Tryon – August 1: Catch Up with This Weekend’s Winners

David Blake and Dy Zento Score $25,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix Win
David Blake (Wellington, FL) and Dy Zento saved the best for last in Sunday’s $25,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix, stopping the short-course timers in 30.416 seconds for the win. The duo edged out Doug Payne (Rougemont, NC) and Quintessence, the 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Quinar x VIctoria’s Secret) owned by Jane Dudinksy, on a time of 32.057 seconds. Cara Dayton (Chesapeake City, MD) and Deborah Dayton’s Curby Du Seigneur, the 2008 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Dore Van’t Zorgvliet x Victoria Du Seigneur), produced a clear jump-off time of 32.712 seconds for third place. Blake was also the trailblazer for the short course aboard Pine Hollow Farm’s Keoki, taking a conservative approach to finish in fourth on a time of 37.003 seconds with the 2009 Holsteiner gelding (Catoki x Tilba-Tilba).
David Blake and Dy Zento
©Madison Ibach, TIEC
Blake called the short-course contest a “nice, competitive jump off” that saw four pairs return to Tryon Stadium after eight horses initially toured the Skip Bailey (Wellington, FL) track. Blake and the 2008 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zento x Selien) owned by Pine Hollow Farm used their place in the order of go to their advantage. “I was lucky enough to be last to go on the horse who won,” Blake reflected. “On [Keoki], I was just planning to give him a jump around for his fitness, so I gave him a nice round for the jump off. I knew the other two would be pretty quick, and then I was last, so I knew exactly what to do.”
The plan was simple: take advantage of Dy Zento’s massive stride and leave out a step in the first line. From there, it all fell into place for the duo, Blake explained. “I decided to do one less stride up the first line. My horse is a bigger horse, so I thought that if I carried on with enough pace the rest of the way, that would be enough to do it.”
After aiming Dy Zento at this class in particular, Blake was thrilled that his short trip to Tryon was successful. “It’s been good here. All the horses are jumping great. Obviously, we’re happy we won today, since that was the main thing we came here to do. We’re happy with that!”
Alexis Gallati Grabs “Iconic” First Win in $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby

August 14, 2021 – Alexis Gallati (Rockford, TN) won her first ever hunter derby with her own mount Iconic in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby, adding a score of 88 to her first round score for a total of 168 and the blue rosette. Merideth Bryans (Newborn, GA) collected both second and fourth place, piloting Jaguar, the 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Vickie Bryans, to reserve on a score of 165, and earning 156 points with Helen Farrar’s Wilmington, the 2011 Hanoverian gelding (Stolzenberg x Carlotta). Emily Smith (Trenton, SC) rode Christie Goodwick’s Happenstance, the 2015 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tolan R x Athas Amach), to third place after their two-round score totaled 164.

Alexis Gallati and Iconic
©Bailey Beck, TIEC

The JP Godard (Aiken, SC) course design welcomed 13 entries who each completed two rounds in sections to determine the winning score. Gallati made a successful debut in her first USHJA National Hunter Derby, and also did so with a new partnership, she revealed:
“Iconic is amazing and does it all!” Gallati said of the 2013 German Sporthorse gelding (Chacco Me Biolley x Unknown). “I bought him in February, and this is our first derby together, and actually my very first derby! The course was great. I always love the courses here at Tryon,” she elaborated. “It was very smooth, but challenging as well. Both rounds were a lot of fun!”
Though her first round score would’ve slated them for fourth, Gallati was eager to show off her horse’s ability and improve on her first round. “My plan [for the handy] was to basically do what I did in the first round, and listen to my trainer on areas where we could improve.” Receiving a score of 88 for her efforts with Iconic, Gallati earned the highest second round score of the day to solidify her win.
Gallati is a frequent competitor at TIEC, and will give Iconic a break before returning to the venue for the Tryon Fall Series. She detailed what keeps her coming back to the property, saying, “We love it here! I’m big on efficiency, and it’s so organized. The footing is beautiful here,” she concluded. “We were here during Spring 6 and there was a monsoon during the Grand Prix. We thought for sure that they were going to need to delay the rings [Sunday], but they were perfect. The facilities here are five-star.”
Doug Payne and Quantum Leap Land $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake Win
August 13, 2021 – It didn’t take long for Doug Payne (Rougemont, NC) to appear right back on top of the leaderboards at TIEC after his successful journey to Tokyo, claiming first, third, fourth and fifth in Friday morning’s $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake. Payne and Quantum Leap, the 2011 RPSI gelding (Quite Capitol x Report to Sloopy) he owns in partnership with wife Jessica, were one of only two pairs to go clear: Merideth Bryans (Newborn, GA) and Guidam Sid, her own 2007 Czech Warmblood gelding of unknown breeding, scored second place on a time of 38.753 over the Skip Bailey (Wellington, FL) course design.

Doug Payne and Quantum Leap
©Reagan Ibach, TIEC

Payne and Quantum Leap won on a jump-off time of 34.402 seconds, while Payne collected third with Botanja, the 2006 Warmblood mare (Salvatore x Juta) owned by Courtney Alston, by way of a four-fault round in a time of 68.667. Quintessence, the 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Quinar x VIctoria’s Secret) owned by Jane Dudinksy, earned fourth place on a time of 68.69 and four faults, while Getaway, Olivia Wall’s 2007 Oldenburg gelding (Contendro x Unknown), collected fifth place on the same faults and with a time of 73.314 seconds.
Payne made a last-minute decision to include Quantum Leap in the Welcome Stake, and revealed that the 5* Eventing athlete typically jumps fences a bit smaller than the ones that he conquered for the win. “He went to Kentucky for the 5* in the spring, and he’ll be headed to Maryland for the new 5* this fall. It was kind of a last-minute decision to throw him in this class. He’s been jumping great, so I figured I’d put him in the Welcome Stake here, and it’s actually bigger than he’d be jumping normally in Eventing.”
The gametime decision paid off for Payne, who credited his horse’s nimble athleticism despite his large stature. “He’s a very good jumper: very careful and super honest. For a big horse, he’s super maneuverable and light on his feet, so with jump-off situations he’s generally pretty efficient. He was able to pull it off today, so that’s always fun!”
Just home from his Olympic debut with Vandiver, Payne reflected on his travels that took him from Tryon to Tokyo and back. “It was an incredible experience. You always hope and dream that you’ll be able to represent your country at the Olympics, so when it actually happens it’s kind of surreal. It was unusual for sure because the COVID lockdown situation was strong over there, so I didn’t know what to expect, but my horse, Vandiver, was excellent,” Payne concluded. “He has probably the biggest heart of any horse I’ve worked with.”
Photo ©TIEC (Photo 1 ©Madison Ibach; Photo 2 ©Bailey Beck; Photo 3 ©Reagan Ibach)