McLain Ward Wins 11th Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon
McLain Ward takes a victory lap with HH Azur in Devon's prestigious Dixon Oval after his 11th Grand Prix at Devon win (Andrew McKeough | AKSM Photography)
McLain Ward, the 4th ranked rider in the world, takes home Devon's infamous $250,000 Grand Prix without a fault
Article by Thomas Zaffalon (Sports Writer, AKSM Sports)
DEVON, PA - The Devon Horse Show has one event that brings out some of the best riders in the world, the most competitive event the Show offers. The Sapphire Grand Prix. It's such a big deal that tickets, which start off at $75 a person, are sold out days in advance. The event also serves as an Olympic qualifier, with many high level officials for the Olympic committee and the USEA (United States Eventing Association) coming to town.
The event started at 8pm last night and included 25 competitors, with the top 12 taking home prize money starting at $6,250. The overall winner of the Grand Prix was McLain Ward and his horse HH Azur. Ward, a gold medalist in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, pulled out the hat trick this year, making it 3 years in a row that he has won the Sapphire Grand Prix and it's top prize of 62,500 dollars. Ward has been a staple of the National riding circuit and an Olympian for Team USA since 2004.
Ward, the 4th ranked rider in the world, finished the first round of the Grand Prix without a fault, along with 8 other riders. He then finished the jump off round in 38.12 seconds, clinching First place and the $62,500 share of the $250,000 purse.
In the post-Grand Prix press conference, Ward spoke to the importance of Devon saying
"I think Devon and Upperville have made great efforts in our country to bring these shows back to a top international level and I think it's important that the best riders we have support them so they continue to grow into top notch sporting events."
As the Show begins to wind down, everyone seems pleased with the results of the Grand Prix and the fantastic weather come showtime, especially McLain Ward who looks to repeat his success in Devon at the Upperville Grand Prix next week.
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.