Settled inside the Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia, at the corner of Lancaster and Dorset in Devon, Pennsylvania, resides the Devon Horse Show. Its iconic baby blue stands host locals and the country’s top riders for 12 days each year to welcome the beginning of summer. The show hosts not only top hunters and jumpers, but is one of only a handful of multi-discipline shows remaining in the United States, with coaching events, side-saddle, Saddlebreds, Hackneys, breeding classes and more.
Beyond the show “Where Champions Meet,” Devon hosts a county fair with funnel cakes and lemonade, plus carnival games and the iconic Ferris wheel. It’s impossible to attend without sampling tea sandwiches, fudge or a lemon stick.
Who: Qualifying lists are available here.
When: Junior weekend kicks off Wednesday and runs through Sunday. It features pony breeding, equitation, junior hunters and jumpers and pony hunters. Saturday, May 24, is hunt night, and the weekend wraps up on Sunday evening with arena eventing.
Senior week runs May 26-June 1, featuring open and amateur-owner hunters, jumper divisions ranging from amateur to Fédération Equestre Internationale levels, side-saddle and hunter breeding. You can see the detailed schedule here.
Don’t Miss: Once you’ve wandered around the county fair and shopping areas, stop by the Dixon Oval and the Wheeler Ring to see non-stop equine entertainment.
• If you’ve never seen the costumed pony hunt teams take a turn around the ring, be sure to get there early Saturday, May 24, after the presentation of the grand pony hunter championship to get a spot on the Wheeler Ring rail for the best view of a fun exhibition, set to begin at 5:15 p.m.
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• If you’re one who loves top jumper sport, mark your calendars for the 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 27, Jet Run Welcome Stake, and again for the $226,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, starting at 7:15 p.m. May 29, which draws top international riders. The last big jumper class takes place at 7 p.m. May 31, with the Idle Dice Jumper Stake.
• If foxhunting is more your style, the Radnor Hunt (Pennsylvania) hounds will parade at 9 p.m. on hunt night, Saturday, May 24, followed by horse hunt teams and the family class.
• If you’re an eventing fan, you can see myriad Olympians and Olympic hopefuls jump the $50,000 Devon Arena Eventing track over a course that winds through both rings and includes intermediate-level eventing-style fences starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 25.
• If hunters are more your style, don’t miss the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, starting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 29.
How To Follow Along: The Chronicle will have a pair of reporters at Devon bringing you photos, stories from the competition and more at coth.com. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to make sure you don’t miss a thing. You can see a full report from the entire competition in the June 20 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine.
How to watch: USEF members can watch the Devon Horse Show on USEF Network.
Important Links: Devon Horse Show website / Detailed schedule / Results and orders of go / All the Chronicle’s coverage
