Dressage at Devon, is adding two new championship programs—the Pro-Am Challenge and the Young Performance Horse Championship. This year, Devon has the challenge of running Sept. 28-Oct. 3 in Devon, Pa.; the same time as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky.

“We always strive to find new ways to recognize greatness at Dressage at Devon,” said Lori Kaminski, President and CEO of the event. “This fall, while some of the world’s stars will be shining in Kentucky, Dressage at Devon will be building the next generation of world-class competitors.”

The Pro-Am Challenge Championship will go to the team consisting of one amateur rider and one professional rider with the highest percentage scores from either the Intermediaire I freestyle and/or the Grand Prix freestyle.

Susan Springsteen, an amateur rider from Chester County, Pa., has attended Dressage at Devon since she was a teenager. “I think it is wonderful that the Dressage at Devon Committee is thinking outside the box,” she said. “The Challenge shines a spotlight on adult amateurs, who are the backbone of our sport.”

As the young horse classes at Dressage at Devon have grown, a championship recognizing these future stars was the next logical step. “The Young Horse Championship is a reflection of the growth and importance of the young horse division,” explained Kaminski.

The horse/rider combination with the highest total score from Thursday and Friday’s 4-, 5- or 6-year-old tests will be named Champion Young Performance Horse.

“I think naming a Young Horse Champion is a wonderful thing to add,” said Chris Hickey, who’s achieved accolades at Devon with Hilltop Farm’s Cabana Boy. “There is always so much going on with the CDI and the in-hand classes, it is great to add this type of championship for the young horses.”