- WELCOME TO NORTH CAROLINE WEEKEND EVERYONE!
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
HORSE LOVERS HAVE BEEN COMING TO THE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY
OF TRYON FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY.
IN FACT, TRYON WAS THE SIGHT OF THE 1956 OLYMPIC TRIALS
FOR EQUESTRIAN EVENTS.
FLASH FORWARD TO 2017
AND THE GRAND TRYON INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN CENTER
IS NOW A WORLD FAMOUS VENUE FOR HORSE LOVERS OF ALL AGES.
- IN A GIVEN YEAR 8 MILLION PEOPLE WILL SKI,
20 MILLION PEOPLE WILL PICK UP A TENNIS RACKET,
25 MILLION PEOPLE WILL PICK UP A GOLF CLUB
AND 27 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES
WILL RIDE A HORSE.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PLACE FOR THE SPRING,
SUMMER AND FALL THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO SORT
OF REALLY CREATE A DISNEY LIKE EXPERIENCE
FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE HORSES
AND SO THE VENUE ISN'T REALLY ABOUT HORSE SHOES,
BUT REALLY ABUT FAMILIES ENJOYING THE MAGIC
AND MAJESTY OF HORSES.
- YOU KNOW, WHEN THE FAMILIES COME,
WE DO A LOT OF PROMOTION EARLY ON DURING THE WEEK
ABOUT ANYTHING SPECIAL THAT'S COMING
BUT WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
EVERY SATURDAY DURING THE SEASON BASICALLY
SPRING THROUGH THE FALL,
EVERY SATURDAY WE HAVE BOUNCE HOUSES, FACE PAINTING,
PERFORMERS, A BAND.
YOU CAN GET BARBECUE, YOU CAN GO ANY OF OUR RESTAURANTS,
YOU CAN DO SHOPPING, ALL SURROUNDING THE MAIN ARENA
WHERE YOU'RE WATCHING TOP LEVEL EQUESTRIAN COMPETITION.
- AND TRYON GOES BACK TO, I WOULD SAY,
IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF MODERN AMERICAN HORSE SPORT
IN THE 1950'S WHEN OLYMPIC DISCIPLINES
CONVERTED FROM THE MILITARY
INTO THE GENERAL POPULATION.
THE 1956 OLYMPIC TEAM TRAINED HERE
AND SO THIS REALLY HAS A RICH CULTURE
AROUND THIS COMMUNITY WITH FOX HUNTING,
STEEPLE CHASE, EVENTING, DRESSAGE,
DRIVING, JUMPING AND SO IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE COMMUNITY
IN THAT THERE HAS A TREMENDOUS DIVERSITY
IN TERMS OF THE INTEREST
AND IT IS VERY UNIQUE AND RARE THAT YOU FIND ALL
OF THAT EQUESTRIAN INTEREST IN ONE PLACE
AND IT GOES FROM CHARLOTTE TO ASHEVILLE
TO SPARTANBURG TO GREENVILLE,
ALL THE WAY TO SORT OF THE TRYON AREA
SO IT'S A VERY, VERY INTERESTING COMMUNITY
VIS-A-VIS ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES
IF NOT THE WORLD.
- [JULIA] WITH CURRENTLY 12 ARENAS,
OVER 1,200 HORSE STALLS AND 500 EMPLOYEES,
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE COMMUNITY IS GROWING
AS NEW JOBS FROM THE EQUESTRIAN TO THE SERVICE INDUSTRIES
ARE IN HIGH DEMAND.
- WE SEE THIS AS BEING VERY SUSTAINABLE
BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY ELEMENTS TO IT
THAT IT'S NOT ALL DEPENDENT ON ONE
AND SO THEREFORE, WE HAVE NOT JUST THE RESTAURANTS,
WE HAVE THE STORES, WE HAVE THE HORSE SHOWS,
WE HAVE THE LODGING SO THAT THIS WILL HAVE A YEAR-ROUND
PRESENCE IN MANY, MANY DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS.
[HORN BLASTS]
- [MARK] WE HAVE A SORT OF A CANVAS THAT WAS WET
AND WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE ABOUT 1,600 ACRES
THAT WAS SORT OF ROLLING MEADOWS
AND ROLLING HILLS AND WHAT NOT
AND MOVED ABOUT 3 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH
IN ORDER TO CREATE WHICH WAS SOMETHING
THAT WE'RE CALLING IT EQUESTRIAN LIFESTYLE DESTINATION
AND AT THIS POINT WE THINK IT'S ACTUALLY THE PREMIERE
EQUESTRIAN LIFESTYLE DESTINATION IN THE WORLD.
- [JULIA] THE PARTNERSHIP IS INVESTING
AN ADDITIONAL $100 MILLION TO ACCOMMODATE THE UPCOMING
WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES IN 2018.
FROM THE TRYON INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN CENTER
IN POLK COUNTY AND NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND,
I'M JULIA CARPENTER.
- THE TRYON INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN CENTER
IS AT 4066 PEA RIDGE ROAD IN MILL SPRING
AND IT'S FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
TO WATCH THE HORSE COMPETITION
AND ENJOY THE FACILITIES AND AMENITIES.
IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018, THE WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES
WILL BE HELD AT THE CENTER BRINGING
IN OVER HALF A MILLION VISITORS!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GIVE THEM A CALL
AT [828] 863-1000
OR GO ONLINE TO TYRON.COM.