Fruitport, MI (June 22, 2016) — Many of the most talented and dedicated young dressage riders in the U.S. are on their way to Michigan for the 2016 Lendon Youth Dressage Festival (LYDF) Midwest and Emerging Dressage Athlete clinic (EDAP), which will take place this weekend. The young riders will spend the weekend competing and learning from the best in their sport.
When considering who would make an ideal speaker and commentator to share expertise with the riders at this year’s 2016 LYDF Midwest, Kim Boyer had the perfect candidate in mind. Boyer, the committee president at Hampton Green Farm (the Fruitport, Michigan facility that is hosting this event on June 24-26), selected USDF Gold Medalist Devon Kane to be the speaker at the Dressage4Kids benefit dinner and commentate for the dressage portion of the LYDF Midwest show.
“I first met Devon as a Young Rider, and I have followed her successes as she has matured into a competitive Grand Prix rider. She is very serious about her training and her work,” said Boyer. “At LYDF Midwest, we are encouraging a path to High Performance. We consider the young people who come to the show as the base from which many good riders have emerged. We select speakers who are role models as riders and professionals, who are a part of the world of international competition, and who have a career that our young people can aspire to emulate. Devon can speak for the values and experiences of the road from youth rider to adult professional. Our show committee was thrilled when she agreed to come speak to our kids.”
The in-demand trainer and clinician Devon Kane is equally excited to be involved in the 2016 LYDF Midwest. “I love working with young riders and doing things to help the next generation,” she said. “I think this will be a huge opportunity to help some of our dedicated, up-and-coming young riders.”
Earning a slew of impressive titles before age 30, Kane has traveled the world training under Olympians and finding success in major competitions. Kane has been unstoppable in the show ring ever since she stepped into the spotlight as the Individual Gold and Team Bronze medalist at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in 2007. Kane earned the title of 2014 U.S. Dressage Finals Grand Prix Champion with her self-trained horse Destiny, and represented Team USA at the Nations Cup CDIO5* in Falsterbo, Sweden, in 2015. She is currently bringing several other horses up the ranks, with whom she has been scoring over 70 percent at major horse show venues along the eastern U.S. coast this year.
Kane is excited to speak with the young riders at the 2016 LYDF Midwest and EDAP clinic. “We all go through that same experience, so I want to share my story — what I did, how it worked, why it worked, and what support I needed,” Kane said. “I have been very fortunate in that I have had a great support system, and I think that is a huge part of how you get where you are going, but you have to know how much sacrifice it takes to get there as well.”
Kane hopes to give advice that young riders can implement now to make things easier down the road — for example, learning the value of teamwork, which she feels was invaluable to her experience as a young rider. “I think one of the most important things you can learn early on is how to support a team and work happily together while also maintaining your individuality,” she explained.
In addition to her prepared talk, Kane is looking forward to answering as many questions as she possibly can, from young riders as well as their parents and friends. “I’m an open book. There is no question I am uncomfortable with, so I can give as much advice and share as much of my experience as possible,” she said. “I hope that I am able to encourage and help some of the riders. I’m excited to be amongst such dedicated riders, and hopefully I will have a positive influence.”
The 2016 Lendon Youth Festival Midwest is an all-youth horse show for riders under 21. It consists of three divisions: a Written Test, a Dressage Test, and an Equitation Test. More information about this unforgettable experience for youth riders in the Midwest may be found at www.hamptongreenfarm.com.
The Kanes’ Diamante Farms is a top-notch dressage facility that shows 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.
