The 2019 Tryon Block House Races, scheduled for Oct. 5 and hosted by Tryon International Equestrian Center and the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club, have been canceled due to course-development delays and will return to its traditional spring date on April 11, 2020.

“TIEC has made a significant investment of time and resources into the completion of the Green Creek Race Course, and while we are incredibly disappointed to cancel the event, we cannot risk horse or rider welfare,” said Sharon Decker, chief operating officer of Tryon Equestrian Partners. “Our goal is to offer one of the nation’s most state-of-the-art steeplechase tracks and while we are making great progress on that goal, our timeline did not evolve as we had planned. There is potential to get the course ready by October, but it would be heavily dependent on perfect weather and with September being prone to hurricanes, it is not worth the risk. We believe it is better to cancel now with notice and focus on the spring 2020 race.”

“The safety of our horses and jockeys is our No. 1 priority, and TIEC made the proper decision,” said NSA President Guy Torsilieri. “While we are understandably disappointed that our owners and trainers will not have the opportunity to race at Tryon this year, safety is always the first consideration. TIEC acted promptly so that our horsemen have adequate time to adjust their training schedules. TIEC’s investment into the Green Creek Race Course demonstrates their commitment to the sport. I applaud TIEC for what they are doing to improve the track and am excited for the 2020 race.”