2023 Tryon Summer Finale 1 Results:
Penny Brennan and Vertigo Delorme Win $15,000 1.30m Mini Prix
Brittni Raflowitz Rides Spitfire to Victory in the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake
Stephen Pack and Everton K D’or Claim Top Spot in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House
For Immediate Release
Leyla Caynak for Tryon International
Mill Spring, NC - August 13, 2023 - Wrapping up the Tryon Summer Finale 1, Penny Brennan (Ocala, FL) aboard Vertigo Delorme (Chacco Blue x Faretana) claimed a win in the $15,000 1.30m Mini Prix at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (Tryon International). Earning reserve honors with a jump off time of 35.337 seconds was Doug Payne (Rougemont, NC) and The Windwood Group’s 2008 Dutch Warmblood stallion Damokles (Ukato x Orindy). Rounding out the podium with third place was the 2011 Holsteiner gelding Vintage (Verdi TN x Wanda VI) owned by Blue Trim LLC and rider Juan Ortiz (Loxahatchee, FL), completing the jump off in 37.262 seconds.
Penny Brennan and Vertigo Delorme
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
Brennan’s 2009 Westfalen stallion stopped the jump off timers at 35.337 seconds in the $15,000 Mini Prix. Brennan and her stallion had already found success earlier in the week, taking reserve honors in the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake. Prior to arriving at Tryon, Vertigo Delorme sat five months out of competition while healing a quarter crack, and had a stellar first weekend back in the show ring, she emphasized. “I was very proud of him.”
Doug Payne and Damokles
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
Giving kudos to the course designer, Archer “Skip” Bailey, Brennan explained “Skip did an unbelievable job with this course. He made a 1.30m course into a hard course to win, it rode a lot bigger than it looks!” This team rode both courses at a quick pace and opted to leave several strides out both in the preliminary and jump off rounds. “I’m just so proud of him; he is just a unicorn!” she concluded.
Juan Ortiz and Vintage
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
Vertigo Delorme’s comeback tour will continue in Michigan, she continued. “We’ll do some of the 1.30m and 1.40m classes to get his sea legs back under him!” Beyond the show ring, Vertigo Delorme has a new baby on the ground and a few mares in foal as well, contributing to the future of the sport when he’s not in the show ring.
Penny Brennan, Vertigo Delorme and team in their presentation ceremony alongside Lance Bennett, TIEC Stabling Manager.
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
Brennan and a few of her team members have been staying in one of Tryon International’s onsite log cabins, she shared. “It’s been very good. We’ve got a couple of our dogs with us, and we brought our margarita machine!” She concluded with gratitude for her team, saying, “Thank you to Bankswell Farm for our amazing young horses, thank you to Tami Fratis of Tamarian Farms for having such a great facility in Ocala, FL, and thank you to Brittany Acker.”
For full results from the $15,000 Mini Prix, click here.
Brittni Raflowitz Rides Spitfire to Victory in the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake
August 11, 2023 - The Tryon Summer Finale 1 kicked off with the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake, which included 25 competitors. Brittni Raflowitz (Palm City, FL) rode Team Eye Candy’s 2012 Belgian Warmblood mare, Spitfire (Numero Uno x Volympia Van’t Heike) into top honors with 37.314 seconds in the jump off. Earning reserve honors with 38.242 seconds in the jump off was the 2009 Westfalen stallion, Vertigo Delorme (Chacco Blue x Faretana) owned and ridden by Penny Brennan (Ocala, FL). Stopping the timers at 38.392 seconds Michael Kocher (Tryon, NC) earned third place aboard Corlea M, the 2015 Swedish Warmblood mare owned by Glenlin Farm.
Brittni Raflowitz and Spitfire
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
For full results from the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake, click here.
Stephen Pack and Everton K D’or Claim Top Spot in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby sponsored by Farm House Tack
August 12, 2023 - With a combined total of 180 points, Stephen Pack (Columbus, NC) and Everton K D’or (Balou Du Rouet x Issica D’or) earned top honors in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House. Just a few points behind was Michael Kocher (Tryon, NC) aboard Vanilla Ice (Light my Fire x Korinna), the 2017 Hanoverian gelding owned by Stephanie Easler with a score of 174. Earning third place with a total score of 155 was the 2013 Belgian Warmblood gelding Notorious, ridden and owned by Lauren Thomas (Kingsport, TN)
Stephen Pack and Everton K D’or
©Ariel Berrios for Natalie Suto Photography
The 2014 Selle Francais gelding, owned by KS Sporthorses LLC has only been competing in the Hunter’s for two weeks, after transitioning away from showjumping. “We imported him last year to do the jumpers, but he actually wants to be a Hunter because he wants to be a little more quiet,” Pack shared.
Michael Kocher and Vanilla Ice
©Ariel Berrios for Natalie Suto Photography
This team went into the handy round with the high score of 89 points and completed round two with another high score of 91 points. Pack explained, “We took a breath and got into Hunter mode.” With their Summer Finale success, Pack and Everton K D’or will be taking a break from competition until they arrive back at Tryon for the Fall Series.
Lauren Thomas and Victorious
©Ariel Berrios for Natalie Suto Photography
Pack and his team are local to the Tryon region and enjoy competing at the venue, he emphasized. “It is great having Tryon [International] in our backyard; we are very fortunate that this facility is here,” he concluded.
Stephen Pack and Everton K D’or in their presentation ceremony.
©Ariel Berrios for Natalie Suto Photography
For full results from the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House, click here.
The Tryon Fall Series will kick off September 22, with six weeks of Hunter, Jumper and Equitation competition including national and international Jumping divisions. Stalls and lodging can be booked now for the fall series, and the full prize list will be posted soon here. Saturday Night Lights presented by Tryon Horse & Home will return Saturday, September 23 and will continue through October 28. Learn more at Tryon.com/snl.
Photos ©Natalie Suto Photography (Ariel Berrios and Bailey Beck, 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.