Devon, PA – Tuesday, September 26, 2023 – Dressage at Devon is proud to offer a full Pony Division, Sponsored By Moore’s Furniture. This year’s pony competition features a full spectrum of Pony Breed Classes, as well as FEI CDIP classes. From Foals to Four-Year-Olds, the top up and coming dressage ponies were out in full force today at DaD. The Champions of the Pony Foal, Filly, and Colt/Gelding contended for the Young Pony Championship, while the Pony Mare and Stallion champions vied for the Mature Pony Championship. With the Young Pony and Mature Pony Champions Crowned, the first two places from both of those overall sections were then in contention for this year’s DaD Grand Pony Championship, Sponsored By Impeccable Equeery. When all was said and done it was Goldjunge, a 2017 Westphalian Stallion by Golden West NRW × Oosteinds Ricky, owned by Heidi Humphrey, handled by Shane Diel, and bred by Heiner Rohmann, who took home the coveted overall Pony Division honors to be crowned the 2023 Dressage at Devon Grand Pony Champion. Goldjunge and Shane Diel captured the Pony Stallion Championship and the Mature Pony Championship on their way to securing the overall Grand Championship title.
2023 DRESSAGE AT DEVON GRAND PONY CHAMPIONSHIP – Sponsored By Impeccable Equeery
Champion: Shane Diel & Goldjunge
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
Owner, Heidi Humphrey, on winning the 2023 DaD Grand Pony Championship, Sponsored by Impeccable Equeery, with Goldjunge, handled by Shane Diel:
“It is a dream come true,” Humphrey said, “At Dressage at Devon it is definitely the electric atmosphere, it is like no other place. This is the first time I have been here. I have known about it for years and have not felt like I was ready, but Goldjunge has been so fantastic and is normally chill, so I thought ‘well he could handle the atmosphere’ I have 12 ponies, but I only brought him.”
In response to what brought you to Dressage at Devon, Humphries said, “Everyone has said that Dressage at Devon is the place to go to, the place to be recognized. I wanted to introduce Goldjunge to this country because he has only been in the U.S. for a month. Before that he was in Canada for 6 months, and before that, Germany. I have followed him since he was a yearling. I owned his half sister, I loved her and just sold her this spring. When I found out he was available I had to have him, he is definitely a heart horse for me.”
Reflecting on her first experience at Dressage at Devon, Humphrey said, “Coming here has been a wonderful place to market and meet people. I can’t thank my handler (Shane Diel) enough, he is from the barn where Goldjunge is. All throughout the day, he has been very up and excited. Shane learned from every class and pulled out the best for last, so that was very exciting for me!” On this being Humphrey’s first trip to Devon and first big win taking home the Dressage at Devon Grand Pony Championship, she reflected saying, “It has been really great!”
PONY FOAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Lindsey Berry & Starberry Solstice
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
PONY FILLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Elizabeth Jensen & Garnet
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
YOUNG PONY CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Ellen Ziemer & Mufasa D
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
PONY MARE CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Ellen Ziemer & Dresscode Kaiser’s Princess
Photo Credit: Conklin Photographic LLC
PONY STALLION CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Shane Diel & Goldjunge
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
MATURE PONY CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Shane Diel & Goldjunge
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
YOUTH HANDLER
Winner: Jaime Stirparo & Eleito Santana
2009 Lusitano Gelding By Peralta Pinha × Urque, Owned By: Lori Farace, Bred By: Francisco Antonio Rios Corral
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
The winner in the Adult Amateur Handler Class was Amanda Braun with Cowboy Casanova, a Courtney Peiffer entry out of Union Bridge, Maryland. Braun handled the 2001 Morgan gelding flawlessly to secure top honors in the Dixon Oval here at Dressage at Devon as the handler’s took center stage on Day 1 of the Breed Division. The Breed Division will continue through Thursday, September 28th at the Devon Horse Show Grounds.
GET OF SIRE
Winner: Iron Spring Farm Inc.’s Cum Laude
Handled by: Quinnten Alston
2010 KWPN Stallion By Apache × Weltmeyer, Owned by Iron Spring Farm Inc., Bred by J.A.M Schel
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
The Get of Sire class awards the most representative sample of the progeny of a sire. This year’s winner was Iron Spring Farm Inc.’s prize stallion, Cum Laude. The 2010 Approved KWPN Stallion by Apache x Weltmeyer was bred by J.A.M Schel and handled in the Dixon Oval today by Quinnten Alston. He’s also a popular sire, with several elite mares to his credit. “Cum Laude came in training with us when he was five years old,” recalls his former rider and owner Vai Bruntink. “I immediately fell in love with him. He was so pretty and sweet.” Bruntink continued to develop the stallion and took him to the young horse classes as a six-year-old. He scored an 82 in the first round of the Pavo Cup and finished in 5th place. He was also a high scoring crowd favorite at national shows during this time.
Cum Laude continued up the levels, winning several national competitions at the ZZ-Zwaar and PSG levels, including freestyles with scores to 78%. He made his CDI small tour debut in 2018 at the World Championships for Young Horses, where he won the CDI1* Prix St. Georges class with a 71.618%. In 2019, Cum Laude advanced to the CDI3* level. Bruntink said, “He loved to do prize givings. I never had to worry if the arena or loud music would distract him because he just felt so confident everywhere.”
Due to his show career, Cum Laude was bred on a limited basis, but his first offspring were so outstanding he quickly became a popular choice. Bruntink said, “Everybody loved his appearance, his flashy way of moving, and above all, his fantastic temperament. When we took him to training or shows, he could travel with a mare on the lorry next to him. He was so smart, with the breeding. He knew his job, and once it was over, he acted like a gelding. He’s a really special horse to us.”
For More Information on Iron Spring Farm Inc., visit their webpage at: https://www.ironspringfarm.com/
PRODUCE OF DAM
Winner: Noel Williams & Marmara
2007 Oldenburg Mare By Licotus × Landadel, Owned by Nancy Holowesko, Bred by Erich Jade
Photo Credit: Olivia Airhart, Mane Source Media, LLC for Phelps Media Group
