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Devon, PA—Dressage at Devon, one of the nation’s most important dressage and sport horse breeding shows, has awarded more than $51,000 to owners and breeders in the Born in the USA Breeders Awards series since its inception in 2003. Developed by the Dressage at Devon Committee to recognize and reward the achievements of American breeders, the awards are distributed in 14 divisions, and include prize money, rosettes and other prizes. Each year the program has grown and now the Born in the USA Breeders Awards are among the most sought after rosettes at the show. This year, American breeders showcased a depth in talent never seen before, with Iron Spring Farm not only claiming the Overall Champion with Calypso ISF and his score of 83.5, but also four additional awards.

“This is the first year that we have had a breeder win this many Born in the USA Awards,” explains Lori Kaminski, President and CEO of the event. “The overall quality was incredible with eight of the winners scoring higher than 80.00.”

Calypso ISF, by Contango out of Toraya (Goodtimes), also received the Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Award. Other Iron Spring Farm bred and owned winners included, Bien Sir ISF, by Sir Sinclair and also out of Toraya, the winner of the Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Award with an 81.2; El Paso ISF, by UB40 out of Toscane (Cabochon), who tied with Alison Head’s Triumph LGF, by Tantris out of Precious (Piccro), for the Yearling Colt/Gelding Award with an 82.0 and Bijou ISF, by Sir Sinclair out of Nerrita J (Jet Set D), who claimed the Three-Year-Old Filly Award with an 80.60.

Finishing with the Overall Born in the USA Reserve Champion was Melanie Pai’s Divinity CR with an 82.5. The youngster, by Donates out of Scarlett (Sevillano), also received the Fillies of 2009 award. Horses of any breed that were conceived and born in the United States are eligible to receive a Born in the USA Breeders Award. Numerous sponsors make it possible to acknowledge the efforts of American breeders.

While sponsors are important to Dressage at Devon, the event also depends on the generosity of its volunteers. More than 700 volunteers make the six-day event a show to remember as they attend to details as diverse as running scores, traffic control and hospitality.

Among the volunteer ranks was Carol Eivers, who made the trek all the way from New Zealand where she is a judge, breeder and rider. “I’m absolutely blown away,” she said of her volunteer experience, which included scribing during the performance division. “The organization is phenomenal. The whole volunteer system is very educational.” Eivers was encouraged to make the nearly 9,000-mile journey by FEI 5* judge Anne Gribbons.

Steve Alvater was also impressed with the history and prestige of Dressage at Devon, but with a very different goal than Eivers. Alvater, a Lumberton, NJ resident, chose the event as the time and place to propose to his girlfriend, Melissa Collier, a dressage rider who has been attending the show for 13 years. Although the couple had often joked about the silliness of proposals at Phillies and Eagles games, Alvater decided on Dressage at Devon to ensure that the occasion would be a memory for life. “I had kicked around some of the usual things like dinner, but none of those sounded special enough,” Alvater explains of the decision. He contacted Nan Daley Demchur, the USEF Show Manager, with his idea and hoped that his proposal could be arranged.

“I was happy to present the request to the DAD Committee for approval as we are always looking for unique and fun ways to entertain and include the audience,” Demchur recalls. “The idea was accepted with enthusiasm, and yet the people involved in the orchestration kept it secret all week. The surprise factor for both Steve’s girlfriend and the audience greatly added to the already magical feeling of Saturday night at DAD.”

With the Committee’s blessing, Alvater was soon busy planning the details with Demchur and announcer Brian O’ Connor. A carefully orchestrated ruse ensured that Collier believed that Alvater was out of town. When she was called to the Committee Stand just after the last ride of the Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday night, she was completely in the dark about the reason. Alvater headed into the Dixon Oval, where he was met by his stunned girlfriend. Kneeling, he asked her to marry him, and of course, she said yes. “It was fantastic,” Alvater says of the experience. “The crowd was cheering and Melissa had absolutely no idea.” The couple was escorted into the Committee Stand where they were met with a champagne toast and dozens of well-wishers. “The whole thing was incredible,” he says. The pair plan to marry in October of 2010.

To learn more about Dressage at Devon and view complete results, visit www.dressageatdevon.org .

About Dressage at Devon

Dressage at Devon is a 501 (c) (3) PA non-profit organization. Founded by the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association in 1975, Dressage at Devon became a separate organization in 2006. The six-day event attracts more than 700 horses and 35,000 spectators each year. Dressage at Devon benefits Thorncroft Therapeutic Horseback Riding Inc., the oldest and largest therapeutic riding program in the nation.