Eugenio Garza Perez and Caracas ©Sportfot.
Mill Spring, NC – October 24, 2019 – Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) and Nerijus Sipaila’s Caracas sped to a win in the $36,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 2* at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) at Tryon Resort, stopping the jump-off timers at 39.81 seconds. In second, Johan Kachelhoffer (RSA) and his own Carlos 691, a 2009 Oldenburg gelding (Catoki x Carry Gold), cleared the short course in a time of 40.305 seconds, while Tracy Fenney (USA) and Igor van de Heibos, the MTM Farm-owned 2008 Belgian Warmblood stallion (Lord Z x Lys de Darmen), put in a clear jump-off round in 41.555 seconds to take home third.
Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA) saw 63 entries test his course in the first round, with 21 qualifying for the jump-off. Garza Perez reflected that the course had allowed him to play to Caracas’ strengths: “The course was really fun to ride for me and I just wanted to try to go as fast as I could. He’s just a fast horse and we used it to our strengths and it paid off.”
Garza Perez continued to explain that this class was the 2009 Holsteiner gelding’s (Cachas x Unknown) “first big class” he had competed in since this spring. “He was fabulous. We weren’t trying to do anything crazy, because he’s just coming back, and we don’t want to mess up anything that we’ve done.”
This is Garza Perez’s third consecutive week competing at TIEC and although he and Caracas will not return to the Tryon Stadium again this week, he does plan to compete his other mount, Contago, in Saturday’s $72,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI 2*. “I love Tryon. I don’t have a complaint about it. It’s a fantastic facility for both horses and riders. It’s fun to be here especially when the weather is like this! It’s been a good three weeks in Tryon!”
Nicky Galligan and Javas Miss Jordan Dominate in $5,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 2*
Nicky Galligan (IRL) and Javas Miss Jordan raced to win the $5,000 Power and Speed CSI 2* at Tryon Resort Wednesday, with a double-clear effort and a speed phase time of 33.38 seconds. Dorothy Douglas (USA) and MTM Cornada B, the Davenport Farms-owned 2009 Westphalian mare (Cornado NRW x Larson), earned a close second with a double clear and a speed phase time of 33.85 seconds, while Harold Chopping (CAN) piloted Diane Halpin’s Geronimo SCF, a 2011 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Veron x Silvio I), to third with another double clear and a speed phase time of 35.44 seconds.
“She’s my princess; I’ve had her since she was four years old,” Galligan admitted of his own 2009 Irish Sport Horse mare (Luidam x Obos Quality 004). Today is my first FEI win, and her first FEI win as well. We’re doing it as a team! It feels a little bit surreal and we’ve come a long way. I work for an amazing lady in Virginia who really has made all of this possible and has given me a platform to compete with some really nice horses. I’m incredibly thankful!
“The course was lovely,” Galligan shared of the course set by Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA), who tested 39 horse-and-rider pairs in the Power phase and 16 pairs in the Speed phase. Although Galligan won the class, he revealed that winning was not his true motivation going in: “I was just testing out a new bit and wanted to see how she responded to it. It wasn’t really the plan to go fast, but she’s typically quite quick over the ground.”
Galligan plans to return with Javas Miss Jordan to the Tryon Stadium this Saturday under the lights for the $72,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI 2*. “This is our last show of the year, so hopefully we will finish with a bang,” Galligan concluded.
To learn more, visit www.Tryon.com.
