Ireland's Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K won the North American League world cup qualifying Grand Prix Kur to music at the 2016 CDI-W Devon near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on Saturday night 1 October 2016. Scoring 77.55%, Reynolds has now won two big tour classes on her back-to-back American show trip. Last week she bagged the CDI New York.
The Grand Prix Kur tour counted just 9 riders in total including a group of five Canadians, who always have a large contingent competing in rainy Devon. Reynolds dominated the tour and on Friday she set a new Irish international Grand Prix record score of 75.66% winning the Devon Grand Prix.
On a damp evening at the Dressage at Devon showgrounds, Judy and Vancouver K rode her familiar freestyle based on 'King of the Road' and 'Age of Aquarius' tracks. Reynolds made sure that for only the second time in the history of Dressage at Devon the Irish national anthem 'Amhrán na bhFiann' was played at the victory ceremony.
It was close for second and third with Denmark's Mikala Gundersen on Janne Rumbough's My Lady (by Michellino), who scored 74.75% for their 'Hey Big Spender' themed freestyle programme. Arlene Page made it a podium finish for America with her dual Tryon CDI3* winner Woodstock (by Havel x Contango) on 74.15%.
"I'm very pleased," said Judy. "Apart from one small hiccup, Vancouver K ['JP'] produced wonderful piaffe/passage trot work and great pirouettes this evening". Speaking about Joe and Kathleen Reynolds' 14-year-old Jazz gelding Vancouver K she said, "I have had him since he was a six and he continues to exceed my expectations."
2016 has been a season to remember for the Irish Olympian, Judy and Vancouver K were the first Irish combination in 24 years to qualify for the Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro, where they placed 18th in the final. Judy has recorded five international dressage big tour wins in 2016, including the Grand Prix at Achleiten CDI4*, Austria in June 2016.
A small group of seven riders contested the Grand Prix for Special tour with Canadian Jill Irving leading the way aboard her 14-year old Hanoverian gelding Degas (by De Niro x Regazzoni). She scored 69.60% to win the Grand Prix and 70.255% to dominate the Special. In the Grand Prix 26-year old Chase Hickok landed second place on the 17-year old Sagacious HF (by Welt Hit II), while Canadian Megan Lane was the second-place getter in the Special on her rising Grand Prix horse, the 10-year old WestfalianSan d'Or (by Sandro Hit x Cocktail) with 67.882%
Photo courtesy Joe Reynolds
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Scores: 2016 CDI-W Devon
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