Lincoln Russell, a member of a longtime area equestrian family, became the first Polk County native to win one of Tryon International Equestrian Center’s Grand Prix classes. The Grand Prix is the highlight of each week of Hunter/Jumper competition at TIEC, with top Jumper horses and riders navigating the highest jumps at the fastest speeds to vie for a part of the week’s largest purses.

Lincoln may have benefited from some extra good karma because he was helping out one of his lifelong friends, rider Ben Rosichan, by riding two of Ben’s horses while he recovered from a leg broken in a riding accident.

“Ben offered me the ride on his two great horses, Gandor de Walput and Caesar 322,” Lincoln said. “During Tryon Spring IV, Gandor de Walput and I were third in the $25,000 Grand Prix, and the following week Caesar 322 and I were second in the $25,000 Grand Prix. Then during the next week’s show (Spring VI) Caesar 322 and I won that week’s top class, the $15,000 Jumper Classic.”

Lincoln is a lifelong Tryon resident, who grew up as a son of well-known rider and trainer Vick Russell. Lincoln and his girlfriend, rider Lucy Rachel Donohue, recently started L&L Show Jumpers, a training and sales business that will be based out of Green Creek and Rhinebeck, N.Y. The couple spent the winter show season in Ocala, Fla., spring in Tryon, and will be in Saratoga, N.Y., and Tryon for shows this summer.

by Judy Heinrich