Heavens Open and Stars Align for Casanova DVE and Allen Nabors, Jr. in $15,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix

Summer Hill Springs to Tryon Welcome 1 $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake Win

For Immediate Release

Mill Spring, NC – March 28, 2021 – The largest Tryon Welcome Series ever hosted at Tryon International Equestrian Center and Resort (TIEC) launched Thursday, March 25, featuring four weeks of Hunter, Jumper and Equitation competition. Sunday’s $15,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix, a 1.35m-1.40m Jumper Classic, saw the heavens open and the stars align for Allen Nabors, Jr. (Ocala, FL) aboard Casanova DVE. The pair successfully cleared the short course in a time of 41.259 seconds to take top honors, with Summer Hill (Lexington, KY) and La Belle SCF, the 2011 Belgian Warmblood mare (Diktator van de Boslandhoeve x Belle Bleu S) owned in partnership with Andrea Simpson, claiming reserve with their four-fault, 36.48-second performance. Third went to Jorge Ludwig (Newbury Park, CA) and his own mount The Graduate, a 2009 gelding of unknown breeding, also with one rail on the floor for a score of 39.94 seconds and the yellow rosette.

Allen Nabors, Jr. and Casanova DVE
©TIEC

Despite losing a shoe on course and touring both the first and second-round tracks in the pouring rain, Casanova DVE was unphased and produced a double clear to put pressure on other competitors to follow, Nabors explained.

Summer Hill and La Belle SCF
©TIEC

“As soon as I went in the ring, it started pouring rain,” Nabors shared. “It didn’t rain the whole class except for my rounds, pretty much! I thought the course was pretty straightforward, with a couple spots to question. Coming into the combination, I added one more stride than I wanted to, and got lucky.”

Jorge Ludwig and The Graduate
©TIEC

The 2012 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Clinton x Diona V/D Wezelse Heihoeve VM) owned by Dutch Valley Sporthorses is a little new to the level, Nabors elaborated, and a new ride for himself, too. “He’s just an eight-year-old horse, and I just got him. He’s kind of new to some of the bigger stuff, but is a really, really nice horse.”

Allen Nabors, Jr. and Casanova DVE in their presentation ceremony alongside JP Godard, Competition Manager.
©TIEC

Nabors chose to compete at Tryon Resort for the Welcome Series specifically for the educational environment it provides to his younger horses, he emphasized. “I brought the younger ones here this time a year for the little bit easier tracks, with good prize money and a great facility. We’ll stay here through April and kind of go from there, working towards the 2* and 3* coming up. We’ll hang out here – we love it here! It’s the place to be.”

Summer Hill Springs to Tryon Welcome 1 $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake Win

March 26, 2021 – Summer Hill (Lexington, KY) collected first and second-place honors in Friday’s $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake, piloting La Belle SCF to first on a jump-off time of 36.565 seconds, clearing the short course with Hakuna Matata, the 2012 Dutch Warmblood mare (Corland x Olrusa) owned by Ashland Farms, in a time of 38.625 seconds for second place. Allen Nabors, Jr. (Ocala, FL) rode to a time of 41.974 seconds to claim third with Colourful RW, the 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Carrico x Zypria II) owned by Morlynn Farm.

Summer Hill and La Belle SCF
©TIEC

Hill and the 2011 Belgian Warmblood mare (Diktator van de Boslandhoeve x Belle Bleu S) owned in partnership with Andrea Simpson are a successful partnership in their own right, though La Belle SCF was formerly piloted to many wins at TIEC with David O’Brien. “She’s phenomenal, and has won a lot of big classes here with David O’Brien. She also is one that just tries really hard for you.”

Summer Hill and Hakuna Matata
©TIEC

Hakuna Matata, on the other hand, is a new mount for Hill, and a very different ride, but Hill chose to ride both horses the same way, she explained. “She’s new to me. This is our first show, and that was my third class. She’s nine, and really a cool horse who tries really, really hard. I’m just getting it together with her. I had one plan and stuck to it with both horses. They’re very different animals, so it can be a little tricky sometimes to ride the same plan with both horses, but the course rode nicely and the jumps were nice.”

Allen Nabors, Jr. and Colourful RW
©TIEC

“My plan in the jump-off was to make as many inside turns as I thought was possible,” she recapped of her successful short-course tours. “I was able to do that for the most part. The only thing I switched up on La Belle SCF, I left out a stride to the last line, since I know her a little bit better and her stride is a little bigger. I also just trust her just a little bit more.”

Summer Hill and La Belle SCF in their presentation ceremony alongside JP Godard, Competition Manager.
©TIEC

Jumper Highlights:
The 1.20m Open Jumper Division saw Megan Thiel (Roswell, GA) and Grace Jordan’s Camboro top the division, with reserve honors named to Benjamin G. Rosichan (Columbus, NC) and Stacey 17, owned by David Miller.

Morgan Ashby (Lincolnton, NC) and Bon Chatsworth Pierre, owned by Allen Nabors, Jr., were champions in the St. Luke’s Hospital Low Junior/Amateur 1.20 Jumper Division, with Isabelle Blackstone (Monroe, GA) claiming reserve aboard Joan Jet JKSR for Prelude Sporthorses.

The ProElite Children’s/Adult Amateur 1.10m Jumper Division resulted in a champion rosette for Lily Bennett (Isle of Palms, SC) and her own Zimba, while Elizabeth Galloway (Taylors, SC) piloted her own F 16 to reserve on the week.

Hunter Highlights:
In the Foothills Hunter 2’9” Division, Annie Jones (Mascot, VA) and Game Boy were named champions for Annika Rimmer, and Amelia Jenson (Carmel, IN) received reserve honors aboard her own Foreign Affair.

Norah Crowley (West Chester, PA) and her own Obsession dominated the Main Street Insurance Large Junior Hunter 3’6” Division, with reserve earned by Charlotte Harvey (Charlotte, NC) and her own Con-Lovis R.

The USHJA Hunter 2’ Division concluded with Lauren Kamber (Canton, GA) as champion with Pebble Beach for Ivy Lang, while reserve was named to Patty Ramsey (Mount Juliet, TN) and her own Tatabra Nashville.

For all Division results from Tryon Welcome 1, click here.

For full results from the $15,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix, click here.

For full results from the $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake, click here. 

Photo credit ©TIEC. Competitors can sign up for Welcome Series photo requests and purchase photos from Tryon Welcome 1 at www.Tryon.com/photos. These photos may only be used once in relation to this press release with proper credit. Contact media@tryon.com with questions.