Unfortunately, I see any 3* or 4* held there being more of the same … Big, highly decorated vertical faced tables and skinnies on a twisty, windy course with no real terrain.
Great for the spectators, though … And therefore great for attracting prize money. 
I would love to be proven wrong.
[QUOTE=ACMEeventing;8824404]
I agree with you about the venue. I thought you were saying that the area itself was flat as a pancake. It’s unfortunate that the area is so beautiful and yet the “XC” is on manufactured footing. The foothills of NC are really gorgeous, and just a little farther West is stunning.[/QUOTE]
I live further west, about 1 1/2 hours from Tryon, I have 15 acres, and if y’all want to get together and bring some jumps out here, you’re welcome to it! Hills! I’ve got hills! :winkgrin:
We could do a bare bones event that would compete with Tryon every year. Non profit, just for fun, and I bet we’d get more entries.
The first 9 Advanced XC jumps are in this derby field on turf just a few months old? Yikes!
Well, either way, no one can deny the beauty of the venue. Im sure lots of blood, sweat and tears were shed in the making of such a grand establishment.
The XCish jumps are also beautiful and i can only imagine cost a fortune.
Thank you Tryon owners for putting together such an amazing equestrian venue and best of luck to all of our eventing buddies!!
Just looked through all the lower level courses as well. These courses were obviously designed with people in mind first and foremost, not horses.
[QUOTE=purplnurpl;8825223]
Well, either way, no one can deny the beauty of the venue. Im sure lots of blood, sweat and tears were shed in the making of such a grand establishment.
The XCish jumps are also beautiful and i can only imagine cost a fortune.
Thank you Tryon owners for putting together such an amazing equestrian venue and best of luck to all of our eventing buddies!![/QUOTE]
No doubt.
[QUOTE=Divine Comedy;8825163]
Wow, that’s a bit over the top. 
The vitriol on these boards is unreal sometimes. :([/QUOTE]
and it is tiring.
especially when bold statements proclaim knowledge about the “motivations” and “intentions” of the event organizers, course designers, and jump builders.
I think there is a sinking sense of helplessness, though, among your average adult ammies (which would be those of us who top out at T or P).
I went to AECs in 2006 at Carolina Horse Park and felt I was at a proper championship for Training, with a really beautiful, varied, challenging course.
The AECs were supposed to be for us. If we boycott, but enough pros go because it fits into their overall plan or schedule, all we lose is our own opportunity to do something special once every so many years when the stars align.
We can’t change the direction this is going, or so it seems.
Those courses don’t look anything like what I competed over in 2006, or even like what I compete over locally now.
Makes me sad.
[QUOTE=NCRider;8824970]
All these ULR’s would sell their own child for the promise of some prize money and should all be ashamed of themselves for participating in this farce. [/QUOTE]
I also will call this post (quoted above). Do you not realize how close to the margins (if not under!) these professionals operate??? Even some (many?) of the “big names” are living off of sponsors, don’t own (or solely) their competition horses, may be leasing both summer and winter residences and barns, worry about bills constantly, can’t afford insurance, can’t afford to take a vacation, etc. I know some fine people who have chosen Eventing as their profession. It is a hard, hard, hard life.
My point? If there is an event that does offer prize money (which is not as prevalent as in other disciplines) why on earth would the professionals NOT try and win some money?? Granted the money may be split with their sponsors, but heck yes the pros should want to win some money.
The pros aren’t doing it to sell their soul, they are not trying to bastardized and change eventing as we know it… They see it as a chance to earn a bit of money. For you to imply otherwise is offensive. I suggest you go and live their life for a week, for a month and then come back and agree with your statement.
I don’t think the professionals are in favor of prize money because they are greedy and don’t care about the sport. They are trying to make a living, and I don’t begrudge them that.
However, I don’t feel that adding prize money and fancier venues with more spectators is an unambiguously good thing for the sport I love… And what is going on with Tryon seems to embody what is wrong with it.
[QUOTE=asterix;8825390]
I think there is a sinking sense of helplessness, though, among your average adult armies (which would be those of us who top out at T or P).
I went to AECs in 2006 at Carolina Horse Park and felt I was at a proper championship for Training, with a really beautiful, varied, challenging course.
The AECs were supposed to be for us. If we boycott, but enough pros go because it fits into their overall plan or schedule, all we lose is our own opportunity to do something special once every so many years when the stars align.
We can’t change the direction this is going, or so it seems.
Those course don’t look anything like what I competed over in 2006, or even like what I compete over locally now.
Makes me sad.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for this post. This is so very true.
I do hope everyone has a wonderful time, but I could not agree more about that sinking feeling of helplessness.
ETA- Sticky SItuation - I agree completely.
Most if not all of the pros I know and/or interact with they bust their butts, and run their business on a razor thin line.
