TIEC Testimonials

Thank you to all who have competed with us at Tryon International Equestrian Center. Featuring Show Jumping, Hunter, Eventing, Dressage, Para-Dressage, and Driving competitors, hear from top athletes across many disciplines about their TIEC experiences below!

Brian Moggre

“I think TIEC has done a great job of making the show productive for everybody while maintaining safety. It’s been a great experience. I’m just so happy to be horse showing again!”

David O’Brien

“The footing is very good in Tryon Stadium. It’s great to have people with a lot of passion, who’ve invested a lot of time and effort into it, and that’s certainly the case for Bill Hawe [of iEquiTek, LLC.]. It’s great to see, and the horses seem quite happy with it.”

Eduardo Menezes

“I’m very impressed by the facility in all aspects. The footing feels great, the stables are fantastic, and I’m walking one of my horses on the Glades as we speak [via phone]. It is amazing for the horses to be able to walk outside and be closer to what they’re used to in nature. I’m very impressed by the showgrounds.”

Nicole Shahinian-Simpson

“We were one of the first to compete here when TIEC opened. It’s always nice to come back! The new footing [in Tryon Stadium] is great. I’m all for it! Last year, we did the Fall Series here. It’s a great venue, and we’re lucky that we get to show at this time. Everyone’s doing a great job during these trying times. It’s the new normal, whatever that may be, and everyone has put in a great effort to keep us going.”

Todd Minikus

“The [newly engineered] footing has been fantastic. My horses have been jumping on it for a few weeks in a row now, and they feel very comfortable. It seems like they’re turning well on the footing.”

Hardin Towell

“I love showing here. I grew up around this area, so it’s like coming home. I grew up showing here 20 years ago, so it’s always nice to come back. The footing is great.”

Shane Sweetnam

“The footing is great! They’ve really done a good job. I was here the first week they showed on [the new footing], and it was brilliant then, and still is now. I’m happy to be jumping on it!”

Sydney Shulman

“The footing is amazing! It’s like a springboard. Obviously, getting off the ground and landing is important, but to me, turning is crucial as that’s when you feel it the most. All of the horses feel like they have such traction on it and are jumping really nicely. The improvements that they [TIEC] made are great, and it’s only benefiting us more.”

Kent Farrington

“The footing feels great! It’s much better. It’s a little more loose and forgiving for the horses. I think that’s best. The closer you are to a natural ground like grass, the better. It feels good to get off the property, [too]. We’re lucky that we do a sport that’s outdoors, and we can practice safe social distancing and still continue on somewhat of a path.”

Kristen VanderVeen

“Tryon is like our second home. We always love the facility. It’s set up really nicely. The grounds are great, and the lakes are great to have around here, too. Overall, I think it’s just one of the best horse shows in the US, to be able to show a horse at a high level and enjoy your time. I am looking forward to coming back!”

Victoria Colvin

“I love it here. The last time I was here, a couple of these buildings weren’t here! I do love it here. It’s a big space, and everything is good for the horses, like the fans in the barns, and such. Everything’s nice.”

Lauren Hough

“The last time I was here was for the first five-star Grand Prix in 2016. It’s a fantastic facility! I was lucky enough to get one of the cabins, so to be onsite, feel safe and not have to go out is super important during these crazy times. I want to say thanks to the team here. With the cancellation in Kentucky, Tryon really went above and beyond to accommodate as many people as they could. We’ve felt very safe here, and I think all of the protocols they have in place here are well done. It’s a crazy time for us, so to be able to still make a living, bring our clients, and feel safe doing it is really important!”

Daniel Bedoya

“This is my favorite place to show. We’ve been coming here for six years, and I think we stay a little longer every year. This year, I thought with COVID-19 and everything going on in the world, this was the safest place. We were supposed to be here for seven weeks and then go to other horse shows, but some of the shows got cancelled, so I made the decision to stay here. They’ve done such a good job patrolling and keeping up with social distancing, masks, and all of that. As always, we love being here and love what they do. We appreciate all of the effort and work that they put in.”

Matt Cyphert

“It was sure nice to make the trip out here and see this place again. For it to be successful is even better! We love the people who run this horse show, and it’s a very competent and friendly staff. It’s so refreshing to come here every year. It’s a beautiful part of the country and makes all of our clients happy. We’re having a great time. I wish we could stay longer!”

