If things had gone according to schedule, today would be the start of the Devon Horse Show’s “Junior Weekend,” and young equestrians from all over the nation would be gathered in Devon, Pennsylvania, to compete. While no horses or ponies will grace the famed Dixon Oval or Wheeler Ring this year, we’re still thinking about and missing our favorite Devon traditions. One of the best occurs on Saturday afternoon of Junior Weekend. Forget the country fair or browsing the vendors. Everyone packs around the Wheeler Ring to watch the pony hunt teams.

This hunt teams competition has evolved into a spectacle unlike any other in the hunter world, with costumes, music and elaborate gift baskets—i.e. “bribes”—for the judges.

For decades, the class, held after the conclusion of the pony hunters on Saturday of Junior Weekend was a traditional hunt teams class, with three riders contesting a course at once, each endeavoring to stay a few strides apart from one another until the last fence, which they jumped three abreast, hopefully in unison. The riders took the class as seriously as they did every other class at Devon.

In the late ’90s all that changed.

“One year a bunch of kids on one hunt team put pompoms in [their] ponies’ manes and tails on a whim, no big deal,” recalled David Distler, who manages Devon alongside Peter Doubleday. “The following year, some others did it, maybe two or three hunt teams put in huge pompoms as a joke. The next year someone came and asked if they could wear a costume. The following year a couple more people wore costumes. It just started to build.”

It’s tough to pin down exactly when costumes started showing up, but it seems to be between 1995 and 1997.

What started as a pompom here or there has evolved into a major extravaganza, as shown by Mackenzie Graves and Ringo Star, who dressed up in a “Slumdog Millionaire” theme. Mollie Bailey Photo

Robin Greenwood was a Devon pony ring regular until 1997, and then she went on hiatus for a little over a decade. When she came back she found a totally different situation.

“I stopped teaching in 1997,” said Greenwood. “When I went back in about 2010, it had gone from putting springy headbands on horses and matching front wraps to the Broadway spectacle it is today. From the late ’90s to 2010 I wasn’t there. I went back, and I was like, ‘Holy cow these people have ordered costumes from Central Casting.’ ”

Hunter rider Jennifer Bliss remembers showing in her shadbelly her first year, around 1996.

“My hunt team won, and my dad proceeded to tell everyone I won a class at Devon, but he failed to include that [it was the hunt teams],” said Bliss, who remembers dressing up in racing silks one year. “It was a serious thing that first year, and it’s obviously morphed into a spectacle. I can remember doing crazy outfits after that, where you plan your theme and all that.”

Jill Betuker remembers dressing up with her barn friends starting around 1995, but it was more low-key at that time. While modern-day teams create elaborate gift baskets for the judges, hers just gave them a bag of candy.

(From left) Victoria Grauer on Unlock The Magic, Georgina Bloomberg on Kid You Not and Jill Betuker on Remember The Laughter added a little sparkle to their outfits in 1995 for their theme, “Born In the USA.” Photo Courtesy Of Jill Betuker

First a pony star and then a pony mom, Libby McKinney Tritschler recalls running to drug stores and costume stores to get last-minute accoutrements for children and ponies.

“I think it came from the moms, and the energy they had, and the way they wanted to bring something where kids can smile and be happy, and everyone has a chance to win in a very serious competitive world,” she said.

Watch the winning large pony hunt team from 2018.

Even before costumes were de rigueur, some teams went out of their way to try to match one another. Allyson Coluccio recalls the time that her son, Evan Coluccio, won along with two other young men, all wearing pinque coats, white breeches and tall boots, and riding white small ponies around 1995.

(From left) Evan Coluccio on Rainbow Connection, Matthew Stewart on Sweet As Candy and Jonathan Philips on Shenandoah Dazzler matched perfectly for their 1995 win in the small pony division. Photo Courtesy Of Allyson Coluccio

Cynthia Weiner, a star pony rider in her day aboard mounts like Chimney Sweep, won the class back in 1968 when it was a combined class for all heights. Back then the riders wore short coats, and it was treated as seriously as any other class at Devon. She contested the class with other riders from her home state of Pennsylvania.

“I won the class as a catch-rider on a pony called Moon Comet,” said Weiner, who now presents several trophies at the Devon Horse Show. “Our Pennsylvania team was the winningest Pennsylvania team there was—we won at [AHSA] Pony Finals five years in a row. After we took the last jump, the crowd went crazy because we were representing our state at our most cherished horse show: the Devon Horse Show.

“Now it’s like a mini-grand prix night,” she continued. “I have friends that come in and meet me for the class. They come in just for that class!”

Cynthia Weiner remembers winning the pony hunt team class at Devon back in 1968. (From left) Debbie Thorington on Ristree Lace, trainer Harry Duce, Sindy Paul on Crepe Suzette, Gerson Paul, Chuck Weiner, Cynthia Weiner on Moon Comet and groom Dick Fenelly. Photo Courtesy Of Cynthia Weiner

These days the three riders arrive with a CD of music for the announcer to play during their round and a crew of helpers. Friends and/or trainers often join in the costumed fun to deliver the gift baskets to the judges. Those baskets contain booze, snacks and myriad gifts.

“Someone gave them an iPad one year,” recalled Distler. “[All the baskets] go into my office, and we go through it. The judges, if they’re local or they drove, they’ll take whatever they can take in their car. If they flew, it depends what they can fit in the suitcases. The rest gets divided to the office staff, and the food goes to jump crew.”

Which gift basket “bribe” impressed Thom Brede and Leo Conroy the most when they judged the pony hunt teams? Mollie Bailey Photo

The class has become a favorite for spectators, pony riders and their parents.

“There’s only one winner at Devon, and there’s a lot of pressure,” said trainer Stacey Weiss, who’s also the mother of two riders who competed in the hunt teams class. “At least that lightens the week, lightens the mood, and gives kids something to worry about besides their eight jumps.

“When [my daughter] Madeline [Schaefer] was champion on Hi Lite she didn’t care about that. She just cared about getting to do the hunt teams,” Weiss added.

Madeline Schaefer dressed as a pirate one year aboard Flashback. Mollie Bailey Photo

Distler agreed that it’s nice to have a fun class at Devon.

“The judges have a great time judging it, and the kids have fun doing it,” he said. “We give first, second and third in the smalls, mediums and larges and don’t try to combine the groups. Even if one of the team members goes off course or falls off they still get a ribbon.”

These days riders and their families go all out with the costumes, like the conga team of Alexa Lignelli, Emma Hechtman and Hannah Famulak. Mollie Bailey Photo

Parker Wright on Everyday Enzo, Emma Wujek on Houdini and Julia Curtis on Dress Code formed Team America to win the small pony hunt teams at Devon in 2011. Mollie Bailey Photo

Judges Bill Ellis and Mike Rosser examined their loot after the pony hunt teams class in 2014. It took two four-wheelers to get the goodies out of their booth and to the show office. Mollie Bailey Photo

Betsee Parker carried the bribes for the Ninjas, (from left) Alex Crown on Thank Heavens, Kendell Adelberger on Midnight Swing, and Maddie Sellman on Sweet Treat. Mollie Bailey Photo

(From left) Embellished and Taylor St. Jacques, Blackberry and Sarah Boston, and Natalie Sanders on Flyer Miles competed in the small pony hunt teams as Team Devon. Mollie Bailey Photo

Isabella Russekoff was all smiles after a fun round aboard Rico Suave (reincarnated as Rex The Dinosaur). Mollie Bailey Photo

Izzy Beisel took Weebiscuit in the pony hunt teams in 2017. Laura Lemon Photo