Tryon Block House races at Equestrian Center rescheduled for October

Tryon International Equestrian Center announced early Monday morning that the 73rd Tryon Block House Races will be postponed due to all of the recent rainfall over the winter months.

In a press release, TIEC said that "to provide optimum course conditions for horses and jockeys" the races have been moved from Saturday, April 13 to Saturday, Oct. 5.

"Horse safety is always our first priority, and although the races could be run this spring, it is in the best interest of the horse and rider to reschedule," said Toby Edwards, race director for the Tryon Block House Races, in the release. "The course is developing very nicely, and I appreciate the commitment of Tryon to utilize this additional time to continue to create a world-class steeplechase facility for our sport."

It is believed to be the first time the event has been moved to the fall, but it isn't the first time the event has been postponed.

"According to NSA records, the race has run annually since its inception in 1947. NSA has rescheduled races in the past because of weather-related issues," officials at TIEC said.

The release stated that NSA President Guy J. Torsilieri supported the decision of Tryon officials.

"Tryon International Equestrian Center is to be commended for making a difficult but ultimately wise decision to reschedule this year's races. Safety is the No. 1 priority for the NSA, and Tryon has acted in the best interests of the sport."

Torsilieri also said making the decision now instead of waiting as long as possible for the conditions to improve was also a good choice.

"By making the decision now, Tryon has provided sufficient notice so our horsemen can adjust their schedules accordingly," he said.

This decision comes just three months after TIEC was hit with a fine for water quality violations. On Dec. 13, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality issued a civil penalty of $64,437 to the managers at TIEC for eight violations by impacting approximately 11,438 linear feet of eight streams with sediment deposition.

The facility had stepped in as host of the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018 when the original site in Canada pulled out. Workers constructed the facilities needed to accommodate the events in less than half the normal time.

As for TIEC's main horse-racing event, the Tryon Block House is the longest-running steeplechase in North Carolina. It's held at a Green Creek Race Course, which is located about five miles from TIEC. The course has been undergoing extensive improvements since last year's race, but excess rain in Western North Carolina over the winter led to the rescheduling, according to the release.

All tickets that were purchased for the April races will be honored for the Oct. 5 races. Those who purchased tickets already also have the option of transferring their tickets to the 2020 races and must do so by contacting TIEC at tickets@tryon.com.