DEVON, Pa.--Stella Rumanes on Goodnigh Moon was a big winner on opening day at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, but it was just one phone call that put it all together and brought two old friends back together.

Stella Rumanes on Goodnight Moon after winning the first class at Devon (Photo by  Kind Media)Rumanes of Topanga, Calif., won both Small Junior Hunter 3'3" classes on Wednesday, May 21.and that was enough to give her the Small Junior Hunter 3'3"Championship and the Grand Championship on Thursday.

Rumanes was trained by John French of Wellington, Fla., who, along with being a trainer is a top hunter rider who has held the title of World Champion Hunter Rider four times.

"I only trained her at the show," said French. "I think her mother Michelle trains her in California. They only came east for Devon, and Michelle called me and asked me to train her daughter here. When I found out what horse it was, I realized I knew him because I showed him nine or 19 years ago when I was in California."

"It was kind of neat," said French. "I said `Wow, is he still showing? How old is he now.' He's 16. I showed him in Green Incentive and Michelle showed him as an amateur.I  hadn't seen him for a long time, so it was neat to connect with them. The horse is still going strong."

"I gave Stella a lesson on the first day,"he said. "She's quite a good rider. She had to go first in the Handy, but she won it. It doesn't seem like she''s got too much nerves. I rode the horse in the mornings,, and I said to him `Oh i remember you."

Their re-introduction was not only neat, as French said, but very successful with the Grand Championship as a result.

 All Inklusive, ridden by Ava Berman of Baltimore, Md., was the Large Junior Hunter 3'3" Champion.

Olivia Sweetnam of Lexington, Ky., daughter of top Irish international rider Shane Sweetnam, won the WIHS Equitation Classic - Jumper Phase, and she placed third in the Hunter Seat medal, Section A,, which was won by Raffaella Eldridge of Honolulu, Hawaii.