Mill Spring, North Carolina, USA – October 28, 2023 – Drawing an enthusiastic crowd to celebrate the close of the fall show series at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (Tryon International), the $78,000 Biltmore Winery Grand Prix CSI 2* ended in another win for Cathleen Driscoll (USA). With 38 entries challenging the first round set by course designer Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA), only four clear rounds presented by Stuller Power Solutions advanced to the jump off test.

Wordley served as trailblazer, and Driscoll marked the fastest time as the final jump off rider. The thirty-year-old rider was once again aboard Idalgo (Catoki x Quidam’s Olga M), Sher Al Farm’s 2013 Dutch Warmblood gelding, recording a jump off time of 36.53 seconds.

Sharn Wordley (NZL) and Della Wordley’s Mick Jagger, the 2008 Hanoverian gelding (Chacco Blue x Acentora), earned second, stopping jump off timers at 37.17 seconds.

Marking a 37.87 second jump off time, Alexandra Worthington (USA) and De L’Oiseliere, a 2013 Selle Français gelding, would take third on the podium for Turn A Blind Eye LLC.

Similar to Thursday’s Welcome Stake win, Driscoll used the Dutch Warmblood gelding’s athleticism and stride in her jump off strategy. “I always look for places where I can do a leave-out or be a little bit neater to keep an eye on the time. In the beginning, I was able to make up a little bit of time from fences one to two in nine strides, and I thought he jumped fantastic through the middle,” she detailed. “He just impresses me more and more every time he comes out.”

Driscoll was overjoyed with Idalgo’s back-to-back wins at Tryon. “It feels fantastic, especially with a new horse! It’s always nice when they really start to step up and impress.

“We’ve been here for a couple of weeks now, and it’s been a good couple of weeks with my experienced horses as well as my newer ones,” Driscoll recapped. “I haven’t really had any big wins [at Tryon], so it’s great to come out of here with these two wins in the final week. All in all, we had a great series here this fall.”

According to Driscoll, the secret to Idalgo’s consistency is “to be determined! He’s still so new to us. I’m sure our program will get even better as we go on and figure him out. Honestly, I’m just so impressed with his brain after going fast the other day [in the Welcome Stake], he came out and was rideable and calm. I think he’s a really impressive horse for the future.”

Final Results – $78,000 Biltmore Winery Grand Prix CSI 2*

1) Cathleen Driscoll (USA) & Idalgo – 0 / 0 – 36.53

2) Sharn Wordley (NZL) & Mick Jagger – 0 / 0 – 37.17

3) Alexandra Worthington (USA) & De L`Oiseliere – 0 / 0 – 37.87

Source: Press Release by Rette Solomon and Hannah Stephens for Tryon International

Photos: © TIEC / Natalie Suto Photography / Sarah Sturgis

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