Mill Spring, NC – April 5, 2021 – Doug Payne (Aiken, SC) and Quintessence were a dominating force throughout the week during Tryon Welcome 2 competition at Tryon International Equestrian Center and Resort (TIEC), besting the field in both Saturday’s $15,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix, a 1.35m-1.40m Jumper Classic, and the $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake on Thursday. Payne also bested another competition hosted simultaneously at TIEC: The Fork at TIEC presented by Nutrena®, including his ProElite® CCI 4*-S Division win with longtime campaigner Vandiver.

While Payne and Quintessence stopped the short course timers in a time of 31.657 seconds for the win on Saturday, his competitors also boasted consistent weekends: Heather Hooker (Wellington, FL) and her own Charles 82, the 2010 Holsteiner gelding (Cachas x V-Carica), raced to second in a time of 32.02 seconds. David O’Brien (Lexington, KY) repeated a podium placing from earlier in the week, this time guiding One in a Million SCF, the 2014 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Presley Boy x Werly Chin de Muse) owned by Spy Coast Farm LLC, to a short-course time of 32.959 for third. JP Godard served as course designer.

Payne’s busy week in Eventing didn’t seem to affect his performance in the Jumper ring with Quintessence, the 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Quinar x Victoria’s Secret) owned by Jane Dudinsky, whose partnership with Payne has flourished over the years with many decorated wins behind them. Payne displayed great admiration for his mount, saying, “He’s a freak, and that’s all there is to it. He’s just an incredible creature, and I am honestly very, very lucky to have him,” he emphasized. “He’s a joy to have around, and I can’t wait to see what he will do in the future.”

After recently relocating his home base to North Carolina after already known as a frequent competitor at TIEC, Payne touched on his forthcoming plans for the next few weeks, saying, “We will probably be back here in two weeks, and he [Quintessence] will do the two Split Rock dates in the beginning of June, he will do the FEI there.”

Prior to his $15,000 Jumper Classic win, Doug Payne (Aiken, SC) and Quintessence sped to win the $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake, producing a time of 37.95 seconds in the jump-off over the JP Godard course design. David O’Brian (Lexington, KY) and Newton Ocean, the 2011 Swedish Warmblood mare (VDL Atlantic x Nicole) owned by Sweet Oak Farm, landed a close second with a time of 40.361 seconds. Heather Hooker (Wellington, FL) and her own Charles 82, the 2010 Holsteiner gelding (Cachas x V-Carica), claimed third place with a time of 40.593 seconds.

A few weeks off for Quintessence, 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Quinar x Victoria’s Secret) owned by Jane Dudinsky, proved to be no issue for the pair, as Payne rode to a speedy victory on Thursday morning. He shared, “We finally moved into our new place just north of Durham on Tuesday. We’re kind of halfway there, so we just shipped in this morning. We have four horses doing The Fork at TIEC presented by Nutrena® this weekend, too.”

Payne expressed how grateful he is to have such an experienced horse along with an incredible facility at which to compete. “He’s experienced enough, so it’s a lot of fun to go out and really take a shot at it. I’m very lucky to have him,” shared Payne. He also commented on his gratitude for TIEC, and the positive experiences he frequently has from himself and his clients at Tryon.

“[TIEC] is a bit like home for us. We’ve been here quite a bit. We’re probably three hours away, but it’s a super easy and convenient place to show. In my experience, it’s been a very efficient place to show,” he concluded. “You can get a lot done, and we appreciate that because we bring a bunch of people and horses and nobody gets shorted. It’s wonderful!”

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

For full results from the $15,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix, click here.