Brooklyn Delgado rides Ivy League 3E to $1,000 Open Hunter Derby 2’6” Win

Ivanhoe and Elizabeth Schumann Dominate $5,000 Welcome Stake

For Immediate Release

Sarah Madden for TIEC

Mill Spring, NC – April 10, 2023 – The third week of the Tryon Welcome Series presented by Horse Illustrated saw competition hosted Wednesday-Saturday at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC). Angel Munoz Gil (Vivares, Spain) was victorious in Saturday’s $20,000 Mini Prix in Tryon Stadium, aboard Spy Coast Farm LLC’s Octavius SCF. One of five pairs to challenge the jump-off track, Munoz Gil and the 2014 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Diktator van de Boslandhoeve x Beluga) stopped the timers in 39.667 seconds to clinch the win. Michael Kocher (Tryon, NC) and his own Gina V, the 2011 Dutch Warmblood mare (Cicero Z van Paemel x Wina V), cleared the short course in 40.76 seconds to claim reserve, while third place went to John Brown (Mill Spring, NC) aboard Ballon Bleu D’Arco, the 2013 Belgian Warmblood stallion (Amaretto D Arco x Papilon) owned by Ponce Tidwell, who produced a 41.843-second clear. 

Angel Munoz Gil and Octavius SCF
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Thirteen entries toured the Keith Bollotte (Hendersonville, NC) first-round track, with six pairs qualifying for the jump-off test. Munoz Gil noted that “it was a really nice course, and I think there was enough to do there. too. Many parts of the course came up pretty quickly.”

Michael Kocher and Gina V
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Munoz Gil, who has been with the Spy Coast Farm team since last fall, piloted two horses on course and complimented both his mounts’ performances. I rode One in a Million SCF first, and I just had an unlucky rail early on the course. And then my [winning] mount, Octavius SCF, is such a great horse. He’s already had some top placings, and he just gives me so much confidence. It’s always easier with a horse like that!”

John Brown and Ballon Bleu D’Arco
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

With a competitive jump off cohort, Munoz Gil decided to test Octavius’ speed while still providing a positive experience, he detailed. “I know he’s so, so careful. So, I just wanted to give it a go without [shaking his confidence either]. I feel like everything just came up nicely to me. I took a chance to the last, but he has so much ability that he could clear the fence.”

Angel Munoz Gil and Octavius SCF in their presentation ceremony.
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Munoz Gil’s first experience at TIEC was for the 2022 Young Horse Show Finals presented by Spy Coast Farm, where he fell in love with the venue. “That was my first experience here,” he recapped. I loved the place, and it was such a great show. It was really amazing. Now, we came over for this series, and are here for four weeks in total.”

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Munoz Gil will be a familiar face throughout the 2023 competition season with Spy Coast Farm, and he’s looking forward to returning to TIEC, he concluded. “We will come back here again soon! I want to say thank you to Lisa Lourie and all the Spy Coast Farm team, because I have been with them just over half a year and it’s been great.”

For full results from the $20,000 Mini Prix, click here.

Brooklyn Delgado rides Ivy League 3E to $1,000 Open Hunter Derby 2’6” Win

April 7, 2023 – Ring 2 hosted 21 trips in the $1,000 Open Hunter Derby 2’6” Hunt & Go on Friday, with Brooklyn Delgado (Raleigh, NC) and her own Ivy League 3E scoring 168 points to earn top honors. The reserve ribbon went to Cecilia Molinari (Canton, GA) aboard her own Quaruzo, the 2010 Hanoverian gelding (Quarterback x Rosanna), for their 164-point performance. Addison Lindsey (Canton, GA) rode Limited Edition, Lucy Molinari’s 2008 Oldenburg gelding of unknown breeding, to third place on a score of 156.

Brooklyn Delgado and Ivy League 3E
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography

Delgado and the 2004 Canadian Sport Horse mare (Aerobic Z x Evening Star 3E) navigated the Seth Clayton (Lakeville, MN) course design to score 86 and 82 throughout the two halves of the Hunt & Go format. “Ivy” is a versatile mount for Delgado, competing in both Hunter and Jumper divisions, and their affinity for handiness helped propel them to the win, she shared. 

Cecilia Molinari and Quaruzo
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography

“It was a little bit wet! The course rode really nicely; all the lines were set beautifully. All my distances came up pretty much perfectly. The only  trouble I really had with finding a distance that last jump,” she commented. “My trainer, Hannah Mattis, and I really like to do fun, tight turns. We did our best to incorporate that, and on fence seven, there was a really nice slice you could do. And if you did it right, you could make a nice tight turn to the option, which we did. And it worked out well.”

Addison Lindsey and Limited Edition
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography

Delgado has had Ivy for about two years, growing with her from the Two Foot divisions to the Low Children’s. “She’s very, very good,” Delgado emphasized. For the past year we’ve been doing Low Children’s. But, when I first got her, we started in the Two Foot. Now, we just transferred into doing the 12-14 Equitation and .80 Jumpers divisions.”

“This is my second time here,” said Delgado of her Tryon experience. “I really love it, and it’s a lot of fun. Everyone is really nice, and Ivy loves it here as well!”

For full results from the $1,000 Open Hunter Derby 2’6”, click here.

Ivanhoe and Elizabeth Schumann Dominate $5,000 Welcome Stake

April 6, 2023 – The $5,000 Welcome Stake saw 15 entries tour the Keith Bollotte (Hendersonville, NC) track, with the win going to Elizabeth Schumann (Ocala, FL) aboard Ivanhoe, the Light Speed Equestrian LLC’s 2014 Warmblood gelding (unknown breeding), stopping the short-course timers in 39.512 seconds. Alicia Wilkinson (Waxhaw, NC) piloted Salut Ca-Va, the 2009 Hanoverian gelding (Stakkato x Ria Granada) owned by Horse Show Leases LLC, to reserve on a time of 39.747 seconds in the jump off. Rounding out the podium was Angel Munoz Gil (Vivares, Spain) with One in A Million SCF, the Spy Coast Farm LLC’s 2014 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Presley Boy x Werly Chin de Muze), for their 40.195-second performance. 

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

Elizabeth Schumann and Ivanhoe
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Click here to view all results from Tryon Welcome 3.

The Tryon Welcome Series presented by Horse Illustrated continues through April 16, 2023, with one remaining week of Hunter/Jumper competition before the start of the Tryon Spring Series presented by Main Street Insurance Group. To learn more about the 2023 competition season at TIEC, visit www.Tryon.com/compete. To view the full calendar of equestrian and entertainment events, including dining, live music and holiday celebrations, visit www.Tryon.com/allevents. 

Photos ©Natalie Suto Photography (Bailey Beck and Sarah Sturgis as noted). These photos may only be used once, in relation to this press release. Competitors may view and purchase competition photos at www.nataliesutophotography.shootproof.com. With questions regarding photography at TIEC, contact media@tryon.com.