Adam Prudent

“I like the footing, and the change was nice. It doesn’t get as deep as it used to. I like it! The horses are jumping great on it. My experience at Tryon has been fantastic, and it’s a pleasure to be here.”

David Matisz

“We come here at least once every year. It’s such a nice place and such a nice facility. I have a group of clients who jump from the Low Adults to the Grand Prix, and this place provides nice divisions, classes and prize money throughout the week, so it’s ideal for a barn like ours. We try to come here as much as we can. I want to say thank you to management for organizing such a great show, and for keeping everyone as safe as possible. I think they’re doing a great job.”

Beat Mändli

“It’s unbelievable how it was to ride today after all the rain. The footing feels perfect to me, and obviously I have a good grip but there’s still bounce in there. The horses are all jumping great, so it’s really good.”

Mimi Gochman

“I love it here. The food is amazing! Sometimes when we’re here really late, it’s nice to be able to just go and walk to dinner. The rings are huge, which is super nice. Tons of big riders come, so it keeps it competitive. I think the horses love it because they get to stay in big, airy stalls. It worked out really well with COVID, too. Everyone is wearing a mask and everything is spaced. I’m having a great time!”

McLain Ward

“The footing is great, and the facilities are phenomenal. Everybody has made a huge effort here to make this place first-class and to also run it during this difficult time. You can’t help when you walk around here, you see the potential of this facility.”

Jordan Coyle

“I was here last year and loved it. I was just coming back from my injury and it was my first show. This year is perfect! Why wouldn’t you come here? If you can get in, you should be here.”

Karl Cook

“What I like is the overall design. The barns are so nice to be in. You know, you go to many shows and the barns just aren’t that nice and they’re small. There’s a lot of space to ride, too. So far this week they’ve maintained the footing well. To hold up to some of those turns in the jump-off you need strong footing. [TIEC] has been doing a great job.”

Margie Engle

“The facility looks great. I have to say, even with all of the rain last week, the footing held up. When I went into the Grand Prix, it was pouring. The rain was coming down sideways, but the footing held up great. Whatever they did to the ring, it seems to be working well!”

Lorcan Gallagher

“I came here for the first grand prix ever held in this ring. There was dirt everywhere and just a couple of tents. I’ve been coming every year since. I really enjoy it here. It’s been a lucky enough place for me!”

Mario Deslauriers

“The show here is doing a great job monitoring everything. We’re just happy to be out there competing. [My experience here] has been great, and people couldn’t be nicer. I think that we’re in a pretty safe zone here. It’s good for everyone!”

Darragh Kerins

“My family and I love the place. We’ve been here five months! We had a great time all summer and fall. Tryon has done a great job managing COVID-19, so we’ve felt very safe here as a family. We just love the place, and hope to be back next year!”

Brian Murphy

“We love coming here. We always stay in a cabin or rent a house. The food is fantastic. The only disappointing thing this time is that I don’t get to go and play golf because it’s too wet! We love coming here, and can’t wait to come back in two weeks for the [Tryon International Three-Day Event].”

Hardin Towell

“There are nice restaurants and it’s a great facility with plenty of room to ride your horses. That’s actually probably the biggest thing that I like. The horses really seem to like it here, because there’s plenty of room and you can take them out on the cross-country field. You can really produce a horse here. You can go from a big field like the International Stadium to a smaller ring, so there’s a lot of different venues. As a trainer, you can get to all the different rings quite quickly.”

Kelley Farmer

“TIEC has done an amazing job with this whole scenario. I know it’s not easy for any of us, and I think the management, staff, and everyone at TIEC has done an outstanding job managing the situation. As competitors, we know that this is a privilege for us to be able to continue to horse show and work during this time. We very much appreciate all of the efforts. I have the utmost respect for everything that TIEC has done. Without you all, we wouldn’t be able to keep doing our jobs.”

Marion Gefaell

“My experience here at TIEC has been awesome. It’s one of my favorite places to show!”

Harold Chopping

“I’m just thrilled that we can show here [TIEC], and that everything has been smooth. I live three and a half hours from here, so it’s not hard for us to come and compete. I have horses that’ll do the FEI classes and the Hunters, so it’s great to have a quality facility where you can do a bit of everything.”

