Dressage at Devon Forum Features USET Member George Williams

Devon, PA --International dressage rider, USET member and USDF Vice President George Williams will be the featured presenter at the Dressage at Devon Forum on Wednesday, September 23, 2009. Williams' presentation, Saturday Nights at Devon With Rocher--The Rocher Experience, will detail his international Grand Prix experiences on Rocher, the charming black mare who had fans around the world. The Dressage at Devon Forum has become one of the most popular features of the show, with hundreds of participants flocking to The Devon Club to meet major international players in the sport of dressage.  Visitors will also enjoy a gourmet box dinner.

"We are very excited to have George Williams speak at the Dressage at Devon Forum," says Anne Moss, Forum Coordinator and Dressage at Devon Committee member.  "Who can forget George and Rocher's three victories in the Grand Prix Freestyle? They were inspiring."

Rocher and Williams not only were three-time winners of the Dressage at Devon Grand Prix Freestyle, but also the 2005 USEF National Grand Prix Champions and the 2003 USDF Horse of the Year at both Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle. Rocher, known for her incredible movement and relaxed, flopping ears, was a crowd favorite wherever she went. The Westfalen mare, by Rolls Royce out of a Fruhlingsstern mare, was recently retired from international competition.

"I plan to cover aspects of the training I received with her, as well as competing in Europe," Williams says of his Forum presentation. "I will also discuss things she taught me, including the importance of striving for a higher level of throughness and straightness. Finally, I want to describe how she touched my life and those of others."

The session will be interactive with guests encouraged to ask questions. Williams continues, "These Forums provide wonderful opportunities to learn more about horses and dressage. Hopefully the audience will walk away knowing more about training, preparing and competing at the Grand Prix level."

Williams has been a regular competitor at Dressage at Devon over the years. The show has also become a family affair, with daughter Noel Williams winning the Junior Dressage Team Championships team gold medal at the show in 2005. "The history and charming, old-world feel to the grounds help, but it really is the wonderfully enthusiastic audience who bring it life, creating the magical and electric atmosphere that make Dressage at Devon so unique in the U.S. Rocher especially loved those Saturday nights!" he said.

Saturday Nights at Devon With Rocher--The Rocher Experience Forum will be held in the Devon Room at the Dressage at Devon Horse Show, on the Devon Horse Show Grounds in Devon, PA. The Forum will begin at 7:00 (doors open at 6:00 pm. for dinner). Tickets are $40, which includes dinner, and can be purchased online. For information or to purchase tickets, contact Anne Moss at 610-380-1518 or annemoss@verizon.net.

In addition to the Forum, those interested in learning more about dressage may enjoy Dressage with the Experts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Simply rent the headset with digital FM radio receiver and hear live commentary from top members of the sport, including Betsy Steiner. The program covers the competition in the Dixon Oval as the experts describe each competitor's movements and why the judges give the scores they do. Headsets may be rented for one, two or three days with prices ranging from $35-$60. Place your order online or contact Fran Keller at frbrkeller@verizon.net for more information.

The education at Dressage at Devon doesn't end there. All ticket holders are invited to attend complimentary educational seminars on Friday and Saturday.  Experts will speak about equine and human nutrition, and rider fitness, among other options. A complete schedule will be posted on the Dressage at Devon website in September.

Dressage at Devon is one of the most popular international dressage and sport horse breeding competitions outside of Europe. Olympic medalist Robert Dover said that Dressage at Devon is "the standard by which all American horse shows should be judged." Dressage at Devon takes place at the Devon Horse Show Grounds, Route 30, in Devon, Pennsylvania.

 

For more information on Dressage at Devon please visit www.dressageatdevon.org.

About Dressage at Devon
Dressage at Devon is a 501 (c) (3) PA non-profit organization. Founded by the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association in 1975, Dressage at Devon became a separate organization in 2006. The six-day event attracts more than 700 horses and 35,000 spectators each year.  Dressage at Devon benefits Thorncroft Therapeutic Horseback Riding Inc., the oldest and largest therapeutic riding program in the nation.