Dressage at Devon Catches Pony Fever with New Pony Breeding Division

Heads up pony fans: world-famous Dressage at Devon will now offer a full Sport Horse Breeding Division just for ponies! Photo by Jennifer M. Keeler

With pony fever sweeping the nation, Dressage at Devon has now announced the addition of an all-new sport horse breeding division devoted to showcasing the talents of ponies. In addition, Devon has also joined the National Dressage Pony Cup’s (NDPC) international network of Partner Shows, whereby ponies can earn high-point ribbons at the event as well as qualifying scores towards impressive NDPC year-end awards.

Designated as a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Heritage Competition, for more than 40 years Dressage at Devon has been one of North America’s premier international dressage competitions and currently hosts the world’s largest breed show. With a rich tradition and magical atmosphere, hundreds of exhibitors flock to the historic show grounds in Devon, Pa. each year to compete for the honor of a Devon blue ribbon. This year’s event will be held September 25-30 and will include three full days of Breed Show classes, followed by four action-packed days of performance with a full international CDI division.

Now ponies of all ages and breeds are invited to participate in Dressage at Devon’s full roster of 17 new pony-only classes ranging from current-year foals to overall championships plus a growing list of Individual Breed Classes (IBC), all of which will be spotlighted on Tuesday, September 25th. “Not only are these pony breeding divisions a great opportunity for ponies but also for breeders to be able to showcase what they produce,” said Jenny Carol, founder of the NDPC. “With their own division, ponies can be judged among their peers for the small but amazing athletes that they are. I applaud Devon for helping provide a place where breeders and their young ponies and breeding stock can shine, and hopefully that will have a lasting effect on enthusiasm for dressage pony breeding in this country.”

Breed Show Chairwoman Melanie Sloyer is enthusiastic about Devon’s new pony division, and she also invites pony breed organizations to join in the excitement by sponsoring an Individual Breed Class (IBC). “Class sponsorship provides registries with the opportunity to showcase their breed at the largest and most prestigious open breed show in the world, and this year we made some significant changes to the schedule to create a larger focus on the these classes,” Sloyer explained. “The classes will be spotlighted on a single day in the famous Dixon Oval, plus we will once again be offering a Parade of Breeds where the winners of each class are invited back into ring for special awards and the opportunity to have the announcer give a short description of the breed. This all provides terrific exposure for people to learn more about the special talents of our pony breeds.”

It’s not too late to showcase your favorite breed by sponsoring an IBC class at Devon: as a special offer, Sloyer reports that IBC applications received by August 10th will have all late fees waived. For more information, contact Melanie Sloyer at msloyer@aol.com or call (610) 420-2535.

To learn more about Dressage at Devon’s pony classes and all-new sport horse breeding division for ponies, download the prize list by visiting the Dressage at Devon website at dressageatdevon.org. To learn more about the National Dressage Pony Cup (NDPC) Partner Shows and year-end awards program, visit dressageponycup.com.