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Saturday, August 4, 2007

CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships
Presented by Gotham North and UlcerGard

Devon Kane and Douwe Win Individual Young Rider Dressage Championship
By Lynndee Kemmet for DressageDaily.com

Kane, 21, is based at her family’s Diamante Farm in Wellington, Florida where Gibson is head trainer. And she’s a busy young woman. Along with helping run the farm full-time, she’s also a single mom and three-year-old son Colton keeps her very busy.

“I try to fit it all in. Fortunately, my son is great. He loves the horses so he’s perfectly happy running around the barn and riding and working. He has gotten on some horses and has done some pony rides and he loves it. I couldn’t get him off,” Kane said.

Although Kane said that winning is clearly the goal of every rider who competes at the NAJYRC, the fact that she actually did so still surprised her. “It’s one of those things you work really hard for over a long time. But I’m still completely in shock. I knew that if I rode well and hard, I’d definitely have a chance. I did have confidence and my horse is just amazing.”

Despite her confidence, Kane said she knew she was up against some stiff competition and that fact tested her confidence. “There are so many great, wonderful riders with wonderful horses. The talent here is incomparable. So yes, I was pretty nervous. But, once I rode, I calmed down.”

She also managed to have some fun despite the stress of competition. Kane said she’s enjoyed the opportunity to “meet everyone and hanging out with everyone.” She may have worked hard and ridden well, but she said the credit for her success really goes to her horse, her family, her trainer and her Region 3 teammates. “My team, especially, was very supportive, Caroline (Roffman) and Kayce (Redmond) and Jamie (Gillispie). They’ve been great and have always been there. It makes it easier when you have so many people rooting for you and willing to help out.”

Of her partner, Douwe (by Damiro out of Eronette), Kane had nothing but praise. “He was so good. He’s such a trooper.” Douwe may have worked hard, but Kane is convinced he also had fun. “He loves shows. He gets here and he’s raring to go. He gets really excited when he gets in the ring.”

Her mother, however, noted that the road to the NAJYRC with Douwe has been a long one. “She wouldn’t give up on him,” Terri Kane said of her daughter’s relationship with Douwe. “We bought Douwe when he was 12 and this is the first full season she’s been able to show him. He kept having an injury and he’d recover and she’d start riding again and then he’d have another injury and this was her last year as a young rider. So, it was like, this is it.”

When asked her future plans, Kane simply said that she intends to learn all she can from Gibson and “continue on riding and competing. I’ll just keep going and see where things take me.”