Results: Tryon Welcome 4
Morgan Ashby Commands $20,000 Grand Prix With Dutchess Carola
Emerson Euler Pilots Quinziano to Win $5,000 USHJA National Derby Presented by AP Hassinger
Michael Kocher and Dexterity Z Dash to First in $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake
For Immediate Release
Rette Solomon for Tryon International
Mill Spring, NC – April 14, 2024 – Finding victory once again with her talented team of horses, Morgan Ashby (Ocala, FL) closed out Tryon International’s Welcome Series with a win in Sunday’s $20,000 Grand Prix. This time, Ashby was paired with her own Dutchess Carola (Contados x Korsika II). Ashby and her mare ended the day double clear, completing the jump off with 36.54 seconds on the clock. Following Ashby in second was Doug Payne (Rougemont, NC) and Issy Kelly’s 2013 warmblood gelding, Chaccolate RFB (Chacco Blue x Wolrusa). Regulars at Tryon International, Payne and Chaccolate RFB secured 37.55 seconds in the jump off. Capping off the top three with a time of 36.63 seconds, incurring four jumping faults, was Sophia Segesman (Aiken, SC), and Georgy Maskrey-Segesman’s Quitana 11 (Quick Star x Gina XII), the 2006 Holsteiner mare.
Morgan Ashby and Dutchess Carola
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
A long term partner of Ashby’s, the Ocala-based rider stated that Dutchess Carola is “an amazing mare. She tries so hard, and she loves me!”
Keeping all the poles up over the two Brody Robertson-designed tracks, Ashby noted that time constraints permitted competitors to be precise. “The time wasn't too tight, so you got to take your time around [the course]. [Dutchess Carola] jumped her heart out for me, and I couldn't do without her.”
Doug Payne and Chaccolate RFB
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
With the 2011 Holsteiner mare being just one of Ashby’s mounts for the Welcome Series, the competitive rider shared her strategy to keep things balanced. “We try not to jump them too much. [Dutchess Carola], last week, didn’t jump in the Welcome Stake, and I try to switch them out. I’m so fortunate to have enough horses to ride that I can pick and choose which classes I do. She was fresh and ready for today!”
Sophia Segesman and Quitana 11
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
Ashby and her team of equine athletes will soon return to Tryon International after some rest. “We’ll be off for a few weeks, then we’ll be back here for the Spring Series,” she detailed. “There’s great people here, a great facility, and it’s run very well. JP Godard does a great job, and we’ll be happy to come back!”
For full results from the $20,000 Grand Prix, click here.
Emerson Euler Pilots Quinziano to Win USHJA National Derby Presented by AP Hassinger
April 12, 2024 – With forty-two trips in Friday morning’s $5,000 USHJA National Derby Presented by AP Hassinger, thirteen-year-old Emerson Euler (Waxhaw, NC) claimed the top spot aboard Lindsey Ayres’ Quinziano (Quaterback x Percy). Euler and her equine partner scored matching 90s across both phases for a cumulative 180 points. Just one point behind the winners, Grace Loughlin (Austin, TX) rode Loughlin Sport Horses’ 2008 warmblood gelding Briljant Z (Balougran Z x Robijn) to reserve, collecting 179 points. Avery Morgan finished third with Fabric (Cassana x Henry Jota Francesca), the 2017 Holsteiner gelding owned by Ellen Allred, earning 178 points.
Emerson Euler and Quinziano
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
Euler’s strategy for the Hunt N Go format was simple, in part due to the rideability of the track designed by Archer “Skip” Bailey. “The course rode really smooth. It just had some places where I needed to keep my leg on and make sure he didn't break, but overall, the course was super smooth,” she shared. “For the handy portion, I just thought ‘land every lead, keep him straight, and sit up everywhere.’”
Grace Loughlin and Briljant Z
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
With Tryon Welcome 4 being Euler’s fourth show with Quinziano, the new partnership has flourished. “I started riding him back in December. I rode him once, just to go in the Children’s [division], and we had a good weekend! Then we started leasing him,” Euler explained. The team’s derby win at Tryon International marks back-to-back wins for Euler and the 2015 warmblood gelding, with the pair also coming off a recent derby win at Chattahoochee Hills.
Avery Morgan and Fabric
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
For full results from the $5,000 USHJA National Derby Presented by AP Hassinger, click here.
Michael Kocher and Dexterity Z Dash to First in $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake
April 12, 2024 – Claiming the class by fractions, Michael Kocher (Tryon, NC) found his way to first place in Friday’s $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake aboard his own Dexterity Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Can Can Of Windsor Z). Kocher and the 2017 warmblood gelding clocked 30.51 seconds in the jump off to win by .23. Recording 30.74 seconds in the jump off, Morgan Ashby (Ocala, FL) took second with Allen Nabors’ Bon Chatsworth Pierre (Revaou De La Bergerie x Little Star Z), the 2011 Zangersheide gelding. John Brown (Mill Spring, NC) partnered with Ballon Bleu D’Arco (Amaretto D Arco x Papilon), Ponce Tidwell Jr.’s 2013 Belgian Warmblood stallion, for third, stopping jump off timers at 31.89 seconds.
Michael Kocher and Dexterity Z
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography
For full results from the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake, click here.
The Tryon Spring Series presented by Main Street Insurance Group kicks off May 1st, with the first Saturday Night Lights of the season held on May 4th. To learn more about the 2024 competition season at TIEC, click here. To view the full calendar of equestrian and entertainment events, including dining, live music and holiday celebrations, click here.
Photos ©Natalie Suto Photography (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.