Tryon Summer 2 Results:

Andrea Torres and Fifty Shades Capture Win in $25,000 Sunday Grand Prix

Todd Minikus and Kiekeboe Spirit Dominate the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake

Rachel Sutton and Solo Con Te 2 Jump to Victory in $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby Presented by The Farm House

Ella Riffle and Carasco: $1,500 Open 2'6" Derby Winners

For Immediate Release

Rette Solomon for Tryon International

Mill Spring, NC - June 28, 2023 - Aboard her own Fifty Shades, Andrea Torres (COL) claimed the win in the $25,000 Sunday Grand Prix to close out Tryon Summer 2. The pair stopped jump off timers at 32.248 seconds, besting a field of twenty-nine entries. Taking reserve with a time of 32.613 seconds was Todd Minikus (USA) and Aquilo Investment LLC’s Kiekeboe Spirit (Darius x Game Boy), the 2015 Dutch Warmblood gelding. Rounding out the podium was Christina Kelly (IRL) and Double H Farm’s HH Presley Boulevard, marking a time of 33.852 seconds.

Andrea Torres and Fifty Shades
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Andrea Torres was aboard three different mounts in Sunday’s Grand Prix. After having a rail each in her first two rounds, the Columbian rider jumped a clear third round with her most experienced horse and long time partner, Fifty Shades (Call Me Number One x Sion). 

“I've had him since he was five. He's already fifteen. We've been through a lot together through the big ranks,” Torres said of her 2008 Westfalen gelding.

Todd Minikus and Kiekeboe Spirit
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Tryon Summer 2 was Fifty Shades’ re-entry to the show arena after sustaining an injury. “He had a little bit of an injury last year, so he was out for about six months. This is my first horse show back with him,” Torres shared. 

Christina Kelly and Presley Boulevard
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

After a technically difficult preliminary course, Torres and Fifty Shades had a smooth jump off round. “In the jump off, everything just went according as planned. The strides were right there. I did seven to the double, which not a lot of horses are able to do because it's quite short inside, but he's fantastic. He can turn, and he went a little bit in diagonal and made up space inside. I just let him go from the last one as fast as I could, and he liked it and he was super!” Torres recapped. 

Andrea Torres, Fifty Shades and team in their presentation ceremony alongside JP Godard, TIEC Competition Manager.
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

Torres and her team will continue to compete at Tryon in the coming weeks. “I love Tryon! It’s probably my favorite horse show in the US. I'm in Wellington right now, so it's so great to sometimes get out of it a little bit. It's been so hot in Wellington, so the horses are feeling great. I mean, there’s no better place! The stalls are gorgeous, set up with fans and everything. It's so comfortable for the horses. They feel like they're at home. The trails are fantastic. The atmosphere on Saturday Night Lights is amazing, so I'm really excited for the next two weeks.”

For full results from the $25,000 Sunday Grand Prix, click here. 

Todd Minikus and Kiekeboe Spirit Dominate the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake 

June 23, 2023 - With twenty-six competitors in the $5,000 ProElite Welcome Stake, it was Todd Minikus (USA) and Kiekeboe Spirit who took top honors. Aboard the 2015 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Aquilo Investment LLC, Minikus and Kiekeboe Spirit (Darius x Game Boy) made a jump off time of 41.698 seconds. Marking a time of 41.946 seconds to claim reserve was Fifty Shades (Call Me Number One x Sion), the 2008 Westfalen gelding shown by owner Andres Torres (COL). Diego Alejandro Bedoya Yanez (BOL) took third with Skara Glen’s Para Bellum (Singulord Joter x Labor’s VDL Indorado), the 2011 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by NRG Farm LLC, marking a time of 42.797 seconds.

Todd Minikus and Kiekeboe Spirit
©Sarah Sturgis for Natalie Suto Photography

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

Rachel Sutton and Solo Con Te 2 Jump to Victory in $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby Presented by The Farm House

June 24, 2023 - Rachel Sutton (Collerville, TN) and her own Solo Con Te 2 (Spartacus x Enscha), the 2012 Hanoverian gelding, were victorious in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House. The pair scored a 178 over two rounds on Saturday morning to capture the win. Scoring a 168 to take reserve was Emma Gurley (Rutherfordton, NC) and Latino (Lasandos x Adora MB), her own 2005 Swedish Warmblood gelding. Placing third was Jason Schnelle (Collierville, TN) and Debutante (Sir Donnerhall x Night Rhoads), the 2014 Oldenburg mare owned by Addison Bihm, scoring a 162. 

Rachel Sutton and her own Solo Con Te 2
©Natalie Suto Photography

For full results from the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby presented by The Farm House, click here. 

Ella Riffle and Carasco: $1,500 Open 2'6" Derby Winners

June 25th, 2023 - With a score of 167, Ella Riffle (Wake Forest, NC) rode her own Carasco (Collin L x Penelope), the 2007 Dutch Warmblood gelding to a win in the $1,500 Open 2'6"  Derby. Scoring a 159 to place second was Lauren Miller (Blountville, TN) aboard Awesome Anna, her own 2015 Welsh/Thoroughbred mare. Capturing third in the derby with a score of 154 was Amber Lynne Gayheart (Chesapeake, VA) and Natalia Lynch’s Noblesse Oblyse D Z (Nestor De Mariposa x Mademoiselle), the 2018 Zangersheide gelding. 

Ella Riffle and Carasco
©Bailey Beck for Natalie Suto Photography

For full results from the $1,500 Open 2'6" Derby, click here. 

For all division results from Tryon Summer 2, click here.

Tryon Summer 3 features the return of Saturday Night Lights presented by Tryon Horse & Home, with kids activities and live music taking place at 6pm and competition kicking off in Tryon Stadium at 8pm. Legends Club tables are available for purchase here. 

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