Augusta Iwasaki

“[My experience here] has been fantastic. I did the Medal Finals last week and that was really fun. I think [TIEC] is great. It’s very big, there’s a lot of things to do, and there’s a lot of food places. At most horse shows, you have to eat the same thing everyday, and there’s a little bit of everything here. Plus, there are shops, and there’s plenty of rings and space for everything.”

Ben Davis

“I love it here! All of our horses are here, but I’m not showing. The COVID protocol rules are great and the horses feel amazing. The facility is just so nice. The schooling rings are really fun. I love to flat around here.”

Jimmy Torano

“This [TIEC] has been kind of home for us [this summer] and we have had great shows with lots of success for both my own horses and my clients’ horses – we have been very fortunate.”

Julie Curtin

“It’s always a lot of fun to ride here. The venue is just very nice. The footing is always really nice. I’m a big fan of footing. The jumps are pretty, it’s well-manicured, and it’s just very horse-friendly. Footing is a really big thing for me, and I like the way they [my horses] land with some cushion. It’s a professional’s show! They do it right.”

Doug Payne

“To me, it’s one of the best, if not the best venue, in the country, and we’re very lucky to have the opportunity to ride here. Having the CCI 4*-L National Championship is just a huge, huge asset, not just for the riders and horses, but also for Tryon. There’s a great opportunity now, which is really exciting. We live reasonably close and we’re here a bit, so we’re a bit biased, but we’re happy to see it succeed.”

Matthew Flynn

“I thought the facility and the organizers put on a great event here, and everyone was really awesome. The facility is amazing.”

Will Coleman

“I think we are all very, very impressed with the sheer will that this Tryon and organizing team has put forth to keep this event running. I think a lot of events would have folded by now, but they’re out there working constantly, and it’s an amazing operation from a manpower perspective. We’re appreciative of Tryon taking this event on when a lot of other events have folded.”

Sara Kozumplik Murphy

“We always have TIEC on our calendars a few times a year, for both Eventing and Jumping. The rings are nice, and we enjoy the horse show. It worked out quite well to be here two weeks before the event. I like getting the opportunities to jump in this ring [Tryon Stadium] and be on the good footing.”

Boyd Martin

“I think Tryon is one of the best venues in the world. Even when conditions were atrocious, they’ve got the facility, the willpower, and the passion to put on a really, really good show. Obviously, it’s a real honor and privilege riding here, and like I said yesterday, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate all the guys out there making that Cross-Country course as horse-friendly as possible. I’ve been lucky enough to compete all over the world, and I’ve never seen so many people pull together to make the conditions fair for the horses, so I truly hope Tryon gets this as a permanent date, or this event in the spring or something, because it’s an unbelievable facility in all three phases. It’s the ultimate destination.”

Phillip Dutton

 “This event was so great for the sport, the riders, and the horses, for Tryon to be able to step up and do this. Arguably, there really isn’t anywhere else in the country or the world that could have pulled off what [TIEC] did on Cross-Country day with the flooding and bringing in all the machines in and everything else to make it a proper competition. This is a very unique venue and we’re blessed to have it and the people who run it.”

Woods Baughman

“I just think [TIEC] did an amazing job. I showed up here on Tuesday and it was just a downpour and flooding, then on Wednesday morning I was like ‘they are going to cancel Cross-Country.’ And then, when they held the course walk on Thursday, I was like ‘yeah, this is game over,’ and sure enough, by the time we actually ran the footing was great.”

Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp

“This is an outstanding venue, and I’d say it’s one of the best in the world, undeniably. I can’t think of anywhere better. The efforts that everyone put in was truly Herculean to make everything run. I was the 78th horse out of the box on the 4* and actually, the ground wasn’t that bad. I felt like the ground continued to improve as the day went on, which is incredible. I’ve not actually ever experienced any event that put that much true grit and effort into making things run the best they could for the horses. And in terms of the arena, it feels like you’re at a championship here, so I truly hope [this is a regular] event going forward; I cannot think of anywhere that could deliver it like Tryon did.”

Elizabeth Bortuzzo

“I haven’t ever been to the venue and it is quite gorgeous. I brought the horses on quite a few trail rides across the whole property, and it is lovely. For not being quite perfect condition-wise, the cross-country course was lovely, too. I had no intention of coming all the way down to North Carolina, but we are very glad we came!”

