Perfect Qredit Claims Young Horse Championship on Day One
Dressage at Devon, one of the most prestigious dressage and sport horse breeding shows in North America, kicked off its opening day with an impressive roster of some of the continent's best sport horses. Topping the select group of youngsters was Perfect Qredit, a yearling stallion by Quaterback, who claimed the Young Horse Championship and the Colt Championship, as well as the Yearling Colts and Geldings class.

The trip to Dressage at Devon was a first for Perfect Qredit's owner, Michelle Coursin, an air traffic controller based in Afghanistan who uses her two vacations each year to return to the United States to pursue her interest in dressage. Formerly a hunter rider, Coursin selected the stallion from photos as a one-month old foal and now keeps the youngster at Hilltop Farm.

"To know that I picked him at a month old and see him grow up, win or lose, is amazing," Coursin said. She is looking forward to watching the young stallion mature and hopes to take him through the stallion licensing process. Bred by Yancey Farms, the Quaterback son is out of Dream Rubina by Dream of Glory.

Del Mar ISF, bred and owned by Iron Spring Farm, claimed the Reserve Colt/Gelding Championship.

Winning the Filly Championship and the Reserve Young Horse Championship was Nancy Holowesko's two-year-old Marmara, by the Thoroughbred stallion Licotus xx out of the Landadel mare La Montana. The filly was purchased from the Elite Foal Auction in Vechta before being imported to the U.S. In addition to her championships, she claimed the Two-Year-Old Fillies class with an impressive 81.00%. "She is an exceptional filly and has a strong Thoroughbred influence with warmblood gaits," Holowesko said. "This will be great as a performance horse, but even better when she becomes a broodmare." Finishing with the Reserve Filly Championship was Victoria Lamas Wanner's yearling mare Dazzle, by Jazz out of Zizarma.

Canaan Ranch's filly Divinity CR claimed the Foal Championship after winning the Fillies of 2009 class with an 82.50%. "Devon is where you get to see how you stack up against the rest," said owner and breeder Melanie Pai. Divinity CR is by the Diamond Hit stallion Donates and out of Scarlett, a mare that has produced many top babies for Pai. "I was really happy when I saw Divinity hit the ground," she recalled. Taking the Reserve Foal Championship was Faberge MF. The Fidertanz daughter was bred by Marydell Farms and owned by Alice Tarjan.

Topping both the Suitable to Become a Dressage Horse Three-Year-Old and the Three Year Old Colt and Gelding Materiale was Somer Hit, bred by Rolling Stone Farm. The black colt by Sandro Hit and out of EM Rhussia received an impressive 83.80% in the materiale class.

Pikk Elena HU, bred and owned by Horses Unlimited, claimed the Suitable to Become a Dressage Horse Four-Year-Old class. The bay mare is by Pik L, an 11-time winner at Dressage at Devon, and out of the Don Primero mare Donatella.

In the Three Year Old Filly Materiale class, Wild Rose brought home the blue with a 71.60%. The filly, bred by Karen and Tom Schwencer, is by Widmark out of EM Berlina.

Day Two at Dressage at Devon Offers Déjà Vu and New Records
Day two at prestigious Dressage at Devon continued with more champions in the breed ring. The day offered a bit of déjà vu as many of the big winners have had their names announced in Devon's legendary Dixon Oval in years past. Among the champions, the stunning Rabiola, an 11-year old KWPN (the Royal Warmblood Studbook of The Netherlands) mare owned by Iron Spring Farm, who clinched the Mare Championship for the third year in a row with the unbelievable score of 94.00%.

"It's certainly the highest score that I ever remember in the Breed Show," saidLori Kaminski President and CEO of the organization, who has also been involved with the Breed Show at Dressage 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 Dressage at 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 Dressage at Devon fans is also an Iron Spring horse, the KWPN stallion Sir Sinclair, who broke Dressage at 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 USEF/Markel National Six-Year-Old Young Horse Dressage Champion, was bred by Anne Sparks, CEO of Horses Unlimited. "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 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. A beaming 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. "We're already seeing more U.S.-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. Perfect Qredit is Michelle Coursin's first dressage horse.

The competition continues at Dressage at Devon through the weekend. The Breed Show wraps up with numerous breed classes, and the Performance Show kicks off Thursday with the USEF Dressage Test for Four-Year-Old Horses, introduced to North America at Dressage at Devon in 2005, as well as the FEI Dressage Tests for Five- and Six-Year Olds. The Performance Show continues through Sunday highlighted by four grand prix classes and numerous other FEI-level classes.

Dressage at Devon takes place on the Devon Horse Show Grounds in Devon, PA, and benefits Thorncroft Therapeutic Horseback Riding Inc. Complete results and more information can be found at www.dressageatdevon.org.