Mill Spring, North Carolina, USA – October 26, 2024 – Under the lights of Tryon Stadium in front of a Halloween-costumed crowd, Nicholas Dello Joio (USA) found the top of the podium for the second time during Tryon Fall 6 with a victory in the $70,000 Coca-Cola Grand Prix CSI 2*. Partnered with Dylano van de Heide Z (Denzel Van’t Meulenhof x Feinschnitt I van de Richter), the Wellington-based rider smoked the six other jump off combinations on the Ben Townley (GBR) track in 34.44 seconds.

“He’s fast, he’s careful, he’s scopey, and he can be a little handful sometimes,” Nicholas Dello Joio (USA) said affectionately of his winning partner, Dylano van de Heide Z.

Andres Julio Soto Peña (DOM) and his own 2008 Danish Warmblood gelding, Optimus Blue (Chacco Blue x Baloubet De Rouet), toured the jump off track in 35.65 seconds for reserve honors.

Aboard her own Heartbeat W (Baloubet De Rouet x Heartbreaker), the 2012 Dutch Warmblood gelding, Elizabeth Bates (CAN) completed the Grand Prix podium with 36.03 seconds on the clock. 

Making some recent alterations to his riding style aboard Wembley Farms’ “Dylano” has yielded fantastic results, Dello Joio detailed. “We changed our approach two weeks ago on how we wanted to ride him and how we wanted to prepare him coming to this show.” 

“Less is more with him,” Dello Joio continued. “He’s a horse that really doesn’t like to be told what to do. That was the theory coming into this week, and luckily he won the Welcome and the Grand Prix!”

Following the team’s Welcome Stake success, Dello Joio’s equine teammate enjoyed some downtime in between wins in Tryon Stadium. “After the jump off on Thursday, I didn’t ride him. Jenni, who takes care of him and does a great job, stretched his legs,” he explained. “Today, I didn’t ride him – he just went for a nice lunge to relax, so I got on him here at the ring, and he felt super!” 

The team behind Dylano van de Heide Z received full credit for the winning jump off strategy. “I had a couple friends watching, and my dad was watching. They gave me the plan, and it paid off!” Dello Joio indicated. “He’s a very fast horse, and if I just make good turns and [the striding] shows up right, then he has the footspeed and the stride to get it done.”

Final Results – $70,000 Coca-Cola Grand Prix CSI 2*

1) Nicholas Dello Joio (USA) & Dylano van de Heide Z – 0 / 0 – 34.44

2) Andres Julio Soto Peña (DOM) & Optimus Blue – 0 / 0 – 35.65

3) Elizabeth Bates (CAN) & Heartbeat W – 0 / 0 – 36.03

Source: Press Release by Rette Solomon for TIEC – Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort

Photos: © TIEC / Natalie Suto Photography / Sarah Sturgis / Avery Fletcher

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Link