Devon in midst of $1M in upgrades before May
Venerable horse show is investing in grounds for 120-year milestone
Upgrades on the grounds of the Devon Horse Show will be done before the start of its 120th year in May.
EASTTOWN >> The grounds of the Devon Horse Show are undergoing $1 million in renovations that will be done before the Chester County tradition celebrates the start of its 120th year in May.
The work is being done to make the 11-day event more attractive to attendees of the nationally recognized equestrian event — and for another reason.
“We didn’t put $1 million into this to go away,” said Karin Maynard, who wears several volunteer hats for the horse show and foundation at Devon. She said organizers are aware of the persistent rumors that the horse show would be moved.
Instead, the opposite is true, she said. The organization is raising prize money to keep top equestrians coming to the event, which runs this year from May 26 to June 5. It is also making improvements to the horse stalls and show rings, which will undergo “laser leveling” before this year’s show.
The most dramatic addition, however, will be a new, two-story building on Dorset Road, making it the centerpiece of the show grounds. The first f loor will house the emergency medical services facility sponsored by Bryn Mawr Hospital as well as the Horse Show Entries, management, public relations and ticketing offices for its staff members.
The building also has an entertainment venue with large
“Devon, if not themost prestigious, is one of the most prestigious (horse shows) on the East Coast, that’s never changed.”
— Elly Vandermerkt, director of events, Devon Horse Show
second-floor windows offering expansive views of both the Dixon Oval and the Gold Ring where competitions take place.
This year, the prize money for the main competition, the Grand Prix, is going from $125,000 to $250,000, said Maynard, who is chairman of public relations and publicity for the Horse Show and Country Fair, which puts on the annual event, and chairman of the development committee for the foundation, which is responsible for the grounds.
During a tour Tuesday of the work going on at the facility on Lancaster Avenue this winter, Maynard pointed to new surfaces in the rings, new slatting in the stalls to protect the 1,300 horses that appear at the show each year, the new building and upgrades to vendor booths.
The laser leveling and improvements to the barns where the horses are kept was done so Devon would meet the standards of the international horse show rating organization, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.
“That’s important because we want to attract the best of the best,” Maynard said.
The venerable horse show has gone through a few years of turbulence, with the internal squabbles between board members making more headlines than the horse jumping competitions.
The horse show has also been mentioned in connection with a controversial development proposed next to it that’s drawing opposition from neighbors.
Still, Devon remains a desired stop on the national equestrian circuit, said Elly Vandermerkt, director of events for the show.
“Devon, if not the most prestigious, is one of the most prestigious (horse shows) on the East Coast, that’s never changed,” Vandermerkt said.
Maynard noted that the show made its largest gift ever — $500,000 — to Bryn Mawr Hospital from the proceeds of last year’s show.
Devon also is putting in more space behind the East Grandstands for vendor rentals.
A ‘Silver to Gold’ theme will define the 120th anniversary, painting the way for a new Anniversary Square, outside Clydesdale’s Corner. Guests will be welcomed to gather on a grand, brick patio that provides a front-row panorama of the Schooling Ring. The sale of commemorative bricks for Anniversary Square will provide guests the opportunity to be linked in the future to the Devon Horse Show, Maynard said.
Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Chairman Wayne W. Grafton indicated the investments should silence skeptics who believe show organizers want to move the event.
“The tradition not only continues at Devon but improvements are beingmade with major enhancements to our grounds,” he said in a statement. “We are focused on making this a wonderful venue for competitors and attendees for many years to come.”