Father Larry McCormick, also known as Father Mack of Holy Trinity Parish in North Bergen, New Jersey, celebrated his fifth year of the traditional Blessing of the Animals in the Dixon Oval. A horse enthusiast and avowed Corgi lover, Father Mack mentioned Corgis several times during the ceremony.

His wife, Ruth McCormick, who sported a hat band decorated with Corgis, said she competed at Devon at Fourth Level in what is now called the Wheeler Ring. She and Father Mack have been coming to Dressage at Devon for decades, helping to make the Blessing of the Animals a much-loved ritual of Sunday mornings at the show.

Traditionally Dressage at Devon’s final day, Sunday is the week before the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (October 4th), where people bring their pets and other creatures to a place of worship to receive a spiritual blessing, acknowledging God’s care for all creation The ritual celebrates the bond between humans and animals, promotes the idea of stewardship for all living things.