Devon Kane and Prins Compete at the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace May Days Qualifier

Newberry, FL - May 16, 2009 -Devon Kane and her talented dressage horse Prins competed at the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace May Days Qualifier in Newberry, FL, last weekend, May 9-10, 2009. Kane rides out of Diamante Farms,a dressage training, showing, and boarding facility in Wellington, FL, which is owned by her parents Terri and Dick Kane.  Devon Kane and her 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Prins showed under the instruction of Diamante Farms' head trainer Michelle Gibson, and competed in the show's Brentina Cup qualifier. The pair received a 63.333% for their test, which puts them into sixth place in the Brentina Cup standings and qualifies them to compete in the division's championships at the 2009 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions in June.

"The weekend was productive because I got Prins into a new atmosphere, and he responded well," Kane stated. "We got the score that we needed to qualify for Gladstone, so it is certainly relieving to have that stress off, but now we need to work harder to be prepared and do better. I have come to the point now where we are comfortable in the ring together as a pair, and now I need to work on the next step of really showing off what we can do."

She continued, "Prins and I are working really hard and everything is coming along nicely, so I must make our next tests more exciting, and raise my standards for myself. I need to make the canter tour more expressive and really nail the piaffe and passage. We can do everything in the test well, we just have to put it all in the same package to deliver at the show without mistakes and really lay it all out there."

This is not the first time that Kane has qualified to compete at Gladstone, but it is the first time that she will be able to go. She qualified with her horse Douwe in 2007, but declined the invitation because it conflicted with her competing at theNorth American Junior and Young Riders' Championships (NAYRC). "I do not regret that decision, but I am very excited that I have gained the opportunity again, and I will be able to accept," Kane expressed. "I am also excited to get to take Prins. I think he will really enjoy the atmosphere and the crowd, and he deserves the chance to get to show with a few fans and support. He has worked very hard, and I am proud to take him to Gladstone and show him. I hope we do ourselves justice!"

Kane added, "I am excited for the experience to compete with the best, and to be able to show at a location with so much history. It is a wonderful experience and venue for myself, and for Prins."

"My goal for this year was to qualify in the top half of the ranking, and now I want to work as hard as I can to show up completely prepared and ready to come out fighting," she laughed. "We are motivated, working hard, and feeling more and more comfortable and confident as we go. Doing well at Gladstone is proof of your capabilities as a rider, and I hope we are able to deliver our best at such an intense, and exciting competition."

Diamante Farms will compete next at the Poplar Place Farm May Dressage Show, held in Hamilton, GA, this weekend, May 16-17, 2009.

For more information, please visit www.diamantefarms.com.


Photo Credit: Devon Kane and Prins have qualified to compete for the Brentina Cup at the 2009 Collecting Gate Farms/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions.  Photo © 2009 Mary Phelps.  Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.