Boyd Martin and Gestalt ©Shannon Brinkman Photography
Cross Country at Tryon International
Dressage at Tryon International
Article by Sarah Madden for TIEC
Boyd Martin had never previously competed at the CCI1*-L level prior to last weekend at the Dutta Corp Tryon International Three-Day Event at Tryon International Equestrian Centre & Resort (TIEC)
But the inaugural winner of the CCI5* at Maryland added another new win to his trophy cabinet last weekend with the win on board a catch ride for Boyd, Gestalt, on a score of 27.7, adding just 0.4 penalty points to his Dressage score.
Chloe Johnson (USA) and Chilli Bean, who held the lead all weekend, dropped a single rail in Tryon Stadium to finish in reserve on a score of 30.3 with her 2011 New Zealand Sport Horse mare (Chilli Morning x Steal the Show). Third place went to Claudia Oppedisano (CAN) and her own God of Thunder, the 2006 Thoroughbred Cross gelding (Matter of Courage x Unknown), who combined for a total score of 31.7 over the weekend.
Boyd and the 2012 Mecklenburger gelding (Gloriosus 1 x Colander 2) owned by Sherry Pound were paired together for this competition due to his owner recovering from an injury and he was thrilled to take over the reins and finish out his 2021 competition season at TIEC.
“He’s a new horse for me. I managed to break the owner’s leg teaching her” joked Boyd “So that’s how I, sort of, acquired the horse from Sherry Pratt Pound, a fellow Australian, who’s a great lady. I teach a little bit at her farm in Texas and am very grateful that she’s left the horse with me while her leg heals up.”
The CCI 1*-L competitors closed out the weekend in Tryon Stadium, with competitors unexpectedly competing under the lights due to a large number of entries in the three-day event, and it was a first-time experience for many riders. While Boyd is no stranger to TIEC, nor to high stakes jumping competition beneath the lights, he was experiencing a first of his own.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever competed at the one-star level, actually, so I’ve never done Modified or anything like that,” he revealed.
For Boyd, the unique ending at Tryon was a great way to finish off his year.
“It was a great weekend. I’m glad the end of the year is here, and it’s been an epic year of Eventing. What better place to finish it than at Tryon? This is a magnificent venue. Obviously, world class facilities, brilliant courses and very competitive fields. And it was kind of cool jumping under the lights, and I’m really pleased with the horse. [The weekend was] good.”
Chloe Johnson gained the ride on Chilli Bean, by Chilli Morning, last October from Joe Meyer, whose mother Gay bred the talented mare
The runner-up, Chloe Johnson (USA), who was also part of the team who were runners-up in the CCI 1*-L Adequan®/USEF Youth Team Challenge, was thrilled to have nearly beaten one of her idols
“Chilli was absolutely a saint over the weekend. For Dressage, she perked right up as soon as we went in the ring and put down our best test ever” said Chloe about Chilli Bean, a horse bred by the mother of US-based New Zealander, Joe Meyer
“On Cross-Country, she’s always on it. She loves it, and she likes to go fast. She’ll cut any angle. I was really happy with her in the stadium. We took a rail, but that’s okay, it happens, and it was just an honest rail.
Boyd has been my role model for years, just to be in the position I was in in Dressage and Cross-Country was an absolutely amazing feeling,” said Chloe about trading top places with Boyd on the final day
“I know the horse he’s on, and I know the owner, who’s an amazing woman. After Dressage, just seeing that score … that feeling was absolutely unmatched. Even though we had this rail, which I just edged us out of first, I’m so incredibly proud of my mare. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have competed against Boyd and gotten this experience with her"
