This year’s prestigious Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, which has been running consecutively since 1896, made its debut on Thursday morning to welcome stellar competition from across the country. For years, the show has been the place “where champions meet” each May to earn top prizes, leading rider titles and bragging rights. For equitation riders, this also means the chance to accumulate points towards year-end finals. Coming off of a high note after winning the $5,000 Equitation Challenge two weeks ago at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show, Taylor St. Jacques continued to shine in the opening day’s equitation classes. St. Jacques hails from Glen Allen, Virginia, and trains under the expertise of Andre Dignelli and the rest of the team at Heritage Farm in Katonah, New York. St. Jacques piloted her mount, Heritage Farm’s Charisma, to the blue ribbon and a score of 92 in Section B of the WIHS Equitation Classic Jumper Phase. The 18-year-old braved the wet weather to come out on top in the famed Dixon Oval once more to take the title in Section B of the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, after also winning Section A of the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal in the Gold Ring. After achieving the highest-scoring round in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, St. Jacques was awarded the Honey Craven Perpetual Memorial Trophy. While St. Jacques has had a stand-out career in the equitation ranks, this year marks the final time St. Jacques will compete in the Dixon Oval as a junior before aging out. Looking forward to the rest of Junior Weekend at the Devon Horse Show, St. Jacques is excited to show on Friday in the ASPCA Maclay and the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation Championship as well as in the Junior Jumpers aboard her own Qantar Des Etisses. Samantha Cohen, of New York, New York, also saw great success throughout the day on Thursday. Cohen navigated the tracks on her own Kaskade, and the duo just missed St. Jacques by one point in Section B of the WIHS Equitation Classic Jumper Phase, earning an impressive 91. Cohen also rode to third place in Section B of the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search and finished in third in Section B of the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal aboard Sail Horse Investments’ Clover.
This year’s prestigious Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, which has been running consecutively since 1896, made its debut on Thursday morning to welcome stellar competition from across the country. For years, the show has been the place “where champions meet” each May to earn top prizes, leading rider titles and bragging rights. For equitation riders, this also means the chance to accumulate points towards year-end finals. Coming off of a high note after winning the $5,000 Equitation Challenge two weeks ago at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show, Taylor St. Jacques continued to shine in the opening day’s equitation classes. St. Jacques hails from Glen Allen, Virginia, and trains under the expertise of Andre Dignelli and the rest of the team at Heritage Farm in Katonah, New York. St. Jacques piloted her mount, Heritage Farm’s Charisma, to the blue ribbon and a score of 92 in Section B of the WIHS Equitation Classic Jumper Phase. The 18-year-old braved the wet weather to come out on top in the famed Dixon Oval once more to take the title in Section B of the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, after also winning Section A of the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal in the Gold Ring. After achieving the highest-scoring round in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, St. Jacques was awarded the Honey Craven Perpetual Memorial Trophy. While St. Jacques has had a stand-out career in the equitation ranks, this year marks the final time St. Jacques will compete in the Dixon Oval as a junior before aging out. Looking forward to the rest of Junior Weekend at the Devon Horse Show, St. Jacques is excited to show on Friday in the ASPCA Maclay and the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation Championship as well as in the Junior Jumpers aboard her own Qantar Des Etisses. Samantha Cohen, of New York, New York, also saw great success throughout the day on Thursday. Cohen navigated the tracks on her own Kaskade, and the duo just missed St. Jacques by one point in Section B of the WIHS Equitation Classic Jumper Phase, earning an impressive 91. Cohen also rode to third place in Section B of the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search and finished in third in Section B of the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal aboard Sail Horse Investments’ Clover.