Devon Kane Introduces Dom Perignon to U.S. in PSG at Wellington Classic

Devon Kane competed Dom Perignon in the Prix St. Georges at the Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge and finished in fourth place with a score of 64.00%. It was the first time Dom Perignon had competed in the U.S. and the debut of this duo in the show ring. Kane, the North American Young Riders' Gold Medallist for 2007 has begun to spread her wings and show her abilities on other horses, besides her longtime partne Douwe.

Dom Perignon is an 11-year-old, 17-hand, black-bay Hanoverian by Donnerhall out of a Macho mare. The gelding arrived at Diamante Farms from England nine months ago. Kane has been riding him for about six months.

The elegant, leggy Dom Perignon is a bit of a Cinderella story, Kane shared. His owner, an amateur rider, moved to the U.S. and boarded Dom Perignon at a farm in England for six months. After connecting with trainer Michelle Gibson, she brought her horse to Diamante Farms. Dom Perignon arrived lacking muscle and fitness and was quite spooky. The owner rode him several times a week, but then moved to Aspen, leaving Dom Perignon in training at Diamante. "He's completely transformed into this beautiful horse!" enthused Kane. "His fitness is fantastic. He's not spooky. He's been fine at home for a long time so we took him to the show to see how he'd be in that atmosphere and he was perfect. He's muscular, he's very happy, and his personality is really coming through - I'm addicted to him! He's fun to ride, he's easy, and he's happy to do what you ask of him. He has a lot of heart and character coming out."

Over the past six months, Kane has done almost all of the riding under the guidance of her trainer, Michelle Gibson. "Michelle knew from the beginning there was something in there with this horse - we just had to find it," Kane said. "But he completely surprised us with how he developed."

Kane complimented Dom Perignon's performance in their debut PSG, saying, "He stayed with me and he listened pretty well. His trot work is really nice. He has a really steady, consistent trot. All of the lateral movements are pretty good. We actually got 8s on the half passes from Natalie Lamping, so I was very excited."

The owner has decided to sell Dom Perignon, and Kane said, "He's definitely going to make someone very happy. He'd make a good mount for any junior or young rider or amateur, even a younger professional. He can definitely give any rider confidence. He's a great mount to learn on. He'll be a really great Prix St. Georges/I-I horse."