For Lindsay Hafer, simply hearing her name announced inside the Dixon Oval was enough to bring tears to her eyes.
“And a new leader there with Lindsay and Capital Star“—those words from the announcer, during her very first class at the Devon Fall Classic, are etched in her memory forever. “I was only the tenth to go, but it felt like I was on top of the world,” Hafer recalled. “I never thought that sentence would be about me. My first time in the Dixon Oval, and I was leading—it was surreal.”
Hafer, who grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has always known what showing at Devon represents. “Even if you’re not horsey, you know the Devon Horse Show,” she explained. “It’s iconic—the white and blue grandstands, the Dixon Oval, the energy. My whole life, I watched friends and pros ride here, and I always thought, I need to be in there someday.“
This year, that dream became reality thanks to a special mare named Capital Star—affectionately known as “Cappy”—owned and bred by Lisa Roetz. Hafer began riding the talented jumper only in March, under the guidance of trainer Katherin Hewitt, who encouraged her to set Devon as a goal. “When I first called her, I was nervous,” Hafer admitted. “Devon was just a few months away, and it takes time to build a relationship with a horse. But Katherin said, Your dreams are my dreams now, and we’re going to go to Devon. Let’s do it. And we’re here now.”
Their partnership blossomed quickly. Cappy, a Pennsylvania-bred mare with an impressive pedigree and resume, was once a Young Jumper Champion and has competed everywhere from Florida to the Hamptons. “She’s incredible,” Hafer said. “She listens to me, she forgives me when I make mistakes, and she teaches me every day. She really is a dream horse.”
Part of what made her first Devon experience so memorable was the atmosphere of the Fall Classic itself. “Everyone is so kind,” Hafer shared. “People lend you a hose, a wheelbarrow, you recognize people, and they start talking to you. It almost feels like a hometown show, but it also has that iconic feel. I’m at Devon, but I’m making friends with my neighbors, and people are helping me. That doesn’t happen everywhere.”
For Hafer, reaching Devon wasn’t just about crossing an item off her bucket list—it was about proving to herself that she could come back stronger after hardship. Just last year, she fractured two vertebrae and her tailbone in a fall. The injury kept her out of the saddle for 12 weeks, but the moment she was cleared, she headed straight to the barn. “I wanted it so badly that I didn’t let myself think about the fear,” she said.
Her resilience and joy have been felt by everyone around her. In her first class at Devon, she finished 17th out of 50 riders. More importantly, she left with memories she’ll never forget. “There’s only one’ first time showing at Devon,'” she shared. “I’m exploding with joy, and I’m so proud of myself, my team, and mostly, Capital Star.”
For Hafer, this milestone isn’t the end, but the beginning. With her long-term goal of competing at the FEI level by the time she’s 60, riding under the Dixon Oval lights has cemented her belief that she can achieve it. “When I walked out there, I knew,” she said. “If I can get in the Dixon Oval, I can do anything.”
