Harold Chopping (Southern Pines, NC) claimed first and third place honors in Sunday’s $25,000 Cleghorn Golf & Sports Club Grand Prix at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC). Chopping earned the win aboard Gerderieka II VI, the 2011 Dutch Warmblood mare (Campbell VDL x Ulderika) owned by Rein Family LLC, after stopping the jump-off timers in 34.96 seconds, and piloted Quadrant 3, the 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Quadros x O-Carlotta) also owned by Rein Family LLC, to third place on a time of 35.753 seconds. Canadian rider Glenn Hartigan (Hume, VA) edged into second place on a time of 35.727 seconds with Picadero 16, the 2012 Rhineland gelding (Prinz Wilhelm x Sabina) owned by Nicola Dickinson.
Chopping came back to TIEC for a last competition outing in 2021, pleased with how it turned out for him and for his owners alike. “Our owners, Mark and Tera Rein, are a major sponsor and have been for years. They’re friends of mine from a long time ago, so it’s really fun to win with their horses. We were here earlier in the fall,” Chopping recapped, “and we came back to get the horses out to jump again because there’s not much left in the year for us. I’m thrilled!”
“The course was very fair,” Chopping assessed of the Dean Rheinheimer (Sheridan, IN) course design. “For the number of entries, it was appropriate. The jump-off track was good, too. They really let you have a run at it if you wanted to. In the first round, I think the angle to the double in the corner made it difficult.