Four to Follow 2026: Devon Kane and Vamos

No pair in the US Equestrian Open of Dressage Final has ridden more freestyles together than Devon Kane and Vamos. Fifteen tests in, they're still finding new bests.

The latest came in their most recent ride, a 75.505 at TerraNova II on October 17. Their 12-month freestyle average of 73.901 ranks second in the field, behind only Geñay Vaughn.

A Step at a Time

Kane and Vamos don't tend to make jaw-dropping jumps in their personal bests. Their PBs come a few hundredths at a time, and once the scores move up, they stay there. In January 2025, she and Vamos scored 75.305 at the opening AGDF CDI-W in Wellington. Nearly 15 months later, they won TerraNova I in April on 75.465, 0.080 ahead of Canadian Olympian Camille Carier Bergeron, for Kane's first CDI freestyle win. On October 17, back at TerraNova, they won again on 75.505, this time ahead of Christian Simonson. Neither new best beat the old one by even a fifth of a point.

But gains, even small ones, add up. They provide stability to the metrics we use to predict performance. Their last three freestyles average 75.050, more than a point above their 12-month average. Three pairs in this field own a higher personal best, and only one of them, Vaughn, has a higher average. A personal best shows what a pair can do on its best day. Averages are better at predicting what happens on a normal one, which is most of them. So on an ordinary day, when her competitors aren't riding at their very best, Kane and Vamos are the second-best pair in the field, at least as far as averages are concerned.

I Told You So

Kane learned to ride in South Texas, bareback in a halter. She followed her best friend into the hunter/jumpers until one lesson where they both fell off. Her friend broke her nose, Kane broke her jaw, and they went to the emergency room together. She found she was nervous around horses after that. A dressage barn helped her get past the nerves, and the discipline suited her Type A personality far better.

When Kane got Vamos, he was skinny and angular, and not yet ready for the top level, physically or mentally. It took years of work. By the time he was going National Grand Prix, Kane believed he was just getting started. Her husband, Grand Prix rider Kevin Kohmann, wasn't sure the horse had what it takes. Like almost all their horses, Vamos was for sale for what Kane calls "life-changing money." It came down to a Friday night freestyle at their first Wellington CDI that winter. Kohmann was so nervous for her that he changed outfits five times. Kane wasn't nervous at all, and they scored just over 75%.

"Kevin came out crying and said, 'You were right. I was wrong. The horse is not for sale.'"

Devon Kane on Vamos, 2025

Their freestyle carries a little of that South Texas heritage, blending Enrique Iglesias with "Despacito." That routine had a rough debut, though. At Hagen in 2025, Kane had reworked it with more difficulty, and in the process left out one simple required element. "Two zeros took me from winning to last place," Kane explained in 2025. That was swiftly corrected, and her scores have been improving ever since.

Vamos is at his most relaxed in night freestyles, and since the Final's freestyle class runs at night, the atmosphere should suit him.

Photo Finish

Kane's season has come down to exceptionally small margins. She holds four of 2026's 19 tightest placing gaps. At AGDF 5, she finished second, 0.255 behind Pablo Gómez Molina. At AGDF 7, she held off Laine Ashker for 8th place by 0.210. At AGDF 11, she finished 0.005 behind Ali Potasky for 5th. She won TerraNova in April by 0.080, then finished 0.005 behind Ashker at Devon for 7th.

Gaps that small put Kane within reach of almost everyone she rides against. In this field she's close to the standard: second on average, but near enough to the pairs below her that one judge's sheet can put her on the podium or keep her off it. The projection shows both sides. She's top three in 53% of simulations and wins only 13%.

When she's a little off, the field catches her fast. In March, 71.900 at AGDF 7 and 72.120 at AGDF 11 left her 8th and 5th.

Winning likely takes another personal best. The good news for Kane is that her best isn't far from her normal. Her recent form sits less than half a point under her 75.505 PB. Matching Vaughn's 12-month average of 75.763 would take about a quarter of a point more than her best ever. She doesn't need a career-changing jump. She needs one more small step.

Then there's Potasky, who is 2-0 against Kane this season. The first was by 0.005 at AGDF 11. The second, at Devon, was by more than two points, on Potasky's personal best of 76.325. Kane has the better average, but Potasky has had the better day every time they've met.

Every step Kane and Vamos have taken has been a small but meaningful one. One more could win it all.

Read More Coverage on the Final →