A day marked by an on and off downpour of rain and a tornado warning kept the riders, staff and audience on edge.

Article by Thomas Zaffalon (Sports Writer)

DEVON, PA - Day 1 of the Horse Show came with quite a bit of jumping, both in the junior and adult division. The 5 events held in the main ring were all jumpers, with the main event being the Junior jumper competition with $3,750 of prize money on the line. First place in said event went to Caelinn Leahy and her horse Dymendy, followed by Alexandra Pielet and her horse Helene Ve.

The day was marked by an on and off downpour of rain and a tornado warning, keeping the riders, the staff, and the audience on edge. The rain also became a problem in competition with many horses sipping before taking jumps, leading to a number of faults (knocking over the bars). However, by the time the dog show came around the rain had stopped and the ring had begun to dry up. The dog show brought a wonderful element of cuteness as all sorts of dogs began to walk around the show, from great danes to chihuahuas. The main dog attraction was a Great Pyrenees named Bear who was swarmed by children the entire night after taking home 4th place in the show.

In the non-Horse Show portion of the night, former Philadelphia Eagle Vince Papale and New York Giant and Conestoga alum stopped by to sign autographs at Conestoga Football's fundraising table.

While the attendance was low by the Devon's standards, it set up an expectation of high attendance for the rest of the week and a feeling of excitement is going through the Main Line as it's gearing up to be a Horse Show to remember.

Click here to purchase tickets to the 2019 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair.

Thomas Zaffalon joined the AKSM photography team in the spring of 2018 as an intern sports writer. Thomas covers Villanova Athletics and excels in writing about basketball, football and baseball. Click Here to Contact Thomas Zaffalon.