Devon – Opening Day

Three Royal Cheers was the was the most regal of ponies in Pony Breeding Classes in the Gold Ring this morning.  The filly, owed by Denise Hankinson of Vixen Run Farm, Kennett Square, PA took home a blue for 2 Year Old Hunter – Filly as well as the tri-color for Hunter Pony Champion – Filly and Best Young Pony.  Handler Emily Anne Belin received the Leading Pony Handler Award.

By Devon Walder

Despite the rain this May afternoon at Devon, competitors in the USEF Talent Search came out ready to ride. The thirteen-jump course was challenging, with a long ride to the first fence, tight turns, and two water obstacles. The riders came prepared, many approaching the course with determination and confidence. Their drive to succeed was evident in both their skill and strategy.

The section A competitors took to the ring amidst cloud cover and slight winds. The first few riders seemed to traverse the course with ease, many staying under the time allowed, 78 seconds. Shortly, however, the fourth jump in the course, a widespread water jump, posed a threat to multiple riders. The jump was a single, airy pole over top a shallow pool of water. The stone standards were flanked by small shrubbery while a low hedge of branches laid in front of small “Where Champions Meet” signs. To avoid refusals, many riders took the jump at a faster speed than the rest of the course.

Of those who were able to make it through the course, twelve competitors were invited back into the ring for a flat class. The riders, with their horses shining as the sunlight reflected off their polished coats, took to the ring determined to win. In a tough class of skilled individuals, the riders were asked to counter canter and extend both their trot and canter. The competition was tight, but Lillie Keenan, number 1081, took home the blue. Number 804, Gabrielle Bausano went home with second place, and Kalvin Dobbs, number 1271, went home third.

In section B, the riders wrapped up their courses in the rain. The flat portion of the class also took place as rain pattered the helmets and saddles of the riders. In the distance thunder and lightning began to crack. Still, the riders persevered and rode with strength. Sydney Shulman, number 23, took first place and the blue, with Lilly Ulrich, number 773 in second. Number 800, Jacqueline Shilen, went home in third. And with the rain pooring down, the USEF Talent Search came to a close. Let’s hope tomorrow brings more sun!

By Caroline Goldstein

Art, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were on the agenda Wednesday evening to celebrate the First Night at Devon.  Now in its tenth year, the evening was the opening event to the 2013 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair.

Guests were able to get an early preview of the 485 pieces of art by 58 different artists.  Many of the pieces in the ArtGallery this year are by local artists, including this year’s piece for the Devon poster.  The poster, created by Genevieve Snyder of Berwyn, features three riders in the Dixon Oval with the Main Grandstand in the background.  Snyder grew up in St. David’s and visited Devon as a child.  “I was raised on lemon sticks and the fudge,” she said.

When it came to painting Devon, Snyder was able to draw on her own experiences at the show. “To me, it’s seeing the riders all spiffy and that blue; it has to have that blue,” she said.  Snyder also used to ride, so some of her pieces focus on equestrian events.  She said that she is “absolutely honored” to have had her painting, titled “Showtime,” chosen for this year’s poster.

The poster was selected last year, and the jury that makes the selection looks for a piece that is easily reproduced and is appealing.  The poster appears on various souvenirs and publications throughout the show.  Snyder submitted three pieces for the poster, and this year’s selection stood out among those, said Sandy Floyd, ArtGallery chairman. “It was Devon,” she said.

The First Night tradition began when the show’s longtime poster artist was unable to continue working on the posters, and the selection jury needed to find a new poster artist.  First Night provides a way to see pieces from a variety of artists, and the poster artist for the following year is generally chosen on First Night.

The event is sponsored by Freeman’s Auctioneers & Appraisers, Bryn Mawr Trust, Valley Social, Haverford Quality Investing, Drexel Morgan & Co., Janney, UAS, Cartier, BrandywineRadio.com and Girard Partners.

This year’s best in show was a collage style painting titled “Blue Dog” by San Francisco based artist Sam Price.  There were also sculptures, oil paintings, watercolors and pastels.  Many of the artists attended First Night, including the 22-year-old Jessica Barnum, who is the youngest artist at the show.  She graduated from the PennsylvaniaAcademy of the Fine Arts this year.  Barnum, of Doylestown, has three pieces in the ArtGallery this year.  She works primarily with oil, but her pieces for Devon are charcoals on a wooden canvas.

For those who did not attend First Night, all of the pieces will be in the ArtGallery throughout Devon week.