Devon, Pa. —June 4
It’s easy to see why Alexandra Pielet was drawn to Hyperbolics. He’s big, athletic and has a way of changing his speed to suit the situation, but his enthusiasm for the job can sometimes get him in trouble.
“He can bully me sometimes,” she said. “He knows that I’m little. He respects me sometimes, and when he does he’s unbeatable.”
Alexandra Pielet and Hyperbolics. Kimberly Loushin Photo
At home Pielet focuses on flatwork to get “Hyper” listening and remind him he can’t take over.
“He’s a really strong athletic guy, and he knows it too,” she said. “Our flatwork is a lot of diamond shapes and squares and a lot of transitions to slow him down and make sure he’s respectful and responding.”
Alexandra Pielet (left) shares a high five with Layla Kurbanov.
The pair found consistency at the Devon Horse Show where they won the first class of the amateur jumper division and finished second in the second class, which was run in a speed format. While a rail in the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame Amateur Jumper Classic kept them out of the jump-off, they had the fastest time of the first round to take 10th. Their performances on Friday boosted them to the amateur jumper championship, and Pielet was named the Leading Amateur Jumper Rider. Layla Kurbanov topped the classic with Ronja and took the reserve championship.
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Pielet, 21, Highland Park, Illinois, has been riding the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Berlin—Dametje Van Liefhebber, Tlaloc M) for two years. While she normally rides with Andrew Bourns, he’s in Canada this week, so Molly Ashe Cawley stepped in to help Pielet.
“My rounds were really good. I started off really strong and really consistent. The courses were nice for him,” she said. “He really stepped up, and it was nice that I was able to get there.”
Layla Kurbanov won the $20,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame Amateur Jumper Classic to take reserve with Ronja.
As a rising senior at Southern Methodist University (Texas) majoring in sports management and minoring in business, Pielet doesn’t always get to show Hyper as much as she’d like to. While Bourns keeps the gelding going, Pielet isn’t lacking in saddle time as she’s a member of SMU’s National Collegiate Equestrian Association team.
“This is my favorite horse show,” she said of Devon. “I’ve been coming here since I was 8 years old. Without the past two years was really sad because I really love the environment here. So coming back I was really excited.”
Coco Fath rode Exotik Sitte to second in the classic.
Taylor Harris was third in the classic with Casilia.
Coco Fath also took fourth with Gaucho.
Wesley Newlands and Maestro Van Het Binnenveld wowed the audience with their jump-off round. A late rail left them in fifth.
Mallory Vale and Gray’s Inn were sixth.
Layla Kurbanov won a class yesterday with A Toi De Prim and was seventh today.
Sarah Treddennick and Ekilly Van De Horst were eighth.
Melissa Strawser and Darwin De Mars were ninth.
Melissa Strawser thanks Darwin De Mars for a job well done.
Important Links: Devon Horse Show website / Order of go and results / The complete schedule of classes and exhibitions / Livestreaming /
The Chronicle will be on site all week bringing you beautiful photos, daily reports and more. Don’t forget to pick up copies of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine. Junior Weekend coverage will be found in the June 13 & 20 issue, and coverage of Senior Week will be in the June 27 issue.
