Tryon, NC (April 29, 2016) — Grand Prix dressage rider Devon Kane notched a series of impressive wins at the recent Spring Dressage 1 CDI 3* presented by Adequan at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Tryon, North Carolina. In her first competitive outing since the winter Adequan Global Dressage Festival in her hometown of Wellington, Florida, Kane and her three geldings earned top placings— including several blue ribbons— throughout the show. All three horses also achieved their personal best scores ever on the final day of the competition.
Sir Galanto, Kane’s 11-year-old Hanoverian stallion (Stedinger x Die Galanto, De Niro), took home a blue ribbon in the FEI Intermediaire A and returned the next day to claim another first place in the FEI Intermediaire B with a 66.0 percent. For Sir Galanto, the Spring Dressage 1 CDI 3* show at Tryon marked his first class ever in a show’s main arena, with the crowd and activity causing new distractions around him. Kane felt that he lost his focus the first day, so she made some changes in his warm-up and improved their score in the main arena the next day. “I rode more forward transitions in the warm-up, and I put the work closer together with one movement right after another to keep his attention completely on me,” she explained. “The approach paid off, and ‘G’ was fabulous, with just a few bobbles. There’s some polishing we need to work on, but overall he was fabulous. He gave me a great feeling and we felt comfortable in the big CDI arena with the big-time judges. I felt like we belonged there, and the judges comments agreed. It was a great feeling to have in our first CDI weekend together, and a good score.”
To Kane, her six-year-old Oldenburg Jazz Diamante, aka “Jelly,” was the star of the show. Kane and Jazz Diamante scored a 74.0 percent for the blue ribbon in the 6-Year-Old Test on the first day, and came back the next day with a 75.4 percent in the same test. “It was his first time traveling. He traveled well, and was so brave and well behaved all weekend. He did get a little nervous in his tests, so some of our work was a little fast while not showing his full scope. The crowd and judges love him. He is such a fun horse. He is very animated, and beautiful. He was a very awkward baby, and kind of a geek, but he is our swan now,” Kane laughed. “He tries very hard and has great talent. He is constantly learning. This horse has a real presence and the ability to learn and perform everything. He is going to be fabulous— in fact, he already is!”
Kane and her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding Winchester (World of Dreams x Lady Fine, Furst Heinrich) earned a second place finish in the Prix St. Georges with a 66.579 percent, a third place in the Intermediaire I with a 62.368 percent, and then another second place in the Intermediaire with a 68.421 percent.
Kane was disappointed with their ride on the second day, so she signed Winchester up for the next day’s Intermediaire I class. “The ride that third day was great. The horse was very attentive and obedient,” she said. “We rode for a 68 from ‘O’ judge Linda Zang, of which I am very proud. It was his second I-1, and Linda asked to see him in the CDI next year!”
Kane was impressed with the facilities in Tryon and said it was an easy journey from her Wellington, Florida, home. She traveled with her Diamante Farms team, which included the facility’s co-trainer Kevin Kohmann, whose coaching was valuable to Kane throughout the weekend. “The Tryon facilities are very welcoming and easy to use,” she said. “The arenas are close and not too overwhelming. The stalls are clean, safe, comfortable, and have fans. The horses settled right in!”
Now that she’s successfully wrapped up the first show of the spring, Kane plans to conduct clinics throughout the rest of the spring and summer. Her first clinic will be this weekend, at Royal Oaks Equestrian Center in Foristell, Missouri, on April 30 – May 1. Anyone interested in scheduling a future clinic is welcome to contact Devon Kane at www.DiamanteFarms.com or call 561-307-2831.
Kane’s other summer plans include touring the Purina Animal Nutrition Center to increase her knowledge of equine health and nutrition, and then heading to France for some rest and relaxation and to see her star horse, Destiny, who is spending the summer in training in Europe. Kane will spend the rest of the summer continuing to operate Diamante Farms, co-owned with her mother Terri Kane in Wellington, and she continuing to hone her skills at local Gold Coast Dressage Association shows and other CDIs along the U.S. east coast.
The Kane’s Diamante Farms is a top-notch dressage facility that trains and competes horses and riders while showing unstoppable dedication to dressage and horsemanship. Diamante Farms offers top-quality training, clinics, boarding, and sales in dressage. Learn more about Diamante Farms at www.DiamanteFarms.com or call 561-307-2831.
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Photo: Devon Kane and Sir Galanto won the FEI Intermediaire A and the FEI Intermediaire B at the Spring Dressage 1 CDI 3* show at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (Photo courtesy of Sharon Packer).
