The Devon Horse Show announced today that this year's event, to be held May 26 through June 5, will host the prestigious induction ceremonies for the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.
Voting for this year's class of inductees is underway and continues until March 1. The ceremony, honoring those selected will take place just before the start of the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4* on June 2.
The Show Jumping Hall of Fame, organized to promote the sport of show jumping and to immortalize the legends of the men, women and horses who have made great contributions to the sport, was established in 1987 and formally opened in 1989. The focus of this noble institution is to encourage broader interest and participation in show jumping, as well as to educate devoted equestrians and novice horse lovers alike, by sharing the sport's legends, lore and landmark achievements. Enshrinement in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame is a great honor bestowed upon those few whose contributions to the sport have set them apart.
The Show Jumping Hall of Fame is located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky where plaques honoring those who have been honored with induction into the Hall of Fame can be seen at the Horse Park's Rolex Stadium, and mementos and artifacts from the sport's history are on display as part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame collection at the United States Hunter Jumper Association's (USHJA) Wheeler Museum.
"When Peter Doubleday told us we had a chance to host the Show Jumping Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, I immediately thought, what better place than at Devon, 'where champions meet?'" said Chairman Wayne Grafton. "We are honored that the Show Jumping Hall of Fame selected Devon for this important part of American show jumping history."
Doubleday added, "The board of directors of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame decided that when the American Invitational moved to Miami, the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies kind of got lost in the shuffle of everything that was going on with the new Global Champions Tour. The board decided that Devon, because of its iconic grand prix and knowledgeable fan base, would be the perfect location to carry on this great tradition."
The rosters of equestrian and equine stars already enshrined in the Show Jumping Hall of Fame is a who's who of the sport, including such luminaries as William Steinkraus, Bertalan de Némethy, August A. Busch, Jr., Jimmy Williams, Pat Dixon, Conrad Homfeld, Ben O' Meara, Frank Chapot and George Morris, just to name a few. Some of the horses include the famed Idle Dice, Snowman, Trail Guide, Touch of Class, Jet Run and Sinjon plus many more.
The announcement of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame moving to Devon follows last week's exciting news that Devon had become an FEI CSI 4* rated show, offering added prize money and three exciting FEI CSI4* rated classes, beginning with the $50,000 Devon Welcome Stake on Tuesday night, May 31. The $40,000 Devon International Speed Stake on Wednesday night, June 1. Devon's most popular class, now the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix on Thursday night, June 2nd, saw a $125,000 jump in prize money for that class alone. In addition, Devon will be offering National Open Jumper competitions during the senior week of the show.
Prize Lists for this year's edition of the Devon Horse Show, scheduled for May 26 through June 5, 2016 are available online.
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