Olympian Amy Tryon Aims Three Horses For Galway Downs International Horse Trials

Updated: March 11, 2009

Temecula, CA, March 11, 2009 — The drive from Duvall, Wash., to southern California is a grueling one, but it's a trip two-time Olympian Amy Tryon is eager to make in order to contest the Galway Downs International Horse Trials on March 27-29. "Very few events anywhere in the world can rival Galway Downs," said Tryon, who was also a member of the gold-medal U.S. team at the 2002 World Championships.

Tryon plans to ride Coal Creek and Leyland in the CIC***, the premier division at Galway Downs. The two geldings are each 9-year-olds and were each victorious in prestigious CCI*** competitions (international three-day events) in 2008. Coal Creek won at Fair Hill (Md.) in October, and Leyland won at Jersey Fresh (N.J.) in June. Tryon, 38, hopes that her two horses will be ready to take the next step by starting at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** one month after Galway Downs.

(Left: Tryon & Coal Creek on their way to winning the Fair Hill CCI3* last fall. Right: Leyland clinched the spring championships at Jersey Fresh CCI3* last year as well. Emily Daily photos.)

"They're both still young, so the most important thing is their preparation before taking the big step of running in the four-star at Rolex Kentucky," said Tryon. "It will depend on the feeling they give me on the course at Galway Downs, not necessarily on where they place. These competitions are like building blocks, and you have to take them one step at a time."

Tryon has also entered Nicodemus in the CIC**, and she's entered three other youngsters in the national horse trials. With six horses to ride, Galway Downs will be a busy weekend for her.

Tryon, her husband Greg, and her staff take turns driving so they can make the 24-hour trip from Washington without the stress of unloading the horses. They'll leave on the Sunday before the event and (weather permitting) arrive on Monday afternoon, giving the horses five days to rest before the international competition begins.

"Galway Downs is a world-class event, and that's really important if you're driving 24 hours to compete. It let's you take a deep breath and be confident if you know the stabling, the footing and the courses are going to be as good as they are there," said Tryon.

The Galway Downs CIC*** is a member event of the Adequan/U.S. Eventing Association Gold Cup Series, in which horse-and-rider pairs earn points at each of the eight designated advanced-level events held across the country from March to September. The national winner is the horse-rider combination that earns the most points during the series.  Galway Downs is one of the two Gold Cup events in California.

In 2008 Californian Tory Smith, a full-time student at UCLA, claimed the Adequan/USEA Gold Cup title on her own Bantry Bay. Smith is expected to try to defend her title by competing at Galway Downs.

More than a dozen generous sponsors provide prize money, prizes and other support to the Galway Downs International Horse Trials. The sponsors are listed on the Galway Downs website.

General admission for the Galway Downs International Horse Trials is $8 in advance, $10 at the gate. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult. VIP tickets—which include seating in the ringside tent, lunch and a full selection of beverages—are also available for $55 per day in advance. For advance reservations, send an email to info@galwaydowns.com.

For more information on the Galway Downs International Horse Trials and the Elite Sport Horse Auction, visit www.galwaydowns.com or call 951-303-0405. To learn more about eventing, visit the U.S. Eventing Association's website (www.useventing.com).

[Reminder to all media representatives: Requests for media credentials must be received no later than March 23. Contact the press officers.]

For More Information:

Contact Press Officers John Strassburger & Heather Bailey

707-473-0991/phoenixfarm@hughes.net

Back