Bedoya and Abracadabra Win $30,000 Sunday Jumper Classic at Tryon

Daniel Bedoya (Magnolia, TX) capped off a successful 12 weeks at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) with a win in the $30,000 Sunday Jumper Classic aboard Abracadabra WKT, stopping the short-course timers in 35.111 seconds after also finishing third in Friday’s $15,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake. Taking second, Alberto Michan (Wellington, FL) guided Cosa Nostra to a time of 35.358 seconds with the 2010 Oldenburg mare (Conthargos x Quintender) owned in partnership with Daniel Michan Halbinger. Third place honors went to Doug Payne (Aiken, SC) and Quintessence, the 2011 Holsteiner gelding (Unknown x Unknown) owned by Jane Dudinsky, clearing the short course in 36.156 seconds.

The class saw 38 entries test the first round, with seven pairs advancing to the Skip Bailey (Loxahatchee, FL) course design. Bedoya and the 2008 Holsteiner mare (Casall x Romino) owned by Monica Hanks were first to go in the jump-off, and “sometimes, going first is a good thing,” Bedoya said. “You don’t see anybody, so you just ride what comes up and do your plan. Then, everybody has the pressure to catch you. Sometimes it works!

“I thought it was a nice course; it was challenging, and bigger than Friday’s course,” Bedoya shared. “He [Bailey] built a little bit bigger today, and the time allowed was really tight. I think getting in the time allowed was the biggest challenge. Everybody was having to run, and it was easy for people to make mistakes.” While Bedoya and “Abby” have seen consistent top placings at TIEC in the past few months, he relayed that it was her first grand prix-level win in a few years, and her first of 2020:

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“This is the first time we’ve won this year. She won a Welcome Stake here a couple years ago, and she’s won some Grand Prix classes in Texas, but it’s been a while. She was second in a $100,000 Grand Prix in Texas, but this is her first win [this year]. She’s been close a couple of times!” Bedoya said of the mare, who collected third in Friday’s $15,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake.”

Bedoya and team have been based at TIEC for the past 12 weeks with time off built in, he explained, and will take a month off at home before returning to the venue again for the Tryon Fall Series. “This is my favorite place to show. We’ve been coming here for six years, and I think we stay a little longer every year,” Bedoya elaborated. “This year, I thought with COVID-19 and everything going on in the world, this was the safest place. We were supposed to be here for seven weeks and then go to other horse shows, but some of the shows got cancelled, so I made the decision to stay here. They’ve done such a good job patrolling and keeping up with social distancing, masks, and all of that. As always, we love being here and love what they do. We appreciate all of the effort and work that they put in.”

John Angus and Ecanto J Elevate to $15,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake Win

Eighteen-year-old John Angus (Fort Lauderdale, FL) piloted the Barnhill and Cheska entry, Ecanto J, to a win in the $15,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake in Tryon Stadium, stopping the jump-off timers in 33.274 seconds. In second, Willie Tynan (Lexington, KY) and Fancy Girl, the 2010 Dutch Warmblood mare (Unknown x Unknown) owned by Michelle Guardino-Dettelbach, toured the short course in 35.028 seconds, while third place went to Daniel Bedoya (Magnolia, TX) aboard Abracadabra WKT, a 2008 Holsteiner mare (Casall x Romino) owned by Monica Hanks, after charging around the jump-off in 35.145 seconds.

Angus has recently been paired with the 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Canturano x Verdi), and called the Skip Bailey (Loxahatchee, FL) course design “very interesting, and fun. It was an inviting course for the first big class of the week.” One of 34 to challenge the first round, and against 15 other pairs in the jump-off test, Angus admitted that his strategy going into the jump-off was “mainly survival, but it was pretty good! I was also [focusing on] riding to the seat of my pants.

“Ecanto J is such a sweet and lovely horse,” Angus shared. “We just recently got him from Barnhill and the Cheskas. They are wonderful people to let us ride and campaign him, and try to sell him along the way. He’s an amazing horse.”

Angus and mom Stephanie are familiar faces at TIEC, and will continue to compete at the venue through the Tryon Fall Series, he concluded. “We’ll stick it out here and see what we can do with him. We love it here; it’s amazing!”

Hunter Highlights

The Foothills Hunter 2’9” Division saw Julie Curtin (Woodstock, GA) top the division with Kelsey Durrett’s Bonito, with Colin Syquia (Wellington, FL) in the irons with Wherewithal for Christina Mohr in reserve.

Savannah Welch (Elon, NC) cruised to the champion position in the Large Pony Hunter Division with her own Royal Flush, while Grace Rabb (Fort Mill, SC) took home reserve with her own Carnival.

Michael Britt-Leon (Canton, GA) earned champion aboard Madison Orr’s Dreamgirl’s Legacy in the Green Hunter 3’3” Division, with Doug Payne (Aiken, SC) collecting reserve with his own Quiberon, owned in partnership with John Cheadle.

Jumper Highlights

The 1.20m Open Jumper Division saw Doug Payne (Aiken, SC) pilot Laurie McRee’s Starr Witness to champion honors on the week, with Kyle DeWar (Ocala, FL) in reserve aboard Joan Burke’s Habanera RHF.

In the St. Luke’s Hospital Low Junior/Amateur 1.20m Jumper Division, Shannan Gossman (Reddick, FL) and L-Geneva HS, the Turning Pointe Ventures, LLC entry secured championship status. Two pairs captured reserve: Daniel Kerins (Wellington, FL) aboard Safi VH Gavershof Z, the Li’l Red Ponies LLC entry, and fellow Wellington resident Chapin Cheska, with her own mount Hello Guv’nor.

Sharon Gordon (Winchester, VA) and Cent PS for Charles M Waters championed the Ken Feagin Truck & Trailer Low Adult-Amateur 1.0m Jumper Division, with Lisa A Ottens (Charlotte, NC) riding Emperor to reserve for Fabian Herrera.

For full results from the $15,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake, click here.

For full results from the $30,000 Sunday Jumper Classic, click here.

With the conclusion of the Tryon August Series, the Tryon Fall Series is next up on the docket for Hunter/Jumper competition, with national Dressage and Eventing competition taking place in September prior to the start of the Fall Series. Competition information can be found at www.Tryon.com/compete. All remaining competitions for 2020 will run without spectators, though highlight classes are live streamed at www.Tryon.com/streaming.