Tryon Recap: A Defining Stop in The League’s Season 5

Tryon delivered standout performances, shifting standings, and a defining chapter in Major League Show Jumping Season 5.

Published

24 MAR 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

By the time The League returned to Tryon, the margins were already tightening.

What followed was a weekend where small differences carried significant weight, and where the shape of Season 5 became clearer with every class.

Leg 5 of Major League Show Jumping brought the championship to Tryon International in North Carolina, one of its most established destinations. At this stage of the season, every round, every point, and every decision began to carry added consequence.

Leg 5 | Tryon International, North Carolina

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Major League Show Jumping arrived in Mill Spring, North Carolina, for the fifth leg of Season 5 at Tryon International Equestrian Center.

The venue once again combined top-level sport with the signature Saturday night atmosphere, setting the stage for a pivotal moment in the calendar.

Thursday: Saïd Makes Immediate Impact for Trailblazers

The opening day set the tone early. Abdel Saïd secured victory in the $117,000 5* Qualifier, presented by LeMieux, riding Calvaro in 36.66 seconds. The margin was minimal, just one hundredth ahead of teammate Conor Swail, but the impact on the standings was immediate.

Making his debut for the team, Saïd delivered eight crucial points that moved the Trelawny Trailblazers to the top of the overall standings. Elena Haas completed the podium for the Rainmakers, continuing her consistent form across the season.

Podium presentation with Abdel Saïd, Conor Swail and Elena Haas.

Friday: Helios Secures Second Team Victory of the Season

If Thursday shifted momentum, Friday reinforced it. The $262,500 5* Team Competition, presented by Cabana Coast, brought together the leading contenders under increasing pressure.

Helios, represented by Michael Duffy, Richard Vogel, and Tony Stormanns, delivered a composed and strategic performance. After strong opening rounds and clear jump-offs from Duffy and Vogel, the team advanced to the gold medal round.

Seventeen-year-old Stormanns closed it out with a decisive final round, securing Helios’s second team victory of the season and strengthening their position in the championship race.

The Rainmakers finished with silver, while the Archers added another podium with bronze, maintaining their upward trajectory.

Michael Duffy on Be Sky Hawk.

Saturday: Philippaerts Claims First MLSJ Grand Prix Title

By Saturday night, the pressure had fully settled in. Nicola Philippaerts captured his first Major League Show Jumping grand prix title, winning the $340,000 5* Grand Prix, presented by KASK, aboard Gadget Mouche.

From a 12-horse jump-off, Philippaerts delivered a fast, efficient round to edge out Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz by two tenths of a second. Current world number two Kent Farrington completed the podium in third with Greya.

The result marked a key milestone for Philippaerts and moved him into the top 15 of the individual standings, while also extending the Archers’ strong run across consecutive legs.

Nicola Philippaerts & Gadget Mouche.

Looking Back at Leg 5

In hindsight, Tryon marked a clear inflection point in Season 5. The Trailblazers moved to the top of the standings, Helios added another team victory, and Nicola Philippaerts secured a first MLSJ grand prix win that reshaped the individual race.

From there, The League moved on to Legs 6 and 7 at the Desert International Horse Park, carrying that momentum into the final stretch.

Five legs were complete.

The championship race was no longer taking shape: it was tightening.