Tryon, N.C.—Oct. 7
Tracy Fenney really put some miles on her frequent flier account, jetting back and forth between the Capital Challenge Horse Show (Md.), where she was showing hunters, and the Tryon Fall Series (N.C.).
It paid off for her, though, as she not only won the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on the hunter MTM Outbid on Oct. 4, but also topped the $86,000 MD Barnmaster Grand Prix CSI** at Tryon with MTM Reve Du Paradis.
Tracy Fenney and MTM Reve Du Paradis. Photo by Sportfot
Fenney and Reve Du Paradis, a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Crown Z—Kaline De Semilly) completed the five-horse jump-off with a time of 48.39 seconds for the victory ahead of Santiago Lambre of Mexico and his own Doloris, a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare who stopped jump-off timers in 48.77 seconds. Third place honors went to Richie Moloney of Ireland piloting Rocksy Music, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Equinimity LLC, finishing the short track in 49.02 seconds.
“I was a little bit tired tonight because I’ve been running back and forth between here and the Capital Challenge, doing the hunters and jumpers, so I’m kind of worn down, but tonight perked it up a lot,” Fenney said after the grand prix victory. “I kind of planned on adding [strides] one or two places, but he got on a nice pace and I ended up staying on that.”
A large group of 39 entries tested the Richard Jeffery-designed course, and the top three finishers of the night were the only pairs to go double clear around the CSI** track. Fenney, who improved her second place finish in this week’s $35,000 Suncast® Commercial Welcome Stake, claimed top honors by less than 4/10 of a second.
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MTM Reve Du Paradis has been a dependable ride for Fenney since the day she bought him three years ago, she noted. “It’s kind of a funny story how I got him. I tried him on a Thursday, vetted him on Friday, paid for him on Saturday and that night we won a grand prix. He’s a really cool horse.”
Describing the course, Fenney commented, “I thought the course looked really nice, very doable with a careful horse. He loves to go work and jump, and is gung-ho to do it all. My husband is not here and he’s my security blanket, so it’s a little hard without him here, but my horse is great.
“I’m planning on staying here for the fall,” said Fenney. “I love Tryon. This is the best facility. I love that all these people come out, even with the live stream running. It’s so nice to have a big crowd to ride for,” she concluded.
Ishmael Gonzalez, groom of MTM Reve Du Paradis, was presented with the Absorbine FEI Grooms Award, honoring his dedicated care to the evening’s winning mount. The Absorbine FEI Grooms Award recognizes top grooms for their hard work commitment to the winning grand prix mounts at Tryon International Equestrian Center.
