Devon, Pennsylvania – September 10, 2026 – The final weekend of under-the-lights action in the Dixon Oval at the Devon Show Grounds for 2026 commenced Thursday evening with the $5,000 1.40m Welcome Jumper Stake, sponsored by Westover.
Thirty horse-and-rider combinations took to the course designed by Manuel Esparza (MEX), each vying for top honors in the opening evening class of the 2026 Devon Fall Classic.
Ultimately, it was Morgan Ward-Knowlton and Gowe Farms’ Belgian Warmblood stallion Qornet VD Bisschop (Cornet Obolensky x Ilyda VD Bisschop) who rose to the top of the field with a commanding double-clear performance to claim their first win of the 2026 Devon Fall Classic.
Ward-Knowlton also piloted Gowe Farms’ Warmblood gelding GF Diego in Thursday night’s class, the same horse with whom she finished second in last year’s Welcome Stake.
Laura Chapot placed second aboard Mary Chapot’s C&C Willow, while Alex Matz and Virginia McNeil’s Omthago VDL rounded out the top three.
“It feels great! When I saw Laura chasing me again, I was like, ‘Oh no.’ It was amazing,” Ward-Knowlton said of turning the tables this year after finishing second to Chapot in last year’s Welcome Stake.
Ward-Knowlton and Qornet VD Bisschop will return to the Dixon Oval Saturday evening to compete in the $25,000 Devon Fall Classic, sponsored by Main Line Health/Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Competition at the Devon Fall Classic continues Friday, September 11, highlighted by the $10,000 1.40m Speed Stake, sponsored by Land Rover Main Line.
