The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair announced today, June 17, that Patrick Boyle, of Showplace Productions, and Phil J. DeVita Jr. will be the new show managers for the 2023 competition to be held at the historic Devon Horse Show Grounds in Devon, Pennsylvania, from May 25-June 4. The previous managers, David Distler and Peter Doubleday, announced their resignation on June 6.

This new management team brings decades of experience in every facet of managing a heritage show of Devon’s stature and multi-breed distinction. Their experience runs the full gamut of competitor, trainer, judge, course designer and show production.

Wayne W. Grafton, Chairman and CEO of the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair recently commented on this appointment, “I am excited to see Patrick and Phil continue the great legacy of the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair. They understand the importance of Devon and are eager to protect its historic relevance while shepherding the show into an incredible future.”

Patrick Boyle comes to Devon with an extensive resume within the horse show world. Since 1990, Boyle and his Showplace Productions have produced events from coast to coast. They currently manage some 40 hunter/jumper competitions every year that are rated U.S. Equestrian Federation premier/national/FEI/IHJA A or B events. In addition, he manages the Marshall & Sterling/USHJA National Championships (Nevada), the Pennsylvania National Horse Show and the Upperville Colt and Horse Show (Virginia). Showplace Productions, under Boyle’s leadership, has developed, managed or run shows at the Lamplight Equestrian Center (Illinois), the Balmoral Equestrian Center (Illinois) and $500,000 Balmoral FEI Grand Prix 5*, the IHJA Medal Finals and numerous other finals and championships. Boyle is a USEF “R” licensed official in hunter/jumper/equitation, a USEF-licensed course designer, a trainer and a clinician. He is a member of many USHJA committees, including the Competition Management Committee, Show Standards Committee and Zone V Hunter Committee.

Phil DeVita Jr. is a second-generation horseman who has spent his life around and involved with show horses. He is the son of the highly respected Phil DeVita and spent many decades under his father’s mentorship. From the early 1970s to the early 2000s, DeVita showed, competed and trained throughout the United States with a veritable who’s who of the equestrian world. He received his USEF judge’s license at 20 and began course design at just 23. In 1995 he switched from competitor, judge and course designer to the world of show official management. As a licensed official for the USEF, he holds an “R” in judging for hunters, jumpers, hunter seat equitation and hunter/jumper course design. DeVita has been involved for many years as a committee member and a part of multiple task force groups, including serving as the USHJA Officials Committee chair from 2017-2020. He has had the distinct honor to design courses and judge at the ASPCA Maclay Finals at Madison Square Garden (New York), the Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida), and Capital Challenge (Maryland). One of the greatest honors of his career has been as one of the team of 12 who designed the course for the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics. No stranger to Devon, DeVita has also judged the breeding division with the great Rodney Jenkins.