The home of the 2018 World Equestrian Games, the Tryon International Equestrian Center has had a busy schedule this spring playing host to eventing, dressage, and hunter-jumper competitions. A full schedule this week leads up to the feature class this Saturday, the FEI $70,000 CSI2* Grand Prix.
34 horse and rider pairs are slated to contest the 1.45m course set in the George H. Morris Stadium this weekend. Who do you think will bring home the glory? We’ve narrowed down our picks for the podium here for you.
Will it be amateur Kady Abrahamson aboard one of her two superstars, Charline 28 or Bugatti? Abrahamson has seen her fair share of the winner’s circle this winter with first place ribbons at Ocala and Live Oak. Her comeback kid, Bugatti, who underwent colic surgery in the fall of 2016, has been jumping better than ever with top placings consistently all winter long. It could be a battle of the best between Bugatti and her fiery, red-headed mare, Charline 28, who has brought home several podium finishes this spring.
Taylor Land and Pinetree Farms Inc.’s entry, Liroy 30, are another pair we are keeping close tabs on. Land and Liroy have had two wins during their career together as well as many other respectable placings. She has also guided her string of other mounts to top ten finishes throughout the winter circuit.
Power couple Manuel and Andrea Torres are both entered aboard Evermine and Fifty Shades respectively. Andrea has had the ride on Evermine for most of the winter but has passed the reins over to her husband for the Grand Prix at Tryon. Both Manuel and Andrea have secured top ten spots in multiple classes this year.
Arkansas native and former NAJYRC Team Gold Medalist Mattie Hatcher is throwing her hat into the ring aboard her own mount, Coldplay. She and the Westphalian gelding brought home a third-place finish in the high junior jumpers at Tryon this April.
To say that Veronica Bot has been successful at the World Equestrian Center this winter is a bit of an understatement. This amateur hailing from Canada has more top-three finishes on her resume from the WEC winter circuit than we can shake a stick at. Bot will be piloting Cool Down 3 around the George H. Morris Stadium in North Carolina.
After winning the $225,000 CSI3* Kentucky Invitational during the Land Rover Three-Day Event last week, Santiago Lambre is definitely on our radar for big things this weekend. His two entries, Doloris and Centano Van Aspergem Z, rose to the top on multiple occasions at WEF this winter. Lambre started off the week at Tryon with wins in the FEI $6,000 Power & Speed CSI 2* and the $35,000 Welcome Stake CSI 2*.
Kristen Vanderveen has been living the dream lately as she competes in iconic venues all over the world. Between Paris, New York, Miami Beach and WEF, Vanderveen’s name has graced our headlines on multiple occasions. She will be riding her Dutch Warmblood mare, Bull Run’s Divine Fortune, in this weekend’s big class.
Of course, it’s anyone’s game in show jumping, and no one can predict who of the 34 pairs will be taking the victory lap around the stadium. Jumper Nation will keep you current on all the news at Tryon and more so stay tuned!
Go Jumping!