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Tryon Triumphs At Galway Downs International Horse Trials

Release: April 02 2009

Author: severs

By John Strassburger

With a faultless show jumping round on the final day of competition at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials, Amy Tryon and Leyland claimed the Adequan/United States Eventing Association (USEA) Gold Cup as the winner of the CIC***.

Tryon’s perfect round gave her a final a score of 51.6 penalties, enough to vault her from third to first after second-placed Kelly Prather lowered one rail on Ballinakill Glory (53.8) and third-placed Jolie Sexson lowered two rails on Killian O’Connor (55.7), to lose the lead she held after cross-country.

Victory at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials gives Tryon the early lead in the race to the Adequan/USEA Gold Cup title. Horses and riders earn points at the eight member events held throughout the United States from March to September. Galway Downs is one of only two member events in California.

Tryon, a two-time Olympian, and Sandra Donnelly on Buenos Aires, members of Canada’s 2008 Olympic team, were the only two riders to complete the show jumping course with no penalties. Donnelly and Buenos Aires finished the CIC*** in fourth place (56.0).

“The show jumping course rode really well, but it was definitely up to height, and that’s a big effort after yesterday’s cross-country round,” said Tryon, 38, of Duvall, WA.

Prather said the course, designed by Joe Lombardo, was one of the biggest she and Ballinakill Glory have ever attempted. “And she jumped her butt off out there!” said Prather, 25, of Bodega, CA. “She even jumped me out of the tack on the first fence of the triple combination, and that’s why we had the rail down at the second fence.”

Sexson, 27, of Martinez, CA, wasn’t completely disappointed to lose the lead she’d held. “Two rails down on this big course means I’m doing better than in past years, especially because we have all the top riders on the West Coast here. It’s special to me to be in the top three,” she said.

Tryon was a firefighter until 2007, and Julie Ann Boyer, winner of the CIC**, drives a patrol car as a member of the Los Angeles Police Department. Boyer, 50, works the night watch in Hollywood. “I had a really great car chase last week—it was almost as much fun as my clean cross-country round yesterday,” she said with a smile.

Boyer’s faultless show jumping round on Rumor Hazit allowed her to hold the lead she took after cross-country and finish with only her dressage penalties of 47.3. Elsie Patterson, 20, of Woodland Hills, CA, climbed from fifth place to second place by also finishing on her dressage score.

Just like the other two international division winners, CIC* winner Lindsay Connors, 25, of El Granada, CA, recorded a faultless round on Ballingowan Pizazz. Her round allowed her to keep the lead she earned Friday in dressage.

“This win is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication from me, my trainer Dayna Lynd-Pugh and our barn. It’s been a real group effort,” said Connors. “And it’s great to win here because it’s always a lovely event and so well run. We come here every year because of that.”

More than a dozen generous sponsors provide prize money, prizes and other support to the Galway Downs International Horse Trials. The sponsors include: Succeed, Equine Insurance of California, Toklat Originals, Sonoma Saddle Shop, CWD Saddlery, USEA, American Wood Fibers, Custom Saddlery, SmartPak Equine, Doug Hannum, APF, and the clinicians and participants in Galway Downs’ annual fundraiser clinics.

For complete results, go to www.galwaydowns.com.

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