Losos de Muniz and Strasser Win Grand Prix Classes at 2023 CDI-W Devon

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2023 CDI-W Devon

Yvonne Losos de Muniz (DOM) and Evi Strasser (CAN) became the winners of the two Grand Prix classes held in the Dixon Oval arena at 2023 Dressage at Devon CD-W on Friday 29 September 2023.

Grand Prix for Kur: Losos de Muniz

In preparation of the 2023 Pan American Games, where Yvonne will be the flagbearer for her country, Losos de Muniz piloted her 18-year old KWPN mare Aquamarijn (by United x Gribaldi) to the victory in the Grand Prix for Kur CDI-W class. After a one year break from competition Losos and Aquamarijn made their come back to the arena at the CDI Ocala two weeks ago, where they posted 65.652% in the Grand Prix. In Devon the combination was able to improve that score by 6%. They topped the class of 10 competitors with a score of 71.283%.

“I have been out of the ring with her for a year, she got hurt at the World Championships, it took her a while to come back and she has only been in work for a couple of months so we are just taking it slow building up for the Pan American Games and the run for the Olympics, which all depends on if she keeps going like this. She is 18, she doesn’t look it or act it, but the time off did her good.”

Speaking into what it is like to compete at Dressage at Devon, “It is amazing to compete here in Devon. I was here many years ago, and I have to say, it’s definitely gonna be back on my agenda from now on, when I’m still in the country. Because it’s absolutely, it’s just the atmosphere is like what we wanna see in a show,” Losos de Muñiz said.

Benjamin Ebeling captured second place with a score of 69.783% aboard Vantage Equestrian Group II, LLC’s Indeed a 2008 DWB Mare by Hofrat × De Niro, bred by Eva Ebbe and Steffen Hovedskov. Rounding out the podium in third with a 69.717% were Hope Cooper and the Jane Karol entry Flynn PCH, a 2006 Hanoverian stallion by Falsterbo × Walt Disney, bred by Gerhard Finck.

Grand Prix for Special: Evi Strasser

Earlier in the evening, the win in the Grand Prix for Special went to Canadian Evi Strasser aboard her own Déjà Vu Tyme, a 2007 Hanoverian gelding by Dauphin x Werbllin, bred by Walter Lilje. The pair scored a 66.217% to capture the victory in a class of just five competitors. Strasser is coming hot off a tough Canadian Pan American Games team selection track in which both she and her daughter Tanya competed. The latter has been named first reserve.

Coming in second with a 65.652% was Excalibur RS, a 2009 Dutch warmblood gelding (by Johnson × Lancer II) owned by Karen Meyer, bred by J.T.M. Raaijmakers, and ridden by Canadian Christian Garweg. Christian has been competing the dark bay internationally since May 2022, first debuting him in the small tour and moving him up to Grand Prix in 2023.

Emily Wyman took third with a 64.630% aboard the 2007 Dutch warmblood palomino gelding Chigali (by Kigali × Chronos), owned by Gretchen Stearns.

Prix St Georges: Marcus Orlob

The largest class of the day was the CDI 1* Prix St Georges with 20 competitiors.

German born American Marcus Orlob piloted Alice Tarjan's 7-year old Danish warmblood JJ Glory Day (by Grand Galaxy Win x Deemster) to the top of the board with a winning 72.010%. Bred by JJ Horses in Denmark, Glory Day was the 2020 U.S. reserve young horse champion as a 4-year old and the 2021 U.S. Young Horse Champion as a 5-year old. In 2022 they were fourth in the 6-year old division. The pair did not return for the 7-year old championship in 2023 but was put straight into the small tour. They made their CDI debut in Lexington, VA, in May, winning the PSG and Inter I, and Glory Day has now clocked his third international win at age 7.

The 33-year old Meagan Davis made her international show debut aboard Scott Durkin's 10-year old Danish warmblood Toronto Lightfoot (by Totilas x Onassis) in Devon and finished as the runner-up in the Prix St Georges on a score of 69.853%

Canadian Ava MacCoubrey and the 14-year old Dutch warmblood Einstein JP (by Democraat x Contango) landed third place with 68.578%. Einstein JP is a familiar face in the small tour arena, having been competed internationally by American Anna Marek at small tour level between 2017 and 2019. The horse sold to Jennifer Kellock and in 2022 Einstein JP debuted with Canadian Jacqueline Brooks before MacCoubrey took over the ride.