By Nancy Jaffer
April 22, 2018
Beezie Madden winning her second Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals in Paris last weekend? Not surprising.
But Devin Ryan as the runner-up? Now there’s an unexpected result from a field that included the likes of 2017 winner McLain Ward, three-time winner Marcus Ehning of Germany and two-time Swiss winner Steve Guerdat.
Devin Ryan riding Eddie Blue in Paris (Photo FEI/Christophe Tanière)
Devin, a 36-year-old Long Valley, N.J., resident, was hardly an equestrian household name when he arrived in the City of Lights earlier this month–even if he had competed in last year’s Longines Paris Masters and been victorious in the 2017 Longines American Gold Cup.
While many of the riders knew Devin, “the general public, the news people at that end, they didn’t have a clue,” said the 2018 runner-up, who was ranked 68th in the world at the end of March. He will, of course, see his standing rise dramatically on the list that comes out at the end of April.
“That is an unbelievable story,” declared George Morris, about Devin’s incredible finish on Eddie Blue at the world indoor show jumping championship.
It was a 1-2 U.S. finish at the Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals, where Beezie Madden held aloft her winner’s trophy, on the podium with Devin Ryan (L) , who won second place, and Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden, who took third place. (Photo FEI/Jim Hollander)
When Devin started as a working student for George, the teenager was as green as the grass at Hunterdon Inc. in Pittstown.
“He was just a local kid,” recalled George.
“It’s impossible what happened to him. It’s great for the sport and for people to see that,” George declared, noting that Devin always worked hard (to the point of polishing George’s boots as part of his responsibilities, Devin revealed.)
As George pointed out, it demonstrates that hard work can still pay off in the sport for those without an unlimited budget.
“I’d do anything to just be given the opportunity,” said Devin, who mucked a lot of stalls and groomed a lot of horses in the process.
Devin went on to a paying job at Hunterdon for two years, picking up pointers from Chris Kappler and other trainers there, before going off to work with horse dealer Alan Waldman in the Netherlands. Then he came home to start his own operation at River Run Farm.
At the World Cup, Alan told him frankly, “Fifteen years ago, when you were working for me, I never thought you’d be here. You’re like the American dream.”
During his first World Cup finals, Devin tried to keep things in perspective.
“To me, it was another horse show,” said Devin, explaining how he approached it. Of course, initially all eyes were on the likes of Beezie and McLain; certainly not on Devin.
“I didn’t feel the pressure; I put pressure on myself,” he commented, while adding he didn’t head to France just for the experience. Preparing for the competition, he wasn’t excited or nervous, but he had goals.
This is what he told himself: “I know what Eddie is capable of doing. I have a great horse; I trust him and he trusts me. I’m going to ride every round like it’s another horse show.”
At the same time, he noted, “I want to win every class I go into.”
He came close with the 9-year-old by VDL Zirocco Blue, the youngest horse in this year’s finals. Eddie has been trained by Devin for five years, since the gray Dutchbred was just started under saddle. What makes Eddie successful?
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue on their way to winning the American Gold Cup Longines FEI World Cup qualifier in 2017. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“When he goes in the ring, he’s careful; his scope and his brain, putting those three things together, that’s what makes an amazing horse,” explained Devin.
“Sometimes they have the scope and the carefulness, but they’re spooky or they can’t stay focused.” Not Eddie.
On the other hand, “outside the ring, he’s a nudge, he’s pushy, he’s cheeky, he’s in your space,” chuckled Devin, who admires his mount’s “heart and bravery.”
After being third place in the opening speed leg, where he was less than a second behind Beezie and Germany’s Daniel Deusser, Devin went on to miss the jump-off in the second round by a single time fault, missing the time allowed of 75 seconds by 0.09 seconds. Even so, he remained in third place overall.
But on the third day, in a difficult two-round test that ended without a jump-off, Devin and Eddie were clear in both rounds, tying for first place in the segment with Steve Guerdat, while Beezie toppled a rail with Breitling in the second of her two trips to wind up tied for fourth in that segment.
Overall, though, when the ribbons were awarded on the basis of three days of competition, Devin was only two penalties behind Beezie and stood just below her on the podium, with Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, who was third last year, in the same position once more with Toveks Mary Lou. McLain, who has been very encouraging to Devin, wound up fourth with HH Azur on 16 penalties, 12 behind Beezie.
When Henrik, who was standing second, knocked a rail down in his final round, Devin snapped to attention.
“Holy cow,” he said to himself, “I’m in second. This is crazy.”
One of Devin’s goals in going to the World Cup Finals was to be considered for the U.S. team that will contest the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C., this September.
Without a string of 5-star horses, said Devin, “The only way I’m going to get recognition and have a chance of maybe getting on a team is through the World Cup finals. That’s an individual championship. I have two horses (Cooper is his other one), but not as many as a lot of people do. World Cup finals, the nice thing about it, is that it gives riders like me a chance to really prove they’re capable of representing the United States at some level.”
Post-World Cup, Devin is eighth on the U.S. ranking list. As the highest-placing American in the World Cup finals who wasn’t already named to the short list for September’s FEI World Equestrian Games (Beezie had secured her spot previously), he’ll make that roster of 10 athletes too.
While the World Cup is an individual championship, the WEG is a team competition, and doubly important because it’s a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics. The next step is going to Europe with the U.S. team to ride in two of four observation events, which include Dublin, Aachen, Rotterdam and Sopot, Poland. Obviously, Devin has come a long way and persevered.
He has made it through the down times, including the fatal injury of his first good horse in a pasture accident. Another was a ruling by a U.S Equestrian Federation hearing committee that he had presented five horses at the 2015 Hampton Classic “in a condition that was not in the best interest of the welfare of the horses.” He was fined $6,000 and suspended for six months during 2016.
Devin doesn’t give details, noting “I’m not allowed to talk about it.” But he did his time and came back. He had been taught from the beginning to persist.
“I came from a middle-class family, it’s not a horse family at all,” said Devin, whose first horse cost $50.
“I knew I didn’t have the big money, the big backing. I said years ago the only way I’m going to get a good horse is buying a young one and developing it. And the young horses are what has developed me as a rider.”
His parents were strict about his equestrian involvement, and made sure he worked at it on the family farm.
“If you don’t take care of your horse and ride it every day and get up early and sacrifice going out with friends, if you’re not going to do it, then the horse is gone and you don’t do horses, you do something else,” they told him.
Eddie is owned by Lori Larrabee, who “loves the sport,” said Devin, noting she came to France to support him with her husband, Steve, and three of their children.
Despite his success, Devin knows better than to get overconfident.
“I still have to prove myself,” he explained.
“This was definitely a big step in my career, to be able to do something like this,” he said, but realistic as always, added, “It’s round one.”
