Devon, Pa. – Oct. 5, 2021 – Dressage exhibitors gathered at the iconic Dixon Oval in Devon, Pennsylvania, for the 2021 Dressage at Devon competition. The historic show featured the newly introduced shortened FEI Grand Prix format, as well as their popular breed show and high performance classes.
In the breed show, Lehua Custer’s 5-year-old Oldenburg stallion Fortunato H2O was crowned the Grand Champion. Bred by Kendra Hansis, the Fortunato H20 (Floriscount–Raleska WF, Rascalino) is no stranger to Dressage at Devon as he was reserve champion at a 3-year-old in the Colts & Geldings Championship. Earning the Reserve Grand Championship was Fherrari (Foundation–Rheporter, Royal Prince), a 3-year-old Oldenburg mare owned and bred by Maurine Swanson.
On Friday, the first short format Grand Prix took place, challenging horses and riders to display all of the necessary Grand Prix movements in an abbreviated test. The FEI Short Grand Prix CDI-W to qualify for the Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday saw Michael Bragdell and Qredit Hilltop, a 13-year-old Oldenburg stallion owned by Hilltop Farm take the victory with a score of 67.132%. Bridget Hay and Faolan, her own 12-year-old Oldenburg stallion, took second place with a 66.737%, and Shannon Stevens and Ferrari, her own 11-year-old KWPN gelding, took third with a 66.316%.
In the FEI Grand Prix CDI3* to qualify for the Grand Prix Special, Canadian rider Diane Creech rode to the win on her mount Chrevi’s Christo, an 18-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Creech and Louise Leatherdale, with a score of 68.761%. Fellow Canadian Tanya Strasser-Stostak and Deja Vu Tyme, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Evi Strasser and Erika Murphy, finished second with a score of 65.13%, while Columbia’s Maria Alejandra Aponte Gonzalez and Duke De Niro, her own 17-year-old Belgian gelding, finished third with a 64.304%.
Earlier in the day, Creech also rode Robbie W, an 18-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Creech and Leatherdale, into first place in the FEI Test of Choice class with a score of 68.152%, while Sally Lofting and MW Be Happy, a 9-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Janet Rubino, placed second with a 67.058%. Rebecca Lord and Demetrius, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Courtney Boldener and Schneiders Sporthorses, finished third with a 65.588%.
Saturday’s festivities kicked off with small tour competition in the Dixon Oval. The Netherlands’ Patrick Tigchelaar took home the blue ribbon in the Intermediate I CDI* with O’Captain, a 9-year-old Trakhener gelding owned by Susan Ralston, earning a score of 70.196%. Mary Lauristen and Bella Donna S, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Victoria Lunt, took second place with a 69.461%, and Silva Martin and Belrano Gold, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Pferdes LLC, rounded out the top three with a 68.97%.
In the Intermediate A CDI3*, Allison Kavey and Citha’s Utopia, a 14-year-old KWPN mare owned by Andrea Woodner, earned the win with a score of 63.471%. Cesar Parra and Belle Ami, a 12-year-old Westphalian mare owned by Parra and Brooke Centrella, won the Intermediate I CDI3* with a score of 70.981%. Lisa Mendell and WSF Krugerand, a 14-year-old gelding owned by Mendell and Springit LLC, won the Intermediate I CD13* for Amateurs with a score of 66.667%.
In the CDI U25 Grand Prix 16-25 division, Creech’s daughter Vanessa Creech-Terauds dominated with Fleur de Lis L, a 12-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Creech and Leatherdale, winning the U25 Intermediate II with a 67.147% and winning the U25 Grand Prix with a score of 65.897%.
The Grand Prix Special CDI3* was won by Creech on Chrevi’s Christo with a score of 69.659%. Aponte Gonzalez finished with second place and 66.745% with Duke De Niro, while Koryn Doolittle and Don Giovanni, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Stephanie Nowak, took third with 64.574%.
To close out Saturday night, Michael Bragdell and Qredit Hilltop won their second blue in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W with a score of 72.995%, a personal best score for Bragdell. Susanne Hamilton and Lesath, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Mandy Kaestner, finished second with a 71.075%, while Stevens and Ferrari finished third with a 70.99%.
In Sunday’s highlight class with eleven competitors, Cesar Parra and Bella Ami won the CDI3* Intermediate I Freestyle with a 73.575%. Kimberly Herslow on Elvis HI finished second with a 72.725% and Jannike Gray rounded out the top three on Ravanti C with a 70.675%.
