Tryon Summer Dressage 3&4: Chris Hickey and Stenagers Wyatt Earp Win FEI Grand Prix

Mill Spring, NC – Tryon Summer Dressage 3&4 competition at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC) featured the final installment of the Tryon Summer Dressage Series, hosting two national competitions August 14-15. The FEI Grand Prix saw Chris Hickey take the win aboard Stenager Wyatt Earp, the 2012 Danish Warmblood gelding (Wilkens x Stnagers Santana x Sandro Hit) owned by Cecilia Stewart, scoring a 68.804%. Julio Mendoza Loor and Rosali, Aileen Daly’s 2005 Danish Warmblood mare (Blue Horse Romanov x Mosegardens Ratina), earned reserve on a total score of 67.717%, while third place went to Jessica Stark, riding the 2010 PRE stallion Guateque IV (Laco x Yazmin x Salinero XIII) owned by Coves Darden Farm and scoring 64.783%.
Hickey revealed that “Wyatt” is green to the FEI Grand Prix level, but already shows great promise and growing confidence. “Today, he was quite good; yesterday he had some green Grand Prix funny business in his test. He was very naughty yesterday, but he was a rockstar today,” Hickey recapped. “He needed to get some leaping and broncing out of his system. Today I was happy he behaved and used his athleticism in a positive way!
In light of Wyatt’s greenness at the level, Hickey’s goal was to give his mount positive experiences without too much pressure. The duo first practiced their test at TIEC in June, and Tryon Summer Dressage 3&4 was their debut competition. “To have a good Grand Prix horse for the CDI ring, you need a horse that is sensitive, and forward-going, and a little bit hot. Sometimes there are some drawbacks of these sensitive and athletic horses – that combo sometimes gets in your way. Yesterday that got in our way, and today was great. I was very pleased.”
Hickey’s philosophy with developing CDI horses is to protect their confidence, and competing at TIEC is one of the main ways he chooses to do so, he shared. “I try to have the horses begin Grand Prix with confidence in the ring and not be too stressed, because it’s hard enough to do a clean Grand Prix test. If you put too much pressure on them in the beginning, the pot boils over,” he elaborated. “With all the piaffes in that test, and the passage, it is so much more demanding than either the Developing Grand Prix or the Intermediate II. You have to be really careful with horses coming along.
“Because we’re within two hours of Tryon, and I have students, it’s easy to come here. The footing and the stabling is so good, there are some aspects that are just so good, that I choose to come here,” Hickey stated. “I wanted to do that horse’s first Grand Prix tests on good footing, in good rings, and in a good environment. Even though I want these horses to get mileage, I want them to do it with high quality footing, high quality judges – I would rather come here than just stay at home with little schooling shows that don’t have those other features and amenities.”
Julio Mendoza Loor Dominates FEI Prix St. Georges and Training Level 3 Tests
Julio Mendoza Loor and Diplomat OBX ended their weekend with a definitive win in the USEF Training Level Test 3 Division, scoring a 73.621% with the 2017 Hanoverian gelding (Doctor Wendell MF x EM Rising Star MF x Rotspon) owned by Darlene Bowes. The nearest Open section competitor was Amy Hoffield and Magnum Del Rose, her own 2016 Hanoverian gelding (Abastado x Abra), who scored 62.241%. Taylor Hammann and Gabe, the self-owned 2005 Hanoverian gelding, scored 69.483% to earn the highest score for the Junior/Young Rider division.
Mendoza and Baylen Dream TWF dominated the open division of Saturday’s FEI Prix St. Georges competition, scoring 62.206% with the 2010 Oldenburg gelding by Benetton Dream owned in partnership with Alison Head. The highest ranking Adult Amateur ride of the day went to Cecelia Stewart and Valentin, her own 2012 Swedish Warmblood gelding (Dalwhinnie x Bella Ragazza x Regazzoni), scoring 63.824%, while Lunalee Barboza scored 63.529% to earn the highest Junior/Young Rider score with Donatus 107, her own 2003 Württemberg gelding (Dark Dream x Davina).
For full results from Tryon Summer Dressage 3 – click here https://www.foxvillage.com/show?id=8487
For full results from Tryon Summer Dressage 4 – click here https://www.foxvillage.com/show?id=8488
Tryon Summer Fall Dressage kicks off September 17-19. To learn more about the 2021 Tryon Dressage competition schedule, click here – https://tryon.com/page/dressage-and-para-dressage-at-tryon-resort

Photo Chris Hickey and Stenager Wyatt Earp ©Sharon Packer
HSJ