Devon, Pa., Sept. 28.
David Marcus started his weekend right at Dressage at Devon. By day’s end on Friday, he’d won both the Grand Prix qualifier classes, beating out his competition by sneaking up the leaderboard at the end of the classes.
First, in the Grand Prix for the Special, Marcus rode Don Kontes (Don Schufro—Kontessa) second to last and earned a 68.46 percent. Dressage At Devon is the 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding’s second show back after having a break while Marcus was competing for Canada in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
“I was very, very happy with him,” Marcus said. This is the horse’s first year at the Grand Prix level, and although he still has some work to do, he’s taking to the new level well.
“His piaffe and passage need to get stronger, but the one-tempis came fairly easily for him,” continued Marcus.
He followed that by winning the Grand Prix for the freestyle on Chrevi’s Capital on a 71.21 percent. As the last rider for the class, the pair followed Pierre St. Jacques and Lucky Tiger, who’d taken the lead only minutes earlier (70.74%). Capital, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood (Chrevi’s Lavallo—Indira Gandhi, Weinberg), was Marcus’ mount for the Olympics.
-Ashley Holzer and Degas 12 held the lead in the Grand Prix for the Special for most of the class. The first to ride, Holzer and Degas 12 scored a 67.17 percent, but they slipped into second after Marcus rode. Van The Man, ridden by Cesar Parra, took third place with a 65.68 percent.
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-Pierre St. Jacques rode Lucky Tiger to the first Grand Prix for the freestyle score in the 70s during the night class. Their score of 70.74 was good enough for a second-placed finish.
-In the Prix St. Georges, Christopher Hickey and Witness Hilltop, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Hamlet—Francis), won with a score of 69.82 percent. Kimberly Herslow gave Hickey a close run for his money aboard Rosmarin. Herslow and the 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Rosentanz—Wolkentaenzerin, Weltmeyer) earned a 69.51 percent.
-The trade show bustled with activity all day, including the Bit Of Britain booth, where dressage fans can purchase The Chronicle of the Horse 2013 dressage calendar for the first time.
-The Ladies Hat Contest attracted everyone from a team of butterflies to adornment worthy of Kate Middleton. Although the judges announced four category winners (funniest, most beautiful, most unique and best representation of Devon), everyone walked away with prizes.
-Guy McLean can be found wandering around the Devon Show grounds on one of his four demonstration mounts: Hope, Sequel, Pride and Spinnaby. The horses seem perfectly content in the bustle and noise with nothing but a light rope around their necks.
-The Grand Prix classes will be broadcast on the USEF Network.
