An American Mustang at Devon 2010

The Dressage at Devon Web site invites us to be part of the magic. Well,  this year at Devon we were part of history too.
 
"Shocker at Devon"
Padre, a ten year old American Mustang stallion, cleaned up. He won the 4 year old and up stallion class and he was Reserve Champion stallion overall. He competed against Holsteiners. Hanoverians. Oldenburgs.  And he kicked equine butt. Padre is not only the first American Mustang to compete at Devon, he went home with a neck ribbon :-) Congrats to his owner/handler, Patti Gruber at Wayfarer Farms in Illinois.

Oh, and if you think I'm overstating the accomplishment, Dressage-news.com reports on Padre's win, and the article is entitled "Shocker at Devon."The photo below is from that article, courtesy of Hoofprint images.

I'm still kicking myself for not going to Devon on the day he competed. I simply didn't know. Aaargh! I read up on his background (e.g.,  this news article) and contacted Patti a week or so after Devon. She was happy to share photos, videos, and insights she has as the Padre's owner/trainer.

 And he's not just a pretty face...
Padre was adopted through the Bureau of Land Management adoption program (Palimino Valley, Nevada) as a yearling.  Patti acquired him as a seven year old, saw his dressage potential, and  brought him along herself with help from  trainer Bereiter Huefler and others.

Did I mention that Padre is schooling third level? No matter what breed you're talking about, in my book that's a big freakin' deal. Padre and Patti were also selected from hundreds of applicants to be a demo rider for a Steffan Peters clinic held at the Midwest Horse Fair In Madison, Wisconsin. Below left is a photo from that experience. They have done some schooling shows competing a first level, with a high score of 74.3%.

What was the reaction at Devon?
In a news article in the Sept 17 Daily Herald, Devon CEO Lori Kaminsky was quoted as saying that mustangs "aren't built for the sport" and that they're "flighty."  I  think her remarks were taken waaay out of context. LK participates on the COTH bulletin boards, and she's pretty savvy. I have a hard time reconciling those statements with someone of her reputation and character.

 To follow up, though, I asked Patti about her Dressage at Devon experience, and this is her response...

Everyone at Devon was wonderfully supportive and excited to have Padre there.  The president [Ed. that would be Lori Kamnisky] and a gentleman from the board of directors personally thanked us for attending.  Other competitors were really supportive and his new "fans" cheered as we trotted by the grandstands each time.  I had a lot of questions about what type of horse he was and everyone was surprised to learn he is a Mustang born in the wild.  All the feedback was positive.  I could not have asked for a better reception and experience.

This is one of my favorite stories EVER. I just love that an attractive horse with good, pure gaits--but without the European bloodlines--can excel at Devon. I'll be sharing more pix, more of my interview with Patti, and a video of Padre, in the near future.