon L were fifth with 71.800%, while Annie Desranleau of St. Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC , riding her own 18-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion Maguin (Gauguin de Lully x Presto) earned a score of 65.550% for ninth place.
In the Intermediaire I Freestyle, Strasser placed second riding Renaissance Tyme, her nine-year-old Oldendburg gelding (sired by Royal Diamond) with a score of 72.450%. Jessica Costello of Schomberg, ON finished in ninth place riding Sandriana, Beth Egan’s 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (sired by Sandro Hit) with a score of 64.475%.
Creech and her second mount, Robbie W, Douglas Leatherdale’s nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding (sired by Rubin Royal) were second in the Intermediaire I test, scoring 70.079%. Strasser and Renaissance Tyme, placed fourth with 69.263%, and Tom Dvorak of Hillsburgh, ON was 12th riding Steeped In Luck, Keith Douglas’ 10-year-old Irish Draught stallion (Mount Diamond Flag x Agherlow) to a score of 65.000%.
Creech and Robbie W also placed fourth in the Prix St. Georges test with a score of 68.202%. Strasser and Renaissance Tyme finished in 12th place with 64.956%, while Costello and Sandriana were 14th with 64.518%.
In the Young Riders division, Marcus’s student and groom, Alexandra Reid, 20, from Carlisle, ON won all of her classes-Team test (70.482%), Individual test (70.053%), and the Freestyle (73.950%)-riding V I P, Deborah Miculinic’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sired by Rousseau. Tanya Strasser-Shostak of Ste. Adele, QC, rode Dancing Tyme, Evi Strasser’s 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (sired by Don Cardinal) to a second place finish in the Young Rider Freestyle (68.800%) and to fourth place (64.211%) in the Young Rider Individual test.
Ally Dunlop, 16, of Burlington, ON, also trained by Marcus, won the Junior Team test with a score of 68.694% riding her own nine-year-old Bavarian Warmblood gelding, Danero. Dunlop and Danero were also third in the Junior Individual test with 64.649% and second in their Freestyle with 69.700%.
Twelve year old Camille Carier-Bergeron, of Mascouche, QC and her nine-year-old Selle Francais pony gelding Monte Carlo, displayed the depths of the Canadian talent. The pair won the Pony Team test with a score of 65.641% and was second in the Individual test scoring 66.423%.
In international judging panel at Dressage at Devon included Stephen Clarke (GBR 5*), Maribel de Quinzanos (MEX 5*), Gabriel Armando (ARG 4*), Jayne Ayers (USA 4*), Maria Colliander (FIN 4*), Janet Foy (USA 4*), Christoph Hess (GER 4*), Hans-Christian Matthiesen (DEN 4*) Jeanne McDonald (USA 4*) and Christof Umbach (LUX 4*).
Complete results for Dressage at Devon may be found at www.dressageatdevon.org
More from Horse Sport:
