By Sara Cavanagh
Cara Dodson, 13 of Christiana, Tenn., won all three Pony Jumper classes on her 14.1-hand bay gelding The Waterboy to win the Pony Jumper High Score Award Championship yesterday evening at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair.
Having won both the Pony Jumper class Friday and the Saturday afternoon class, Dodson made a terrific, very tight turn to the second to last fence in the timed jump-off of the $2,500 NAL Pony Jumper class last evening to win by four-tenths of a second over Madie Denis on Farmore Royal T.
This is Dodson’s second year showing The Waterboy, and she also won the Time First Jump-off class for the Upland Farm Perpetual Trophy in yesterday’s afternoon class for the second time at Devon, having also won it last year.
“The Waterboy is very excited, but he’s easy to control,” said Dodson. “He’s a lot of fun. I show him and then give him a couple of weeks off.”
Brianne Link, 10 of East Islip, N.Y., placed second both Friday and in yesterday’s afternoon class on her Tallyman to take the Reserve Championship
“Tallyman is very smooth to ride,” said Link. “He’s easy to control. I asked him this morning if he was ready, and he nodded his head. He definitely listens to me.”
Devon is unique,” said Dodson. “It’s a lot different from other shows. It’s a lot of fun. I go to the Fair when I’m not showing.”
“Devon is my favorite horse show,” said Link.
Misdee Wrigley Miller won the Championship Drive-Off of the Pleasure Carriage Drive for the second year in a row.
Wrigley of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., drove a Unicorn put to a Shooting Brake. A unicorn is one horse in front guided just by reins followed by a pair of horses that actually pull the carriage.
This method of driving was first used to get a horse to the meet of the fox hunt without tiring him out by being either ridden or actually having to pull a carriage.