The standing room-only crowd was totally engaged with its perpetual favorite, McLain Ward, revving up the cheers when he rode First Lady into the Dixon Oval for the Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon. The announcer didn’t exaggerate when he called McLain, “The king of Devon.”
But as the Devon Horse Show’s featured competition unfolded on Thursday night, the spectators wound up with another competitor to salute. Charlotte Jacobs, a new face for the winner’s circle at the Devon Horse Show’s featured attraction, took the crown with the stunning gray Dutchbred, Korbach van de Renger.
Charlotte Jacobson her way to victory.
The evening held several surprises. It had seemed as if McKayla Langmeier was set for an amazing three-peat, as she produced a stellar jump-off time of 33.490 seconds with Riesling Van De Gaathoeve. McKayla won the first two evenings of FEI jumping with her other horse, Pepita VD Rollebeek, having saved Riesling for the $210,000 grand prix.
Riding with that leading time in his sights, McLain put in a strong effort with First Lady. He just wasn’t able to beat the clocking set by McKayla, who he has been mentoring, and finished in 33.530 seconds.
McLain Ward and First Lady.
The competition was far from being decided at that point, however.
Two horses later, Charlotte’s determined effort on her 11-year-old Dutchbred topped both McKayla and McLain on the scoreboard with a beautifully produced trip in 32.770 seconds.
“I just tried to stick with my plan and tried do the least amount of strides as I could around the turns,” said the 31-year-old rider, who has been on several U.S. teams and hopes to continue along that path.
She had the advantage of watching the efforts of McKayla and McLain, who “looked very fast to me.”
The New York resident brought horses to the show that “I thought would suit this ring. I’m thrilled with the result,” she said.
“The atmosphere at Devon is like nothing else. It’s incredible,” observed Charlotte, who showed at Devon as a junior but returned last year for the first time since 2013.
After posting her time, McKayla knew she wasn’t home-free for a sweep, even after McLain had a slower trip.
“I thought for sure I was beatable; maybe on a few of those turns I did one extra stride,” McKayla mused as she recounted her round in the eight-horse tiebreaker.
McKayla Langmeier and Riesling Van De Gaathoeve.
So why was McLain smiling despite missing one more victory in a class where he has been a major player since 2002. The grand prix is named after his most famous mount, Sapphire, with whom he won in 2007 and 2009.
“I always love to come to Devon,” explained McLain, who makes a point of it, no matter where else in the world he has been the week before. This time, he had just returned from the Aachen, Germany, show.
“Devon and Toronto (the Royal Winter Fair) are kind of my two busman’s holidays every year. The atmosphere here is as good as anywhere in the world,” he said, citing the enthusiasm of the fans, comparing it to Aachen.
A fixture on Philadelphia’s Main Line since 1896, Devon attracts people who make it a point to attend annually, even with a parking fee of $80 on Grand Prix day. Many of them will not visit another horse show all year, but the blend of tradition and sporting excitement is a lure that gives it a permanent place on their calendars.
McLain described First Lady as “a longtime partner of mine. She moves up and down from competing in second classes at the biggest events and moving in and out of 4-star level grands prix. I thought she performed great.
“I don’t have the stride that the two girls have, and I knew that. I felt like it was kind of mid-course getting a bit away from me and I just checked up a little bit.”
Despite that, he conceded, “I don’t think I could have gotten seven (strides) to the last like they did, but I’m thrilled with the horse.”
He saluted the next generation of riders who bested him in the class.
“I’m very involved with McKayla and this exciting horse, and unbelievably impressed with Charlotte over the last few years. They’ve really come up the grand prix levels in the proper way and riding great and a great team behind her. It’s a great win.”
McKayla revealed she was so nervous that it took her a week of thinking about what to say to McLain when she approached him to ask that he work with her, but since then, their relationship has boosted her performance.
“Any question I have, he has an answer. Any difficulty with a horse, he has an answer. It’s really been wonderful to work with him,” she said.
And speaking of great wins, McLain’s 11-year-old daughter Lilly won the pony grand championship last weekend with Celebration, then earned the title of Best Child Rider on a Pony.
This week, “Somebody asked me, `How many times were you Best Child Rider on a pony at Devon?’ ” McLain mentioned.
“I said, `I never got a ribbon on a pony at Devon.’ She’s ahead of me already, although I will argue her pony was a little better than mine.
“But it’s great, she’s pursuing her goals and her dreams. She loves this. It’s wonderful to see her grow and learn, starting her journey.” Noting that his younger daughter is also involved, he said, “Hopefully we’ll get to come back to Devon for many years to come.”
Another surprise in the class that drew 23 entries to compete over designer Colm Quinn’s course was the twentieth-place finish by world number one Kent Farrington, first to go on Casynna. He collected 12 penalties on the 9-year-old Hanoverian mare. Kent only began showing her in February, when she won a 1.45-meter class in a 4-star competition in Ocala, Fla.
But Kent did get a share of some wins, as he has been helping Charlotte – who also took the Richard McDevitt style of riding award.
As McLain noted, having riders mentored by more experienced professionals, such as Kent and himself, is “a dynamic that is a key to success for our (the USA’s) future. Where experienced riders and those of us who kind of put the whole package together, not just to win grands prix, but to win championship battles, it’s important that’s the relationship we have at the highest end of the sport.
“It’s not training per se…but just understanding how to put it all together. You’ve had these experiences and you share how you dealt with them. Forr me, I’m privileged to get the opportunity to do that. I think Kent feels the same. I love the idea of mentoring the next generation; at the same time.”
It goes “from being able to teach and coach, toward (becoming) a sounding board and then a colleague.”
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