DEVON, Pa.--The unexpected and very disheartening news that the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair has been canceled for this year was made on April 10.
All of the spectators in the horse world in southeastern Pennsylvania had been looking forward to the show with great anticipation after missing the show last year due to Covid.
Entries for the hunter and jumper divisions had closed last week, so all the exhibitors were stunned and disappointed.
The US Equestrian Federation had announced that guidelines concerning spectators wouldn't be available until mid-May, but officials at USEF were working with Devon to see if something could be worked out earlier when Devon officials decided there wasn't enough time to plan this year's show.
Devon's announcement follows.
IT IS WITH deep disappointment that the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair (DHSCF) must announce the cancellation of the 125th edition of its event originally scheduled for May 27 - June 6, 2021.
This decision was made only after significant evaluation of the far-reaching operational and financial implications due to on-going restrictions imposed by U.S. Equestrian (USEF) regarding spectators and other important issues at their sanctioned events.
The organizers together with the Board of Directors evaluated multiple options, but were ultimately unable to operate under the current restrictions outlined by the sport’s governing body.
Despite the DHSCF’s many efforts to obtain information, the competition was told on April 5th that guidelines would not be available until “mid-May.”
This time frame does not provide sufficient time to adequately plan and prepare for a show of the DHSCF’s size and caliber.
In fairness to the competitors, sponsors, ticket holders, vendors, volunteers and all others involved, the DHSCF believes that the decision to cancel is the best under the circumstances.
Although many other equestrian events are operating during this time, the DHSCF is uniquely tied to our local audience and spectator base and we did not feel that we could, in good faith, jeopardize future events for the sake of running this year against so many financial and operational challenges.
This decision was made to protect the financial viability of the show for years to come.
In the coming weeks, the DHSCF and its organizers will be contacting all stakeholders with information regarding cancellation processes.
The health and well-being of the entire DHSCF community is always of utmost importance, and while we believed we could run a safe and successful outdoor event, the lack of movement in attendance guidelines from USEF made it a financial impossibility even with significant fundraising efforts for the competition to continue in 2021.
The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair looks forward to celebrating its 125th anniversary during the competition in 2022!
For additional information please visit our website at www.DevonHorseShow.net or follow us on our social media channels.
