Tryon International Equestrian Center has been chosen as the host site for the United States Eventing Association’s 2016 American Eventing Championships (AEC). The AEC will also be held at TIEC in either 2017 or 2018, and in the “off year” will go to the Colorado Horse Park, another venue owned by TIEC Managing Partner Mark Bellissimo and members of Tryon Equestrian Partners. Moving the competition west for one of the years will facilitate participation on both sides of the country, something USEA members have been requesting.

“We are thrilled and honored to be chosen as the site of the AEC,” said Bellissimo. “When we built TIEC, we envisioned bringing championships and major events for multiple disciplines to Tryon and we are excited to host the sport of Eventing.”

In announcing its location decision, the USEA noted TIEC’s 10 rings with all-weather footing, covered arena, 850 permanent stalls, elevated viewing decks, climate-controlled pavilions for horses and riders, on-site lodging, restaurants and sports complex, and ample RV hookups. USEA Chief Operations Officer Rob Burk said, “AEC competitors from Beginner Novice through Advanced will now be able to compete at a world-class facility that may be capable of someday hosting a World Equestrian Games.”

The AEC is the annual championship for every level of Eventing in America, from Beginner Novice to Advanced. Riders at all levels must qualify for the AEC based on their performance at other USEA-recognized events during the same competition year. Hundreds of junior, adult amateur and professional riders then compete at the AEC to be named the best in the nation at their respective level.

Being selected to host the American Eventing Championship is another step toward Bellissimo’s stated goal of eventually showcasing all types of equestrian sports at TIEC. In its first year (2014) TIEC focused on show jumping sports, and in 2015 has expanded to include several international-level and dressage competitions on its schedule.

 

About Eventing

Eventing is an Olympic sport that’s often described as an equestrian triathlon. Each horse-and-rider pair competes in three separate disciplines: dressage, show jumping and cross-country, which involves galloping across fields and trails while jumping natural obstacles like logs, ditches, banks and water features.

According to Bellissimo, TIEC’s AEC cross-country course is being designed by Captain Mark Phillips, a member of the British Eventing Team that won Olympic Gold in 1972 and Silver in 1988. He is also a former US Eventing Team coach and an international course designer for the European and American Championships, as well as other prestigious European events.

Eventing has long been popular in Tryon and throughout the Carolinas. Two annual events are held at FENCE, including the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club’s USEA-recognized Horse Trials, which will be celebrating its 40^th anniversary this September, and an annual Spring Horse Trials that runs as a fundraiser for FENCE.

Green Creek resident Beth Perkins is an international eventer, trainer, instructor and former US Equestrian Team member who placed 6^th individually at the 1974 World Championships and placed 5^th individually and won Team Gold at the 1975 Pan Am Games. She’s excited about having the AEC in Tryon: “Having an event of this size and stature is wonderful because it will bring many new people to the area. Many eventers don’t know how lovely this area is and how much we have to offer: hills for conditioning horses, showgrounds, quite a lot of different things that they don’t find in other parts of the country. When people realize it’s a great area to have horses and it’s centrally located to so many events, it will be great for the sport.”

Like many East Coast eventers, Perkins will be training her sights on the 2017 or 2018 AEC at TIEC, when her eventing-bred Hanoverian/TB cross youngster, Harry, will be six or seven years old and hopefully ready to make his national championship debut.