The Horse Show Family of Dressage at Devon
By Lindsey Berry, Starberry Sport Morgans
In September 2025, Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon (DAD) celebrated its 50th year of honoring the breeders, competitors, and horses that continue to elevate the sport of dressage. It’s more than just a high-level competition—it’s a gathering of people bound by a deep passion for horses and the sport itself.
As one of the highest-rated international dressage events, and the largest open-breed competition in the world, DAD is committed to excellence. What truly sets it apart is the camaraderie. As Melanie Sloyer, Breed Division Chair, once told me, “Dressage at Devon is really a family reunion cleverly disguised as a horse show.” For one week each year, we gather from across North America—and beyond—not just to compete, but to reconnect with this extraordinary community.
The High-Energy Breed Division
The Breed Division at Dressage at Devon is intense. It’s a high-energy, fast-paced environment that can be overwhelming, especially for newcomers. Horses are everywhere: warming up, being led in-hand, or acclimating to the Dixon Oval and Wheeler Ring. There’s no quiet grassy field or trailer-based showing here. Due to space limitations in the surrounding town, all horses must be stabled on-site.
Despite the inevitable “hurry up and wait” rhythm of horse shows, DAD is known for staying on schedule—and even running early at times. At Starberry Sport Morgans, our days begin before dawn: feeding, grooming, walking, and warming up for the day’s classes.
Tuesday is particularly busy with Individual Breed Classes (IBCs) in the morning and afternoon, followed by the Pony Division in the evening. Group classes like Get of Sire, Produce of Dam, and Breeder’s Group run in between. Some Morgan horses, with their breed standard accommodating both horse and pony sizes, can compete in the Pony Division, which runs late in the evening.
Wednesday features the large Open classes, categorized by age and gender. These are important, as they qualify top horses for the ProElite/USDF Breeders Championship East Coast Series Finals on Thursday. Starberry doesn’t usually bring multiple horses of the same age, so this gives us time to support fellow competitors and enjoy the atmosphere.
By Thursday afternoon, after the Breed Division Finals, Performance Division horses complete their jogs. Those of us not continuing into Performance begin packing up and clearing the way.
A Community of Kindness
The people at Dressage at Devon are as unforgettable as the horses.
There’s Walter Nef, the Dixon Oval ring steward who awards ribbons and coaxes foals into smiling for the camera with gentle humor. Bruce “Turtle” Griffin III, a beloved handler with a huge smile and calm presence, is seemingly everywhere at once. Becca Arnold, another accomplished handler and tailor, brings both composure in the ring and horse cuddles in the warm-up.
Bruce and Janae Griffin and their magnificent Friesians are fixtures of the show, and the familiarity between them and the stewards reflects the deep relationships formed here. Behind the scenes, Kathy Grisolia, our incredible Breed Show Secretary, and her office team keep everything running—fielding last-minute questions, entries, and emotions with grace and efficiency.
The kindness at DAD runs deep. In 2023, when our truck broke down en route, my husband notified the show office. Kathy and her team immediately mobilized, calling contacts and ultimately connecting us with Phil Silva, a trainer and international shipper, who found a hauler to get us to Devon in time. That kind of support—from staff and fellow competitors alike—is what makes Dressage at Devon more than a show.
Becoming Part of the Family
I first showed at DAD in 2018. At the time, I hadn’t been to a horse show since I was a teenager—and never to a USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized one. I felt completely out of my depth. But I was eager to try.
A Morgan horse club wanted to sponsor an IBC class, and I had recently bought my first stallion, hoping to begin a breeding program, so I reached out to Melanie Sloyer to learn about the show. To my surprise, she not only replied but engaged in a long, enthusiastic correspondence, guiding me through what to expect and encouraging me to participate more fully, suggesting I measure my stallion at the show for a pony card to compete in the newly launched Pony Division.
Since then, I’ve attended every meeting of this show, and officially launched my breeding program in 2020, guided by insights from DAD judges, breeders, and trainers. At Starberry, we begin preparing for Devon early each year—evaluating foals from birth, tracking the development of our young stock, and always striving to improve.
While we currently focus on the Breed Division, our goal is to compete in the Performance Division as well, producing Morgans capable of succeeding at the highest levels of sport.
Finding Our Place
In 2018, I arrived at Devon unsure and alone. In 2025, I returned with a full Starberry team and five of our finest Morgans. Monday’s arrival day was filled with catching up with the show office team who’ve supported me, fellow Morgan breeders, handlers, trainers, and friends from other breeds.
The air was filled with laughter, hugs, and happy reunions. Maybe it was amplified by the 50th anniversary celebration—or maybe it’s just what Dressage at Devon always brings out in us.
Today, Starberry is proud to sponsor the Morgan IBC. Our barn is a favorite stop for visitors drawn to the Morgans’ sweet temperament and expressive personalities, and people from every corner of the show—stewards, trainers, photographers, and spectators alike—stop by to share their own stories of Morgans from their past.
Each year, we build new friendships and deepen existing ones. Dressage at Devon is no longer just a show we attend, it’s a tradition we cherish, a benchmark for our breeding program, and above all, a family of which we’re proud to be a part.
