Mill Spring, NC – March 28, 2021 – The largest Tryon Welcome Series ever hosted at Tryon International Equestrian Center and Resort (TIEC) launched Thursday, March 25, featuring four weeks of Hunter, Jumper and Equitation competition. Sunday’s $15,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix, a 1.35m-1.40m Jumper Classic, saw the heavens open and the stars align for Allen Nabors, Jr. (Ocala, FL) aboard Casanova DVE. The pair successfully cleared the short course in a time of 41.259 seconds to take top honors, with Summer Hill (Lexington, KY) and La Belle SCF, the 2011 Belgian Warmblood mare (Diktator van de Boslandhoeve x Belle Bleu S) owned in partnership with Andrea Simpson, claiming reserve with their four-fault, 36.48-second performance. Third went to Jorge Ludwig (Newbury Park, CA) and his own mount The Graduate, a 2009 gelding of unknown breeding, also with one rail on the floor for a score of 39.94 seconds and the yellow rosette.
Despite losing a shoe on course and touring both the first and second-round tracks in the pouring rain, Casanova DVE was unphased and produced a double clear to put pressure on other competitors to follow, Nabors explained.
“As soon as I went in the ring, it started pouring rain,” Nabors shared. “It didn’t rain the whole class except for my rounds, pretty much! I thought the course was pretty straightforward, with a couple spots to question. Coming into the combination, I added one more stride than I wanted to, and got lucky.”
The 2012 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Clinton x Diona V/D Wezelse Heihoeve VM) owned by Dutch Valley Sporthorses is a little new to the level, Nabors elaborated, and a new ride for himself, too. “He’s just an eight-year-old horse, and I just got him. He’s kind of new to some of the bigger stuff, but is a really, really nice horse.”
Nabors chose to compete at Tryon Resort for the Welcome Series specifically for the educational environment it provides to his younger horses, he emphasized. “I brought the younger ones here this time a year for the little bit easier tracks, with good prize money and a great facility. We’ll stay here through April and kind of go from there, working towards the 2* and 3* coming up. We’ll hang out here – we love it here! It’s the place to be.”
