Devon, PA – May 25, 2014 – Sixteen-year-old Merrill Harvey of Huntington, NY, dominated the Pony Jumper division at this year’s Devon Horse Show & Country Fair to take home championship honors in the division with wins in two of the three classes with her 13-year-old Pinto Pony mare Pandamonium. Showcasing the best horses and riders in the country, the Devon Horse Show hosts 11 days of top-tier competition across multiple breeds and disciplines in Devon, PA, through Sunday, June 1.
Wrapping up the weekend’s Pony Jumper competition, Harvey and Pandamonium won Sunday night’s $2,500 Pony Jumper Classic to win The www.horseinoil.com Challenge Trophy donated by Cezanne Stutsmann. Show over a course set by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany, 17 entries showed with three advancing to the jump-off. All three jumped double clear, but Harvey and Pandamonium had the fastest round of more than six seconds in 33.86 seconds to take the win. Sedona Chamblee and Lucky Star finished second in 39.83 seconds. Prima Rose Bonaventura Postorivo and Just One Look finished third in 39.89 seconds.
Merrill Harvey and Pandamonium. The Book LLC
In addition to their classic win, Harvey and Pandamonium won the division’s first class on Saturday and took home the division championship to earn The Leonard Tose Memorial Challenge Trophy. There was a three-way tie for reserve champion between Hannah Robbins and Jodi Linn Gitschier’s As It Fits, Chamblee and Lucky Star, and Camilla Siekmann and Mist of a Champion. A special Pony Jumper Style Award was also presented to rider Grace Allen.
Training with Robin Fairclough, Harvey has spent a lot of time getting to know Pandamonium over the last several years, and was excited to excel at Devon. “I have had her for about five years, and I am still trying to figure her out, but this was my last show on her in the pony jumpers,” Harvey explained. “She has a lot of energy, but we bonded over the years and I love her, even if she is a little crazy.”
“I showed here last year with her too and to be champion is really exciting,” Harvey acknowledged. “I hoped that I would get it this year, but I wasn’t too sure because I was out for a couple of months. I had an accident in Florida in February. I got stepped on and I severed my liver and I fractured a transverse process. As of yesterday, in April a month ago, I was actually allowed to get back on a horse. All of my friends helped me keep her going and it has only been a couple of weeks, but she was great for me.”
Commenting on her winning round in Sunday’s classic, Harvey detailed, “She has a lot of speed. We were going to do all inside turns, but then when we saw the times. They were a little slower, so we decided to do one outside turn and the rest of them inside. She was awesome tonight; she was really jumping.”
Merrill Harvey and Pandamonium in their presentation for Pony Jumper Champion. The Book LLC
In the first Pony Jumper class of the day, 17 showed with seven entries advancing to the jump-off, and three double clear rounds. The win went to Hannah Robbins and Jodi Linn Gitschier’s As It Fits in 31.23 seconds. Camilla Siekmann and Mist of a Champion finished second in 32.76 seconds, and Daisy Fenwick and Loughnatousa Squire finished third in 35.03 seconds.
The first class in the Adult Jumpers was also held on Sunday, sponsored by Purina Mills, Inc., with a win for Alissa Kinsey and Grisset. Twenty showed, with 12 advancing to the immediate jump-off, and six double clear rounds. Kinsey and Grisset stopped the clock in 32.19 seconds.
Patricia Hennessey and Little Tom finished second in 34.51 seconds, and Rachel Boggus and Wiedam placed third in 34.56 seconds.
DRIVING
Sunday’s competition at Devon included the Pleasure Carriage Drive, sponsored by Sheffield’s Furniture, as well as driving divisions in the Dixon Oval later in the afternoon. The double harness pairs tandems team for Werry Geo IV Phaeton was the winner of the championship drive-off with Michelle Werry at the reins.
From Madison, WI, Werry has been driving for three years and also won the championship in her first visit to Devon in 2012. Her horses on Sunday were Bart and Pilot, seven and 11 years old, who she and her husband Glenn have had for four years.
