A fantastic night for fans and riders during Dressage at Devon

The grandstands were packed with enthusiastic spectators cheering each ride in the featured Saturday night classes of ShowPlus Dressage at Devon, and the competitors rose to the occasion for their expectant audience.

The group that had ridden in the qualifiers for the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle the previous evening really stepped it up to put on memorable performances at the venerable showgrounds, where everyone felt the excitement of being back a year after the pandemic had cancelled the 46-year-old show on Philadelphia’s Main Line.

Michael Bragdell, who repeated his victory in the freestyle Short Grand Prix qualifier with Qredit Hilltop, savored the stallion’s recognition of the appreciative fans.

“He’s really good with the electricity,” said Michael, the head trainer at Hilltop Farm in Maryland. He couldn’t stop smiling as he talked about the Oldenburg, who was grand champion at Devon in the performance division as a yearling 12 years ago. The memory brought tears to his eyes.

“From the day he came to the barn as a weanling, I felt like he was really special. He was so well-behaved.”

In the midst of a sea of European imports, Qredit  who was bred by Judy Yancey, stands out for being born in the USA. (In case you’re wondering, the odd spelling of his name pays tribute to the breeding stallion’s sire, Quaterback),

“I loved how he felt in the ring and how electric he felt in the ring, in a good way,” Michael observed about his eager mount.

“It’s always fun when you do the freestyle and enjoy the music, we have so much history here, there’s no other place like it.”

A native of Sweden who has been in the U.S. for decades, Michael started as “purely a jumper rider” saying, “I never thought I’d do what I did tonight. To be here and wear the blue ribbon, it’s very special; especially on him.

Michael earned a personal best of 72.995 percent from the five judges. His test in the World Cup Finals qualifier was heavy with marks of 7 and 7.5 for the various movements, but he got a bevy of 8s for his entrance, choreography and interpretation of the music from Blurred Lines and Coldplay.

The “dit, dit, dit” on his soundtrack reflected the rhythm of his horse’s piaffe and passage, and the music swelled appropriately for his powerful one-tempis along the diagonal as the crowd went wild.

Susanne Hamilton, who came all the way from Maine, moved up from fourth in the qualifier to second last night with 71.075 percent on Leseth, earning 8’s and a few 8-pluses for her bouncy music–“Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and its interpretation, degree of difficulty/calculated risks and choreography. She knew she had nailed it with her 12-year-old Hanoverian, flinging up her arms in triumph after her final salute, then pointing down to her horse as she gave him credit.

“My horse is very young at the grand prix right now,” said Susanne.

“He had a little bit of trouble with the stadium the first few days he was in here,” she noted, but Puttin’ on the Ritz is his inspiration.

“He loves his music,” explained Susanne, who emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1984.

“The first time I played his music to him, he said, `This is it.’ I said, `Okay, we’ll go with that.’ And so today he let me ride him. Which was awesome.”

Third place on 70.990 was Shannon Stevens with the aptly named Ferrari. Shannon, who is married to trainer Marcus Orlob, works out of their stable in Annandale, N.J. Ferrari came in as a sales horse, but she took to the gelding and kept him.

It was Shannon’s first CDI with her “heart horse,” noting both she and Ferrari are green.

“We have a big operation at home,” said Shannon, noting there are 33 horses in training.

“Riding a horse like this kind of keeps that spark.”

There were only six starters in the freestyle, although it made for an evening that was just long enough, coupled with the preceding Grand Prix Special and a vaulting exhibition.

The show was lacking its usual contingent of Canadians due to difficulties crossing the border because of Covid regulations, and the burden of additional expenses involved.  As a dual American/Canadian citizen, however, Special winner Diane Creech had no problems.

Her 18-year-old Chrevis Christo, a Danish warmblood she owns with Louise Leatherdale, received a score of 68.761 percent in the qualifier, then moved up to 69.659 percent, over second-place finisher María Alejandra Aponte Gonzalez of Colombia on Duke de Niro (66.745). There were four in that class.

Between Diane and her daughter, Vanessa Creech-Terrauds, they gathered six blue ribbons.

“It was a perfect weekend for us,” Diane said.

She called Christo “a very young senior,” who got a little wild when he returned to the ring for the presentation. Maria, who came into the arena without her horse, immediately took hold of his reins and he settled down.

“He felt like a 12-year-old,” said Diane.

“The atmosphere—he rises to it.” He is so trained, she noted with a smile, that in the qualifier “I was preparing for the pirouette and all of a sudden, I was in the middle of the pirouette, because he knew what we were doing.”

Diane spoke for all the riders when she said, “We are so grateful to the organization of Devon despite all the challenges and everything that’s going on in this crazy world to still be able to make this go and come together in our community is even more special.”

There was a tribute in the arena to retiring steward and technical delegate Elisabeth Williams, as the Dressage at Devon crew, friends and admirers crowded around to wish her well.

“Throughout her career,” observed U.S Dressage Federation President Lisa Goretta, “Elisabeth has brought a level of professionalism and vision for both dressage in the U.S. and our participation on the international front that is not duplicated by anyone else in the country. She’s been to multiple Olympics, World Cups, World Games, Pan Am Games, CDIs in this country and abroad. No one will be able to duplicate her experience.”