Tryon Fall 1 Results:
Brittni Raflowitz and Spitfire Claim $25,000 ProElite Grand Prix
Michael Kocher and Vanilla Ice are on Fire in $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House
Michael Kocher and Corlea M Win $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake
For Immediate Release
Sarah Madden for Tryon International
Mill Spring, NC - September 24, 2023 - The first fall edition of Saturday Night Lights presented by Tryon Horse & Home welcomed an enthusiastic crowd to the Tryon Stadium for the $25,000 ProElite Grand Prix, with Brittni Raflowitz (Palm City, FL) and Spitfire (Numero Uno x Volympia Van’t Heike) taking top honors in a time of 34.56 seconds in the jump off. Taylor Land (Atlanta, GA) and Escobar WW (Etoulon x Böckmann’s Lord Pezi), the 2015 Oldenburg gelding owned by the Team Land Syndicate, claimed reserve on a jump-off time of 36.62 seconds. Maryann Charles (Southern Pines, NC) and Call Me Maybe, her own 2008 Oldenburg mare, completed the podium with their 37.88-second performance over the short course set by Dean Rheinheimer (Sheridan, IN).
Brittni Raflowitz and Spitfire
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
Raflowitz and Team Eye Candy’s 2012 Belgian Warmblood mare were one of 16 entries to challenge the first round, with nine clear rounds presented by Stuller Power Solutions earning a chance to dash for the cash in the second round.
Taylor Land and Escobar WW
©Haley Booth for Natalie Suto Photography
“She is her name!” Raflowitz said of the animated Spitfire. “I'm very fortunate to have the ride on her from Team Eye Candy right now, and I can't thank them enough for trusting me with her. So far, she's just been a joy. I'll just be smiling around the whole course with her – she's everything!”
Maryann Charles and Call Me Maybe
©Haley Booth for Natalie Suto Photography
The 28-year-old rider kept things calm in the preliminary round. “I just tried to keep things simple, because she can get a little bit hot. So I was like, ‘we're going to breathe around this thing.’ It was really great, because [Spitfire] grew from the crowd and grew from the lights, and she jumped and rode absolutely incredible.”
Accompanied by the ESI ShowJumpers team, Heather Cunningham was awarded the Groom’s Award presented by Tryon International for her care and dedication to Spitfire alongside Tryon International’s Drew Page.
©Natalie Suto Photography
“For the jump off with her, I have to think ‘not fast,’ because she wants to do the job so badly and she'll give you her whole heart. I have to kind of slow my brain down because hers is already going so much. So for the jump off, I was like, ‘okay, we're just going to stay calm. We're going to be tidy in the turns and see what happens.’”
Taylor Land, Brittni Raflowitz, and Maryann Charles in their presentation ceremony alongside Tryon International Chief Operations Officer Doug Grondahl and Director of Business Development Lynn Penny as well as delegates from Special Olympics NC and Tryon International Stabling Manager Lance Bennett.
©Natalie Suto Photography
A frequent competitor at Tryon International, Raflowitz has enjoyed a successful start to the fall series. “This has been a great week! To start the fall series off like this, all my horses we showed this week were unbelievable. My stallions, the ones [I rode] tonight, it was a step up for them. So everything about this week really put me in a great headspace to move on for the rest of the fall series with excitement.”
For full results from the $25,000 ProElite Grand Prix, click here.
Michael Kocher and Vanilla Ice are on Fire in $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House
September 23, 2023 - Michael Kocher (Tryon, NC) and Vanilla Ice scored 173 over two rounds to claim the win in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House, topping the field of nine entries touring the Dean Rheinheimer (Sheridan, IN) course. Kocher and the 2017 Hanoverian gelding (Light My Fire x Korinna) owned by Stephanie Easler produced scores of 85 and 88 to take the win. Newtown’s Harper Lee, the 2017 Oldenburg mare (Balanchine x Hermione) owned by Karen O’Connor, earned reserve honors with Colin Savaria (Reddick, FL) in the irons and a score of 166 points. Ashley Conkle (Wellford, SC) and Return to Me, the 2011 Warmblood gelding (Twister x Opal) owned by Laura Hunt, scored 148 points to take home the yellow rosette.
Michael Kocher and Vanilla Ice
©Haley Booth for Natalie Suto Photography
For full results from the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House, click here.
Michael Kocher and Corlea M Win $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake
September 22, 2023 - Michael Kocher (Tryon, NC) and Corlea M, the 2015 Swedish Warmblood mare (Latour x Coeur de Lis) owned by Glenlin Farm, produced the only double-clear performance of the day in the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake, stopping the jump-off timers in 33.764 seconds. Kocher also claimed reserve, riding Gina V, his own 2011 Dutch Warmblood mare (Cicero Z van Paemel x Wina V), to a four-fault time of 76.584 seconds in the first round. Maryann Charles (Southern Pines, NC) and Call Me Maybe, her own 2008 Oldenburg mare (Canto x Clonee Temple 2), also earned four faults in the first round in 77.176 seconds to receive third place honors.
Michael Kocher and Corlea M
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography
For full results from the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake, click here.
For all division results from Tryon Fall 1, click here.
The Tryon Fall Series continues with six weeks of Jumper, Hunter and Equitation competition, and Saturday Night Lights presented by Tryon Horse & Home continues every Saturday through October 28. Competitors can learn more and book stalls at www.Tryon.com/compete. To see everything that’s happening next at Tryon International, visit www.Tryon.com/allevents.
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.