Courtney King has been building all season with Idocus, each Grand Prix test improving over the last. On Friday night, Sept. 29 at Dressage At Devon in Berwyn, Pa., they continued their streak, winning the Grand Prix for the freestyle on 69.50 percent.
The floodlights and chilly evening air tested the training and obedience of the FEI horses, and Idocus proved he was confident in his rider by performing a clean and accurate test. Cesar Parra of Colombia was the last rider to go, and he grabbed second place with Galant du Serein (66.16%) by performing a fluid and harmonius test.
The Grand Prix field was wide open as the nation’s top international stars decided to sit this Devon out after winning team bronze at the FEI World Equestrian Games. But that made room for new and improved combinations to show off their talent. Eighteen horses contested the Grand Prix for the freestyle. Lisette Milner grabbed third place aboard Eminence (64.16%) over Todd Flettrich and Amadeus (63.83%).
Last year George Williams took home his third Devon win with Rocher, but this time he rode her stablemate Marnix into a tie for fifth place with Jane Hannigan and Maksymilian (63.20%).
It was a good day for Melissa Taylor and Lars Petersen as each won their class on the other’s horse. Taylor won the Grand Prix qualifier for the Grand Prix Special on Petersen’s Succes (62.58%) and Petersen won the Prix St. Georges aboard Taylor’s Dacardo (74.25%).
Succes demonstrated superior piaffe and a general impression of energy and lightness in the Grand Prix test. The class for the Grand Prix Special was small with only six horses participating. But it gave Katherine Bateson-Chandler a chance to display her new mount. She rode Jane Clark’s Collo 5 into second place (61.12%). The giant gray showed enormous power and appears to be one to watch for the future.
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The chaotic atmosphere of Devon is a bit challenging for the most seasoned Grand Prix horse, and some horses did better than others with the hustle and bustle so close to the ring. It proved to be a bit much for Lauren Sprieser’s Bellinger, who was extremely tense throughout his test. Sprieser made the best of it and rode with a smile on her face. Everyone in the class will advance to the Grand Prix Special on Sunday, so they’ll get another chance.
Petersen too has had to wrestle with the electric atmosphere in the past aboard the hot-headed Swedish Warmblood Dacardo. But this year he settled in right away, and the pair put in a phenomenal test in the Prix St. Georges to win over Lauren Sammis on Sagacious HF (72.16%) and Melissa Jackson on Wellington (69.25%).
The young horse classes, which closely followed the USEF/Markel National Young Horse Dressage Championships (Ky.), were a big feature at Devon. Pam Doolittle, who placed third in the championships, triumphed in the FEI test for 6-year-olds at Devon with her own Cobra (72.20%). The pair won over Hank Hutson on Pacino (69.60%) and Hokan Thorn on Donogal (68.20%).
Tom Dvorak emerged victorious in the FEI test for 5-year-olds with Viva’s Salieri, scoring far and away the best with 81.60 percent. Kendra Menzies and Kosmisch were second (73.80%) ahead of Denise Needham and Bangor (69.00%).
Teresa Butta-Stanton took home blue in the FEI test for 4-year-olds, winning on Froelich (82.60%) over Tami Glover on BW-Callista (78.80%) and Dorie Addy-Crow on Ricochet (76.20%).
