The Devon Horse Show is all about tradition—it’s entitled to that, having been around since 1896, though it didn’t run for the last two years due to Covid. But now it’s back, and the tradition also is carried on at another location, about a 20-minute drive from the showgrounds on Philadelphia’s Main Line, at the venerable Merion Cricket Club.
The National Show Hunter Hall of Fame had missed its last two dinners but made up for it Tuesday night with a sellout crowd for its annual function, with 180 show world luminaries and their friends on hand to celebrate and swap stories.
A table in a room that looked out at the club’s green fields displayed portraits of those who had died since the dinner last was held. Mason Phelps, John Franzreb, Ray Francis, Kenny Wheeler, and sadly, too many others, were part of that group, and those who passed by stopped to take a look.
While remembrance has a big role in the hall’s dinner, it’s also about adding new names, human and equine, to the list of the inducted.
“It’s so important,” said Jimmy Lee, president of the Hall, who took over from its founder, Carol Maloney.
“Hopefully, younger generations will follow what we’re doing. We’re in a grab-and-go society,” Jimmy continued, explaining it would be a loss “if we don’t have the history, if we don’t have the tradition. For us to be able to sit down here during a really busy horse show and for people to take the time to pay their respects, I think it says volumes about where our sport is. I’m very encouraged.”
Hunt Tosh was the Hall of Fame Rider of the Year, the Wheeler family were Owners of the Year and Cannon Creek took the High Performance Hunter Championship at Devon. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jane Womble Gaston who used to train with Jimmy and rode his favorite horse, Sign the Card, was on hand to salute inductee Henry the Hawk, a horse she took to many championships.
“He spent his life trying to please,” she told the crowd.
Afterward, she pointed out to me, “This was a thoroughbred horse who was champion at the Garden when he was three years old, and nobody thought anything about it. If you appreciate the type of horses we rode then and what showing was about, it wasn’t week after week. They were all natural, more horse-friendly areas, it’s important to look back on that.”
Jane Womble Gaston and Jimmy Lee, president of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The ceremony is always good for a few laughs and even occasional tears, as memories take center stage. It’s a reminiscence for some, and a time to salute the new group of deserving inductees, each introduced by a friend who had tales to tell.
Scott Evans recalled watching a young Scott Stewart as the lead in “West Side Story” at an amateur theater in Connecticut. The actor realized at that time he would have to make a decision between the theater and horses.
We all know what he chose, and today, he won his 17th Leading Hunter Rider title at Devon. He also has taken that honor 14 times at the National Horse Show and on numerous occasions at other prestigious shows.
As Scott Stewart pointed out, if he had chosen the theater, it’s likely he wouldn’t have had as long a career, and would need to be doing something else right now anyway.
Hunter rider John French offered a long but amusing monologue about his life. As Jen Bauersachs, who introduced him pointed out, if he hadn’t been a rider, he could have been a singer, a writer or perhaps a stand-up comic, as we saw.
He remembered that he had decided as a teen to take a break from riding, until a friend saw a critique of a photo of him written by George Morris in Practical Horseman magazine. After criticizing the length of his hair, George stated that the rider “had the best example of classic hunter seat equitation that I’ve ever seen.”
John French gave the crowd some laughs. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
That encouraged John to give horses another try. He did all his own work in the beginning of his career, from braiding to transporting his horse. John was inspired by his mother, who died a few weeks ago.
She had been tough on John, but at the end, she told him, “You did all of this with no help from me or your father.”
John believed otherwise.
“It was because of your help,” he said, noting she had taught him, “a horseman is a lot more than just riding. It was knowing your horse, taking care of your horse, having that special bond with your horse.”
Judy Mangin Kelley began her riding career in her native British Columbia, but went on to guide such great horses as Boyne Valley and Vital Victory in the U.S. as she became a household name in the horse world.
“It’s been a great ride,” she told those at the dinner.
Betty Oare saluted her wonderful mare Estrella, a U.S Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year, who joined her as a member of the Hall. She mentioned how everyone in her family, her husband, Ernie; her late brother, Bucky Reynolds and his wife, Linda, was involved in having the remarkable mare join their ranks.
Betty Oare with a ribbon for Estrella. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“She carried me to great places,” Betty said.
Carleton Brooks spoke for Lu Thomas, a Californian who couldn’t be present due to health issues.
“She won everything and fought for each win,” he recounted of her career as a top rider.
Trainer Tom Wright got his interest in teaching from his parents, both college professors. He worked with many top professionals and well-known owners. Whatever it took to succeed, he pursued, recalling how Fran Bushkin advised him to lose 40 pounds if he wanted to show her horses; so he did.
Other awards were 2021 Horse Show of the Year, which was the Upperville, Va., Colt and Horse Show and the Derby Finals, Derby of the year.
Awards voted on by champions at a variety of shows and not announced until the dinner included Rider of the Year, Hunt Tosh; Owners of the Year, the Wheeler family and Horse of the Year Lafite de Muze, who was also High Performance Hunter of the year for his rider, Amanda Steege, and owner, Cheryl Olsten.