The half-century celebration of Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon came to an end on Sunday, renewing many friendships as well as a determination to keep the show going and create more treasured memories for the sport.
Scores of those who have been part of the scene since the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association moved the show to Devon in 1975 (and even a few who were involved before that), turned out for a parade of legends. Some were on foot, others in golf carts, but all remained enthusiastic about the U.S. Equestrian Federation Heritage Competition and its future.
The Dressage at Devon legends on parade.
The chance to learn from an expert in the Masterclass given by Ingrid Klimke and the fun of the costumed Dance-Off were show highlights this year, but as always, Saturday night’s Grand Prix Freestyle remained the crown jewel.
It didn’t disappoint the spectators who packed the grandstands as usual, while riders ignored a bit of rain and put on high-caliber performances. The finish was about as close as these contests can get.
Ben Ebeling, who also won Friday evening’s Grand Prix with Bellena, enjoyed another victory lap on the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare, earning 77.655 percent. Kevin Kohmann, last year’s Freestyle winner, was close behind, a mere 0.65 percent back on Dünensee with 77.005 percent. The leaders had some distance over third place Meagan Davis on Toronto Lightfoot (73.315) and Anna Marek on Fire Fly (72.790) in the class that drew 13 starters.
Ben Ebeling on his way to victory with Bellena.
The Freestyle was the first qualifier for next April’s FEI Dressage World Cup Finals in Ft. Worth, only the fourth time in 12 years that the competition will be held in the U.S. Just three riders from North America will get a ticket to the Finals.
That made the Devon leg of the run-up even more important, but to Ben, the biggest takeaway of the evening was the performance of his plucky mare.
“She’s just incredible. She loves to dance,” said her rider, who admitted he was crying “a little” in the emotion of the moment.
Asked how he reacted as he exited the ring on a wave of applause, Ben replied that he felt “so much gratitude for my horse. She’s the best horse I’ve ever ridden.”
He also expressed thanks for everyone who works with him, including his longtime coach Christoph Koschel; his grooms, the braiders, his mother and the Vantage Equestrian Group that owns the mare.
“This was a team effort,” he emphasized.
And about Bellena, he added “she deserves all the credit.”
Kevin was still wishing he had half-halted rather than pressed the gas pedal in the Grand Prix the previous evening.
“I am more than pleased that we recovered from our ride yesterday,” he said, just after Dünensee received his red freestyle ribbon.
“He was 100 percent with me today, even with the rain and the atmosphere. It’s a great feeling you always see at Devon,” Kevin said.
Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee.
Kevin praised his striking black Hanoverian, noting, “To recover from a 68 (68.913 for third place in the Grand Prix) to this, I cannot thank him (Dünensee) enough. From here on now, we’re just going to go up.”
He congratulated Ben, but mused that had he himself been higher on Friday, “we would have gotten more today as well (in the Freestyle). You kind of have to convince the judges a little bit, and we did not do that yesterday. Today, I’m really happy. We feel like we won. I feel like I’m back where I should be.”
In the Grand Prix Special during the afternoon, Anna Marek’s other mount, Fayvel, took top honors with a score of 68.851 percent. The winner of Friday’s qualifier, Tina Konyot on Grover, had a mishap when the horse’s hooves struck one of the board, distracting him for a moment. He finished second on 67.021 percent.
Grand Prix Special winner Anna Marek with Fayvel.
Explaining the difference between her rides in the qualifier and the Special, Anna said, “I wanted to kind of push a little bit more, take a little bit more risk and see if I could get that extra flair in the ring.”
She achieved that level of energy by not overdoing her warm-up, noting the Special is a very taxing test, with all the passage and extended trot it requires.
click here for results of the Grand Prix Freestyle; click here for results of the Grand Prix SpecialDV
Saturday night offered an elaborate version of the DVCTA Quadrille Team (the Quad Squad), with the eight riders dressed in tiaras and (fake) ermine collars as the Dressage Queens to do their complex drill.
The Dressage Queens of the DVCTA.
Their horses were decked out in lights, from head to tail and on their legs, which made an impressive picture in the dark arena as they proceeded through their complex formations.
During the afternoon, JJ Tate was a big winner, taking the CDI 2-star FEI Intermediate A with Romeo (65.853) and the FEI or Equivalent Test of Choice with Denali (70.588), the same horse she rode in the pouring rain Thursday during the Ingrid Klimke clinic.
“I’m thrilled with both horses,” she said, noting Romeo was making a comeback after “a lot of setbacks over the last couple of years. It’s probably one of the most talented horses I’ve ever trained. It was really exciting to get into the Dixon Oval with Romeo. Denali really showed his stuff; he’s been a trouper the whole weekend.”
JJ has attracted a following because of her Team Tate Academy which offers instructional videos, educational PDFs, lectures and interviews, monthly Zoom meetings and video coaching.
A group from King’s View Acres in Carlisle, Pa., was on hand to cheer for Jessica and take advantage of a photo op. Like JJ, Ellen Heckert, who runs King’s View, bases her program on the teaching methods of the late Charles de Kunffy, who was JJ’s mentor.
JJ Tate with the King’s View Acres group.
“It was fun to be supported by the future,” said JJ, referring to her young fans at Devon.
A South Carolina resident, she started her academy during Covid, when quarantine restrictions made it impossible for many people to get in-person lessons. A friend advised her to go on line then, and now she teaches 850 members from all over the world via the Internet.
“It’s been an amazing experience, just connecting people and having everyone be in it for the good of the horse has been really special,” she said.
Ellen Heckert said JJ “is the world to us.”
She was inspired by de Kunffy’s philosophy of “raising children on horseback and how that would help our society. I took it and ran with it,” said Ellen.
“The dressage plan ties great with their social and emotional development. I take all of JJ’s lessons and make them children-friendly.”