I don’t blame the shift in the sport is on them as much. Though I often wonder, who, the general who, decided all these technical, twisty, weird courses were a good idea? Or these “interpretations” of actual horse trials were a good idea?
I can see this Mark guy just wanting to make money, and leaning on USEA and yes, some pros, to make events like this more popular, but does it have to mean the shrinking of the traditional sport?
I know, land is a premium, and volunteers, etc. Heck, from the looks of the AEC courses, you could have one or two fence judges, and be able to see most of the course!
It is what it is I guess, but I really would hate to see this squeeze out the traditional sport. Blech.
My lord, I did not expect this thread to go all henny penny but here we are running around claiming the sky is falling (YET AGAIN)
I have a half dozen close friends there - they say the place is like the taj mahal. The course could be better, but they had very little time to build it.
This is a really nice venue IN ADDITION to all the other venues we currently have.
A lot of negative nellies here. As usual.
[QUOTE=Manahmanah;8825553]
My lord, I did not expect this thread to go all henny penny but here we are running around claiming the sky is falling (YET AGAIN)
I have a half dozen close friends there - they say the place is like the taj mahal. The course could be better, but they had very little time to build it.
This is a really nice venue IN ADDITION to all the other venues we currently have.
A lot of negative nellies here. As usual.[/QUOTE]
I mean totally, like, duh, who cares about the course, I mean seriously, I’m here for the fancy bathrooms, and cool jumbotrons and fancy parties and the money money money. Cross country, like what’s that? Maybe, like next year or something, we could just, like, skip it completely, I mean, like, seriously, who needs it.
Facilities look awesome and the Asheville NC area is one of my favorite in the country. I really hope they expand the XC course as this would be a destination event for us. We are planning a week long trip for the Fork during spring break next year. We will probably come either way but really hope they build out the XC course.
Remember after the Wellington Showcase, which he designed the course for, CMP wrote a glowing article on H&H VIP where he raved about everything and opined that IT represented the best future for eventing? Well, in Tryon we see Wellington with tracks outside the derby field. It seems to be part of a partnership steering eventing in a Showcase direction. It can be resisted if TPTB worldwide have any guts, but I fear they will not.
How do you go from this to a Burghley or Badminton?
Why can’t eventing remain the blue collar English equestrian sport?
Since when did some get so complacent, so mediocre, that the heart of the sport - XC - what should be given the most time, is an afterthought because it’s pretty? To host Champs not just another HT. People spend thousands to attend…Perhaps these people belong in H/J land where you can find more terrain in a top jumper derby than you can in this course and have lots of pretty. Go to Wellington. Have a super time.
If you are hosting Eventing Championships, you ought to have a top tier XC course.
Why don’t we talk about the downstream impact of these events? We have this, and then when you get to a 4* and can’t compete on dressage in grass. Or SJ in grass. Or mud. Not prepared for real championships, which is hopefully part of the pipeline that the AECs create.
I used to have the AECs in the back of my head, but I guess good for my pocketbook, I have no interest in these courses with my current horse. 1. She loves to run on grass. and 2. I like more natural looking obstacles. 3. I love a bit of woods to go in and out or or jump into or out of.
IMO, they are solid stadium fences, all painted, all pretty on basically flat ground, out in the open.
Where were these when I had my jumper mare? She would LOVE them. She would have eaten them up! rather than scary logs/hay feeders etc sure to harbor predators that only she had the sense to save me from!
This set up? It takes all folks to make the world a great place, and I leave this course to those who want that type of go. Just plain not for me.
Also, I am in the camp that thinks either we need a new name for eventing, or this takes the eventing name and we rename the other.
[QUOTE=NCRider;8825568]
I mean totally, like, duh, who cares about the course, I mean seriously, I’m here for the fancy bathrooms, and cool jumbotrons and fancy parties and the money money money. Cross country, like what’s that? Maybe, like next year or something, we could just, like, skip it completely, I mean, like, seriously, who needs it.[/QUOTE]
Did you qualify for AEC this year, or any year in the past decade? Just wondering.
I think I prefer the venues with cross country that actually, well, crosses the country.
Even if the XC jumps aren’t painted all fancy, the stabling is rustic and there aren’t any VIP tents or jumbotrons.
[QUOTE=Sticky Situation;8825630]
I think I prefer the venues with cross country that actually, well, crosses the country.
Even if the XC jumps aren’t painted all fancy, the stabling is rustic and there aren’t any VIP tents or jumbotrons.[/QUOTE]
Hear! Hear!
I define a good HT by whether or not I feel like Bilbo Baggins leaving the start box-- “I’m going on an adventure!” Even said in Martin Freeman’s accent. If the main challenge is “did I pick the right jump” because they’re all crammed in together I probably won’t come back.
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