Jenny Caras

“I think all of the riders are very grateful to Tryon for stepping in to host this event. All of the effort that they put in to make it so we could run Cross-Country was appreciated from all sides. It’s truly a privilege to be able to compete here.”

Joe Meyer

“I want to thank everybody at Tryon: the organizers, officials, volunteers, and everyone else, for the effort that they put into getting the Cross-Country running. What they did was unbelievable! The course is beautiful. A massive thank you to everybody.”

Nobie Cannon

“We keep coming back. The footing is great and the courses are always challenging, but ride well. I like that we can go eat at the restaurants. Tryon is a fun destination.”

John Michael Durr

“Every part of what TIEC does makes you feel special – whether you’re there for a national horse trials, a B-rated Hunter/Jumper show, or the 5* week. Tryon gives you that championship feeling all the time, so when my students do go to the championships or go to Young Riders or something like that, they don’t fall apart because they’re used to being in a big atmosphere.”

Samantha Collins

“We showed at the Tryon Spring Dressage I and it was amazing. It was organized so well and it was one of the best run shows we’ve been to. I feel like we just knew where everything was…it was definitely the biggest facility we’ve been to but it was so easy to get around and I feel like Maggie (my horse) just flourished in the environment and she loved the outdoor rings and felt just like she did at home. It was just beautiful, it’s so manicured with the mountains in the background”
 

Julio Mendoza Loor

“It’s a very good show, and very organized. I brought six horses and had eight students, too. Tryon for me is one of the favorite shows. Even the staff enforcing that everyone was wearing masks – they were really nice, very polite. They were very professional, and that was super.”

Adrienne Lyle

“I love this showgrounds – it’s maybe my favorite showgrounds in the world to show – but it’s great for the horses to get to come to a new place and ride in a new stadium with atmosphere like this. It’s really fun.”

Karin Stevens

“Everything was very well organized. This was my first time showing at Tryon, so I appreciated how well everything was marked to help you find things. That was very helpful as a first-timer to see the barns clearly marked as well as the stalls. When it’s your first time at a show, you just don’t know some things, so you end up wandering a lot. That was really my best impression. It made it easy for a first-timer to navigate the ins and outs of the facility.”

Hailey Guard

“I was really impressed with the way everyone is handling [COVID-19]. Everyone is respecting the rules and TIEC is doing such a good job with the temperature checks, wristbands and everything. It was nice to see such a big show with so many competitors all following the rules.”

Abraham Pugh

“The indoor has been lovely and the footing has been nice. The facility is quite lovely. I’m not sure if we will go to Florida or not, but we are definitely going to try and come back here in the spring.”

Katherine Bateson Chandler

“It’s an amazing venue. This is truly a world-class venue with beautiful stabling, which always really matters to us. The footing here is perfect, and the staff has been great. We stayed in one of the cabins here, so that was really fun. We just brought our bikes and didn’t have to worry about driving back and forth, and always had a place to eat every night, so you can’t beat that!”

Rebecca Hart

“This venue is very special to me because of the World Equestrian Games™ where we got the silver and bronze. He [Tex] loved this venue and was so comfortable here. They really pulled it together and did a very nice job.”

Sydney Collier

“It went better than I could have ever expected, and the Indoor Complex here is mind-blowing, how gigantic it is, and we couldn’t be more thankful to be the first show in here, It has been such an honor to ride down the centerline here at Tryon. We are happy to be here!”

Bill Allen

“I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this place would be hosting a Driving event. I signed up for it right away! I had volunteered for the WEG, so I knew the facility and what the course looked like. I knew it’d be a great place to drive, and it’s proven that. It’s been a really nice venue for competing. We’re really happy to be here!”

Jennifer Thompson

“TIEC is a lovely facility. Again, having never been here before, I was really happy that we were in real barns yesterday with Hurricane Sally coming through.”

Misdee Wrigley-Miller

“Number one, the barn facilities are the best I’ve ever seen at a show facility – the safety of the barns – it’s all top, top class. There’s no question that the venue is just absolutely gorgeous. We were going along by the creek today and it’s very soothing to hear the creek – it’s like a zen fountain!”

Taylor Bradish

“I thought it was fantastic [driving Marathon on the White Oak Cross-Country Course]. That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to come. I was dying to see the facility and have an opportunity to drive something world-class. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with the whole facility. I’m looking forward to TIEC offering more Driving competitions.”