The best way to describe Tryon Riding and Hunt Club’s (TR&HC) Morris the Horse Trials is “strengthening its roots as it looks to the future.” This year’s event on October 22 & 23 at the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) marks 47 years of the competition set in the picturesque North Carolina Foothills. Part of Morris’s “roots” are exemplified by this year’s organizer Molly Bull and technical delegate Erin Stormont, both of whom grew up competing at this same event.
For 2022, Morris’ new course designer Beth Perkins brings the credentials of being a local resident, an “R’ rated course designer, an international competitor, and a member of one of the earliest eventing families. (The USEA Lady Rider of the Year Trophy is perpetually awarded in honor of Beth’s mother, Essie Perkins.)
A new course builder, Dylan Barry, with international credentials, will work alongside Beth to produce a confidence-building and fun course. Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) has loaned cross-country jumps to update the Morris cross-country track.
Encouraging the Camaraderie
TR&HC is hosting a Competitor’s Low Country Boil dinner on Friday evening. Additionally, Morris is following the USEA’s lead by offering Intercollegiate Teams and the Interscholastic Leagues who receive a free tack stall. Through the T.I.P. awards, Morris acknowledges those who have retrained Thoroughbreds to become event horses.
Responding to the Competitors
Feedback from competitors and trainers led to the decision to add an “Intro” level this year with jumps at a maximum of 18 inches. This is in keeping with the low-key and friendly atmosphere of Morris, which is the hallmark of its hometown - Tryon!
More information on Morris the Horse Trials is available at tryonridingandhuntclub.org and the Omnibus (Area III).
This afternoon, USEA President Louise “Lou” Leslie welcomed U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) Board of Governors members, USEA staff, and USEA Annual Meeting & Convention attendees to the first of two Board meetings which will take place during this year’s Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, with the teaser that 2024 is going to be full of initiatives for more opportunities to access the eventing experience, some of which attendees might get first wind of during this year’s gathering. The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention takes place Dec. 7-10 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel.
Welcome to the Show Me state and to Area IV USEA members! The 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention kicks of tomorrow and features four full days of educational seminars, committee meetings, and social gatherings all with one aim—to bring the eventing community together to continue to improve upon and celebrate the sport that we all love. This year’s Convention takes place in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Marriott St. Louis Grand in downtown St. Louis from Dec. 7-10, and we have rounded up everything you need to know to make the most of your time in the heartland.
To accompany the 2023 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, USEA Educational Partner STRIDER has prepared Digital Resources to Maximize Education & Access for the Eventing Community. In keeping with the USEA’s mission to expand the sport of eventing, this webinar outlines ways in which digital tools can be leveraged to increase access and education across equestrian opportunities. As part of STRIDER’s popular Professional Development Webinar Series, this presentation aims to provide a quick overview of best practices and digital tools used across the equestrian industry to boost growth.
Every horse who participated this year in the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program has a story—a background that involves a breeder who labored over bloodlines, veterinary care, initial training, and so much more. This year’s highest-placing U.S.-bred horse in the 5-year-old division at the Dutta Corp./USEA Young Event Horse Championships, Arden Augustus, is no exception. His breeder and owner, Anita Antenucci of Arden Farms in Upperville, Virginia, started her program nine years ago and said that the Warmblood gelding was a more emotionally driven breeding for her than others due to his connections with Antenucci’s long-time friend Sharon White.