Dressage-News

DEVON, Pennsylvania, Sept. 23–The stunning Rabiola, an 11-year old KWPN mare owned by Iron Spring Farm, won the Mare Championship for the third year in a row with a record score of 94.00 per cent at Dressage at Devon Wednesday.

“It’s certainly the highest score that I ever remember in the Breed Show,” saidLori Kaminski, president and CEO of the organization, who has been involved with the Breed Show at Devon for 15 years.

Judge Janine Malone explained, “Rabiola has an exceptional trot and a true presence.”

The Victory Garden at Devon is a like a second home for the impressive mare bred in The Netherlands by P. Crum. She is by Metall out of Fabiola and was the Devon Grand Champion in 2006 and Reserve Champion in 2008. Claiming the Reserve Mare Championship was China Doll, a four-year-old gray Oldenburg by Cabaret out of Elena, bred by Heinz Wulf.

Another name familiar to Devon fans is also an Iron Spring horse, the KWPN stallion Sir Sinclair, who broke Devon records by becoming the winner of the Get of Sire class for a fourth year in a row.

The Stallion Championship followed the mares, and Pikko del Cerro HU wore the champion’s sash.

The six-year old Hanoverian by Pik L out of Rohweena by Rohdiamant, recently crowned Six- Year- Old Dressage Champion, was bred by Anne Sparks, of Horses Unlimited of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “I couldn’t be happier,” she said. “Pikko del Cerro is the first baby I saw born, and the culmination of nine years of planning. I purchased Rohweena just for Pik L. It was so exciting to see Cerro earn the championship in this arena.”

The engaging North Forks Cardi took the Reserve Stallion Championship. Bred by Carol Holcombe, the handsome bay stallion measures just 14.3, but had a mighty presence as he trotted around the Dixon Oval. He also won the Great American Insurance Group/United States Dressage Federation Breeder’s East Coast Championship for Stallions, as well as the Born in the USA Stallion.

The colorful tradition of the Born in the USA Breeders’ Awards continued with all the winners–fillies and colts through stallions and mares–decked with red, white and blue sashes. The awards originated at Dressage at Devon to bring attention to and honor American-bred horses. Iron Spring Farm of Coatesville, Pennsykvania again took top honors with Calypso ISF, a two-year old Dutch warmblood by Contango out of Toraya.

The top two girls took on the top two boys in the Mature Horse Championship, and the girls ruled, with Rabiola crowned Champion and China Doll Reserve Champion. Mary Alice Malone, owner of Rabiola, said, “I’m a really lucky lady to have such a beautiful horse. She’s gorgeous, a wonderful mover, has a great temperament, AND she makes great babies.”

Janine Malone declared the mare quality overall at this year’s Dressage at Devon “excellent.”

“Judging the Breeder’s Group and the Produce of Dam, I found the quality overall to be very high–modern types with uphill movement,” she said.

The quality of such breeding mares is already apparent, she said, as “we’re already seeing more US-bred horses who are able to compete at the top of their sport.”

The day culminated with the Grand Championship, and a bit of a turnaround, as Rabiola was announced as Reserve Grand Champion with Perfect Qredit taking home the breed show’s biggest honor.

Champion of Monday’s Young Horse division, the chestnut stallion, a Quaterback son and out of Dream Rubina by Dream of Glory, was bred by Yancey Farms of Ocala Florida. Perfect Qredit is Michelle Coursin’s first dressage horse.

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