The Festival of the Hunt, at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in North Carolina, presented by Two Rivers Hay, featured two days of off-site judged hunts celebrating the sport of foxhunting and evaluating competitors in the field. The Festival ran November 14-16, 2019. TIEC assures that no animals are harmed at this event. Concluding the competition, all participants competed in mock hunt and field hunter tests alongside Open Field Hunter classes. Judges were Bonnie Barr-Briggs, Helen Hamryka, and Ginny Howard.
On Thursday, Nov. 14 was a scheduled Judged Hunt with the Green Creek Hounds, followed by a Hunt Breakfast at the Legends Porch at TIEC. Friday’s (Nov. 15) Judged Hunt was with the Tryon Hounds, again followed by the Hunt Breakfast at TIEC on the Legends Porch.
Saturday Nov. 16 featured the TIEC Field Hunter and Hilltopper Championships, followed by the Parade of Hounds of both Green Creek and Tryon Hounds. In the afternoon were the Carolinas Foxhunter Series, with jumps at 3-feet maximum in the Field Hunter section. The Hunt Teams class consisted of 3-person teams from the same hunt. The day finished with Open Hunter Under Saddle classes.
Results for the TIEC Field Hunter Championships (presented by Defiant Whisky) are:
First: Erin Kimmer (Mecklenburg Hounds) riding Finnis Chrome Magnum
Second: Gisele Beardsley O’Grady (Green Creek Hounds) riding Atoka
Third: Catherine Mooneyham (Green Creek Hounds) riding Kessler
Fourth: Nicola Deines (Green Creek Hounds) riding Rock, Paper, Scissors
Fifth: Amara Baker (Moore County Hounds) riding Battalion
Sixth: Lisa Biederman (Long Run Woodford Hounds) riding Eva
Seventh: Randi Goulding (Green Creek Hounds) riding Dynamik II
Eighth: Cameron Sadler (Moore County Hounds) riding Secret Bid
About her hunt horse, Kimmer said, “Finny and I have been a team for a couple years. We do eventing as well as fox hunt. He’s just a really cool guy! He pretty much does whatever I want him to do. He’s a great all-around horse.” Kimmer topped the TIEC Field Hunter Championships in her first Festival of the Hunt experience.
Kimmer, who hunts with the Mecklenburg Hounds, continued, “I’ve been foxhunting for about five or six years now, but this is my first time competing in the Festival of the Hunt. I’ve wanted to come every single year you all have had it, but it just hadn’t worked out for my schedule. I am so glad it worked out this year! I’m going to tell all of my friends how wonderful it was, and we’re all coming back next year.”
Results for the Hilltopper Championship (presented by Defiant Whisky) are:
First: Cathy Gomez (Belle Meade Hunt) riding Princeton
Second: Anne Pierce (Goodwin Hounds) riding Ted
Find more information about Festival of the Hunt at: https://tryon.coth.com/event/the-festival-of-the-hunt
On Thursday, Nov. 14 was a scheduled Judged Hunt with the Green Creek Hounds, followed by a Hunt Breakfast at the Legends Porch at TIEC. Friday’s (Nov. 15) Judged Hunt was with the Tryon Hounds, again followed by the Hunt Breakfast at TIEC on the Legends Porch.
Saturday Nov. 16 featured the TIEC Field Hunter and Hilltopper Championships, followed by the Parade of Hounds of both Green Creek and Tryon Hounds. In the afternoon were the Carolinas Foxhunter Series, with jumps at 3-feet maximum in the Field Hunter section. The Hunt Teams class consisted of 3-person teams from the same hunt. The day finished with Open Hunter Under Saddle classes.
Results for the TIEC Field Hunter Championships (presented by Defiant Whisky) are:
First: Erin Kimmer (Mecklenburg Hounds) riding Finnis Chrome Magnum
Second: Gisele Beardsley O’Grady (Green Creek Hounds) riding Atoka
Third: Catherine Mooneyham (Green Creek Hounds) riding Kessler
Fourth: Nicola Deines (Green Creek Hounds) riding Rock, Paper, Scissors
Fifth: Amara Baker (Moore County Hounds) riding Battalion
Sixth: Lisa Biederman (Long Run Woodford Hounds) riding Eva
Seventh: Randi Goulding (Green Creek Hounds) riding Dynamik II
Eighth: Cameron Sadler (Moore County Hounds) riding Secret Bid
About her hunt horse, Kimmer said, “Finny and I have been a team for a couple years. We do eventing as well as fox hunt. He’s just a really cool guy! He pretty much does whatever I want him to do. He’s a great all-around horse.” Kimmer topped the TIEC Field Hunter Championships in her first Festival of the Hunt experience.
Kimmer, who hunts with the Mecklenburg Hounds, continued, “I’ve been foxhunting for about five or six years now, but this is my first time competing in the Festival of the Hunt. I’ve wanted to come every single year you all have had it, but it just hadn’t worked out for my schedule. I am so glad it worked out this year! I’m going to tell all of my friends how wonderful it was, and we’re all coming back next year.”
Results for the Hilltopper Championship (presented by Defiant Whisky) are:
First: Cathy Gomez (Belle Meade Hunt) riding Princeton
Second: Anne Pierce (Goodwin Hounds) riding Ted
Find more information about Festival of the Hunt at: https://tryon.coth.com/event/the-festival-of-the-hunt