“They are sweethearts,” Werry smiled after her win. “They love being on the road. They get more excited in the ring, but they are very responsive. They are very voice command; they do what you ask of them.”
Michelle Werry Driving Champion. Alix Coleman Photo
Werry and her husband have seven horses that they drive. Her husband drives four, and they sometimes try out different horses together. Although driving is just a fun hobby for the couple, winning at Devon means a lot. They only compete three times a year, including Devon, Walnut Hill in Rochester, NY, and Toronto.
“Driving on the road was so much fun,” Werry detailed of her day. “That is my relaxation time; it is just enjoyable. Getting ready for this, now I can just chill out the rest of the day, so I am happy about that. The weather has been perfect, and the hospitality here is always wonderful.”
“It is amazing to win at Devon. Devon is the show,” Werry declared. “It is an honor.”
The 2014 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair will continue on Monday with the first day of professional hunter divisions as well as additional driving and adult jumper competition. For full results, please visit www.devonhorseshow.org.
For those unable to attend the Devon Horse Show in person, the Dixon Oval is being live streamed on the USEF Network.
Carriage Pleasure Drive Continues Devon Tradition
By Caroline Goldstein
Crowds of neighbors and Devon visitors lined the streets of Devon as the Carriage Pleasure Drive made its way through the neighborhoods surrounding the show grounds on Sunday.
History and tradition run deep at the annual Carriage Pleasure Drive. Carriages have been a part of the competition at Devon since the show’s inception in 1896. At that time, carriages were the most common form of transportation. Many local horse shows began as a way for neighbors to show off their horses, and naturally the locals showed their carriages as well.
All of the carriages in today’s competition have storied histories. The carriage that Chairman Jamie O’Rourke drove in the Pleasure Drive is a restored carriage from 1890. It was originally made in Buffalo, NY, for the grandfather of actor Harry Hamlin. Among the other carriages that O’Rourke owns, one such carriage has a painting on it by artist Andrew Wyeth.
Brenda Carpenter Photo
The carriages are all restored and date back several centuries. Some carriages are imported from England, but many come from the United States. O’Rourke noted that the American carriages are sturdier because, at that time, America had better woods from which to select lumber.
The preparation for the Pleasure Drive is extensive. O’Rourke’s crew of four people works for two and a half days to get their horses and carriage prepared. While the four and a half mile route may seem long, the horses are actually trained for much longer distances, O’Rourke said.
The carriages began the day by entering the Dixon Oval for judging before making their way out on the drive around Devon. This change to the carriage program was implemented last year, and crowds now gather at the show grounds on Sunday morning to see the carriages.
The four and a half mile long course was lined with tailgaters, who were all excited to get a glimpse of the historical carriages. Tailgaters along Berkeley Road in Devon even had the opportunity to participate in a tailgate competition, judged by Chairman Missy Schwartz.
The Carriage Pleasure Drive is a favorite for Devon visitors and is a Devon tradition that will continue for years to come.
Shownet will be shooting individual video clips for purchase through the website www.shownet.biz of both the Dixon Oval and Gold Ring. If you have any questions, please contact info@shownet.bizor ask for Tony in the exhibitor lounge at the side gate.
About The Devon Horse Show & Country Fair
May 22 – June 1, 2014
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The Devon Show Horse Show & Country Fair, founded in 1896, is the nation’s oldest and largest multi-breed outdoor horse show. It is one of 16 United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Heritage Competitions. The 11-day event attracts over 100,000 visitors annually and is one of the largest volunteer based fundraising events in the country. Proceeds from the event benefit Bryn Mawr Hospital. While attracting top competitors from around the world for events such as the $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon (Thurs., May 29), the event remains one of Philadelphia’s premiere traditions, offering great food, boutique shopping, and rides, games, and events for the whole family. Tickets are on sale now, click HERE to purchase!