David O’Brien and Gerko are Uncatchable in the $15,000 Futures Prix

Margie Goldstein-Engle Rides Aston Des Etisses to Victory in the FEI Speed Stake CSI 2*

For Immediate Release

Lily Yampolsky for TIEC

Mill Spring, NC – October 9, 2022 – The $25,000 Sunday Classic at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC) win went to Grant Seger (Aiken, SC) and Grey Fox Crossing’s Plot Z with a time of 36.556 seconds. Second place honors went to Willie Tynan (Lexington, KY) and MDM Equestrian’s 2013 Hanoverian gelding, Seattle (Stolzenberg x Serenade), with a time of 37.03 seconds. In third place was Ramiro Quintana (Wellington, FL) and Play the Game LLC’s 2011 Sella Italiano gelding, Gotico Di Ca’ San Giorgio (Diamant de Semilly x Fatti Bella), with a time of 37.662 seconds.

Grant Seger and Plot Z
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

Seger and the 2011 Warmblood gelding (Plot Blue x Salome) were one of eight pairs to make it to the jump-off out of 22 entries who traversed the Guilherme Jorge (BRA) course. 

Willie Tynan and Seattle
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

“He jumped really well in both [rounds]. He was a little fresher than I expected as he’s jumped a couple times this week already. He’s a really experienced horse and did a really good job with it.”

Ramiro Quintana and Gotico Di Ca’ San Giorgio
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

Plot Z is a well-known mount for Seger as the two have been partnered together for a few years now, he explained: “He’s so naturally fast. I try to remind myself to not go too crazy with him. Sometimes I can so easily have the time but then have a little rail from taking too many chances. Today I was actually telling my groom, Dana, that I was going to try to take it a little bit easier and leave all the jumps up, and let his natural quickness give him a good placing. It seemed to work out!”

Grant Seger, Plot Z and team in their presentation ceremony.
©Sarah Sturgis for TIEC

Seger lives only a stone’s throw away in Aiken, SC, making his barn frequent competitors at TIEC: “I love [TIEC]. It’s only two and a half hours from us, so it feels like our home show, a bit. It has everything. All the clients are always so happy here, and it has all the big sport for us. We love it here.”

For full results from the $25,000 Sunday Classic, click here.

David O’Brien and Gerko are Uncatchable in the $15,000 Futures Prix

October 7, 2022 – David O’Brien (Wellington, FL) and Jennifer Blumenthal’s Gerko were victorious in the $15,000 Futures Prix in Tryon Stadium with a jump-off time of 30.278 seconds. Kevin Mealiff (Wellington, FL) and Oakland Ventures LLC’s 2008 Dutch Warmblood gelding, David Guetta (Zento x Vanitha Z), followed closely behind with a time of 30.857 to clinch the second place position. Sarah Scheiring (Wellington, FL) and Bellwyn Farm LLC’s 2011 Belgian Sport Horse mare, Formica Du Houssoit (Doree Van De Moskifarm x Tante Catoche Du Houssoit), had a time of 30.963 to round out the top three.

David O’Brien and Gerko
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

Ten pairs went clear and proceeded to the jump-off out of the nineteen total entries, navigating the Guilherme Jorge (BRA) course. O’Brien and the 2011 Dutch Warmblood gelding Gerko (Douglas x Romita) were able to speed to the win by less than half a second.

Kevin Mealiff and David Guetta
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

“The first round was easy, and everything came up lovely. It’s nice that they had a triple and all in it. I’m trying to get him up and going, because he hasn’t jumped for a few weeks now, so I want to jump bigger classes in the next few weeks. It was a nice jump-off round. A few turns and a few gallops so it’s nice to have a bit of both to kind of keep the horse in front of you here and let them get down to the jump. Everything for him came up quite good. We saw it around the corner and we just kept coming.”

Sarah Scheiring  and Formica Du Houssoit
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

Gerko is a fairly new partner to O’Brien, with him explaining: “I started riding him at the beginning of the year. I opened up my own business in November of last year, Leap Year Farm, and Jennifer Blumenthal, his owner, was really just trail riding him last year as she was working with her business. I started showing him in Florida a bit, but then this summer I ruptured a disc in my back and I took a few months off to get back on again.”

TIEC Competition Manager J.P. Godard with David O’Brien  and Gerko in their presentation ceremony.
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

O’Brien is a longtime competitor at TIEC, saying: “It’s great for everything. The competitions are good, the courses are good, and it’s a good place for horses as well. You have the trails around the place, and you can really get them up and going and fit. I have my clients here as well, and the nice thing with my clients is there’s such a variety of classes we can pick and choose for them; they can jump in the [Tryon Stadium] and they can jump in the International Stadium. It gives them a real chance to move up the levels.”

For full results from the $15,000 Futures Prix, click here.

Margie Goldstein-Engle Ride Aston Des Etisses to Victory in the $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 2*

October 7, 2022 – Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) and Gladewind Partners, LLC’s 2010 Selle Francais gelding Aston Des Etisses (MyLord Carthago *HN x Quidam De Revel) took the lead in Friday’s $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 2* with a time of 80.86 seconds. Scott Keach (AUS) and Southern Cross Equestrian, LLC and his own 2013 Belgian Warmblood gelding Noble De La Chapelle (For Passion D’Ive Z x Eros Platiere) finished second with four time penalties and a time of 84.43 seconds. In third was Maria Fernanda Gonzalez (ESA) and Alejandro González’ 2012 Belgian Warmblood gelding Monaco Optimus (Kannan x Unknown) with four faults from jumping, and three time faults, ending on a time of 83.12 seconds.

Margie Goldstein-Engle and Aston Des Estisses
©Sarah Sturgis for TIEC

For full results from the $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 2*, click here.

Hunter Highlights:
Joy Janouskovec (Whitsett, NC) and Townsend Farm & PKP Holdings LLC’s Robin claimed the Coca-Cola® Performance Hunter 3’3 Division championship with Suzanna Treske (Waxhaw, NC) and Ava Goodgold’s Flaneur G taking the reserve champion honors.

The Small Pony Hunter Division championship went to First Blue LLC’s Whinny the Blue with Ivy Smith (Charlotte, NC) riding. Reserve champion went to Kayla Jacob’s Chasing Chance and Ansley Beman (Mount Pleasant, SC).

Jumper Highlights:
The St. Luke’s Hospital Low Junior Jumper 1.20m Division championship honors went to Maleah Lang McMahon (Ocala, FL) and her own Finch Farm Carlsberg with the reserve championship going to Addy Wingate (McLean, VA) riding her horse Calci Gamba.

Nicholas Dello Joio (Wellington, FL) and Wembley Farm Inc.’s Dylano van de Heide Z took the Nutrena 1.40m Open Jumper  Division champion title, while Diego Alejandro Bedoya Yanez (Loxahatchee, FL) riding Lauren Fischer’s GK California took the reserve championship.

For full division results from Tryon Fall 3, click here. 

The Tryon Fall Series continues through October 30, with Saturday Night Lights presented by Tryon Horse & Home continuing through every Saturday in October. The Tryon Fall Finale Series will follow in November, featuring two weeks of B/Level 3 Hunter/Jumper competition. For more information about the 2022 fall competition calendar, visit Tryon.com/compete. 

Photos ©TIEC (Bailey Beck and Sarah Sturgis as noted). These photos may only be used once, in relation to this press release. Official show photos can be viewed and purchased at www.Tryon.com/photos. With questions, please contact media@tryon.com.