DEVON, PA.--When it is 13 degrees and the wind is howling at 30 miles per your, and the ground is so rutted and frozen that all you can do is ride around and around on the road, just remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and one of the brightest of the lights is the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, May 24 to June 3.
McLain Ward, winner of last year's Devon Grand Prix, shown here on Bellefleur, a recent winner at the WEF (Photo bySportfot)Devon offered $400,000 in the Open Jumper section last year, and that will be increased this year.
Tuesday evening, May 29, Devon opens this year with a $50,000 FEI Welcome Stake, followed Wednesday evening with a $40,000 FEI International Speed Stake, and the much anticipated and always sold out featured $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon Thursday evening at 8 p.m.
This year, the Friday and Saturday evening classes, the Speed Challenge and the Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake will also be FEI classes and will have increased prize money.
Arena Eventing was featured for the first time last year at Devon, and it was a huge, unqualified success, so again this year the first Sunday evening of Devon, May 29, Arena Eventing, with prize money of $50,000, will be competed.
FOR A PREVIEW of this year's show, Wednesday evening, May 23, is First Night at Devon, with the Art Gallery opening with many new artists.
Invitations and sponsorship opportunities are available on the Devon website.
The 2nd annual dog show will be held on opening day, May 24, along with equitation classes.
Equitation classes continue Friday and junior hunters and jumpers and pony hunters begin, and there will also be a Mounted Police Competition.
Saturday through Monday, Pony Races will be held as an exhibition, and on Sunday the Carriage Marathon begins at St. David's Church and moves to Devon for final judging, followed by pony and adult jumper.
Hunters begin on Memorial Day and run through Wednesday, and also on Memorial Day is a Tribute to Heros.
Thursday afternoon features the USHJA Hunter Derby, followed by Devon at Sunset Saddlebred classes and the 8 p.m. Grand Prix.
The always popular Ladies Hat Day is Wednesday, with invitations and information available on the website. Tickets sell fast, so get your tickets early.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, there will be a Dressage Musical Kur exhibition along with amateur/owner hunters and jumpers and Saddlebred classes.
On the final Sunday, Hunter Breeding is featured, and there's an Itty Bitty Hat Parade with children's activities in the picnic grove, and at the end of the show there's a Flower Sale of all the beautiful plants and flowers that have decorated the ring and grandstand throughout the show.
