The famous Devon Horse Show brought the best juniors together for Junior Weekend, but on Monday it was the professional athletes’ chance to have the spotlight in the Dixon Oval as Senior Week got underway. Tori Colvin and Brad Wolf’s Private Practice had back-to-back wins over-fences in the Green 3’9” Hunter division as a packed crowd looked on.
In the first over-fences class, Colvin rode to a high score of 88 to take the victory, while Kelley Farmer and Aizlynn Radwanski’s Shameless earned the second place ribbon and Patricia Griffith and Callie Seaman’s Chicago rounded out the top three spots.
Tori Colvin and Private Practice. Photo by Phelps Sports
Colvin returned to the Dixon Oval once more with the 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding to take the lead again with a high score of 91 on the scoreboard. Finishing up behind Colvin and Private Practice was Patricia Griffith and Chicago in second place and Daniel Geitner aboard Lynn Seithel’s Walk The Moon who earned the third place prize. Colvin and Griffith were both leading forces in the division with Griffith and Chicago sweeping the undersaddle.
“He is a very special horse,” shared Colvin. “He has never been to Devon before. He used to be a jumper and we have had him since WEF 6. Brad Wolf bought him. He gets better and better with every round that he does.”
Tori Colvin and Private Practice in the awards presentation. Photo by Phelps Sports
In the short time that Colvin and Private Practice have been together, they have already had great success. Looking ahead, Colvin is gearing up to show him in the hunter derby at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show at the beginning of June. After that, they will show in Traverse City, Michigan to prepare for their ultimate goal this summer: the 2018 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in August held at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Unlike Private Practice, Chicago is not a newcomer to Devon. After making his debut in the Dixon Oval in 2017 with Griffith in the irons, Chicago returned to Devon in winning form. The second over-fences class saw the pair finish with an 89 on the scoreboard.
When the 10-year-old gelding is not excelling in the professional divisions with Griffith, his owner Callie Seaman shows him in the 18-35 Amateur-Owner Hunters. Seaman, who trains with Heritage Farm, acquired the gelding from Hunt Tosh prior to his First Year Green year two years ago. Later on in the week, Seaman will take over the reins and is hoping for similar results with Chicago.
Patricia Griffith and Chicago. Photo by Phelps Sports
“I wasn’t sure what to expect because there was a lot more going on later in the day than when he showed here last year in the morning as a First Year horse,” Griffith said of how Chicago handled the atmosphere at Devon. “So for sure on the entrance I felt him sort of taking it all in and weighing it all and I definitely did a bit of a planned, longer entrance. I thought after the line by the side with all of the people, he just settled right into the round. In the second round, he was like, ‘I got it’ and he knew exactly what he was doing.”
Tuesday’s classes will conclude the division and a new champion will be crowned, which Colvin is hoping to achieve with her talented mount.
Colvin is optimistic that her mount will rise to the occasion as he typically does very well in the handy rounds. Griffith plans to ride the same way and stay consistent before Chicago shows again on Friday in the 18-35 Amateur-Owner Hunter division.