Ten Years of Tryon International
By Sarah Madden
From the top of a high green hill, Mark Bellissimo looked upon a valley with rolling hills and wild terrain and envisioned a global equestrian resort that would become Tryon International. That dream now celebrates 10 years of hosting the world’s top equestrian sport and creating millions of dollars in economic impact.
A Long Equestrian History:
The region of Tryon previously spanned counties across both North and South Carolina, and has long been rooted in equestrian sports and lifestyles. The Tryon Block House Races, the famed steeplechase, has belonged to three different locations throughout the region in the last seventy-five years, most recently at Tryon International’s Green Creek Race Course. Countless equestrian icons have lived, worked, and competed in Tryon, with a select few honored by each of our main Hunter/Jumper rings, including but not limited to Gordon Wright, Carter P. Brown, and Betty Reynolds Oare.
The Early Years:
In the words of CEO Mark Bellissimo, who first sketched out the layout of the venue on the back of a napkin, it was the spirit of the region that captured his attention. “Roger and Jennifer Smith, who are business partners in Wellington, and dear friends of mine and my family, live in Polk County and have a great passion for the area,” he said. “Over the years, we attended the Tryon Block House Steeplechase with them and we were enchanted with both the locale, the equestrian heritage, and the energy of the people in the community.”
The Tryon Equestrian Partners embarked on a long-term development project that would showcase the beauty of the region, the majesty of the horse, and the potential of Western North Carolina to grow into a new economic era.
“While we viewed this as a business opportunity, we were equally inspired by the prospect of trying to re-energize a community with a vision and a business strategy that could be a strong driver of economic activity and stimulate interest in the area,” Bellissimo emphasized. “It is not often that one gets an opportunity to be part of such an ambitious plan.”
The first horse shows were hosted in July of 2014, with a few arenas and barn structures completed and a robust construction plan in place. Within 11 months of the first horse shows, Bellissimo and team moved mountains:
“Prior to our official grand opening event in June 2015, we engaged over 60 companies and subcontractors, employed over 700 people, moved two million cubic yards of earth, built miles of sidewalks and roads, installed miles of cabling, built 6 barns containing 800 horse stalls and close to 100 structures including 3 bedroom homes, retail structures, office complexes, and much more.”
The venue now boasts 13 all-weather competition rings, more than 1,400 permanent stalls onsite, eight restaurants and bars, 250 hotel beds, 200+ RV pads, an Indoor Complex, and ample shopping and event spaces.
Economic Impact:
Tryon Equestrian Partners Carolinas Operations President, Sharon Decker, views the economic impact of Tryon International to be one of its greatest achievements. The last economic impact study completed on the venue was 2019, five years into its development, by Barnhart Economic Services. “At that time, total applicable economic impacts of the Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort from capital development expenditures and operations from 2014 to June 16, 2019 were studied. A total of 4,717 jobs had been created to that point, consisting of 3,380 jobs from development activities, and 1,337 jobs from operating revenues,” she revealed. “In addition, the project had already generated a total of $220.97M in labor income (household earnings), and $330.09 M in value added contribution to Gross Regional Product.”
According to Decker, that number has continued to climb and is still expanding, five years later. “Since that time, our employment and regional economic impact has continued to grow. Since our inception, over $300M has been invested in the project. This is a 20 year plan, and we're just at year 10. We've got a long way to go!”
Looking Ahead:
For Decker, the main focus of the next ten years rests squarely on accommodations and event expansion and residential development. “Over the next ten years, we will grow the accommodations on the property. That's a need we already have, and we will fill that need with new hotels, cottages and cabins. Our existing cabins are very popular, and we have 250 RV spots that have been a great investment for us,” she detailed. “We know we can build RV traffic going forward. We're about ready to reinvest in residential and begin to build out houses again and multifamily housing.”
With more than 100 live music acts hosted at the site annually and hundreds of public and private events hosted all year, the possibilities for future programming are endless, Decker noted. “We want Tryon International to be a destination location for sports and entertainment. We're excited about the growing Earl Scruggs Music Festival, and we still are pursuing other music opportunities... We think that's a big part of what we do,” she shared. “And, by adding music or other entertainment while folks are here for equestrian sport, or for indoor sports, it adds to the value of the Tryon International experience. We'll keep developing that.”
Moving forward, future growth in no way marks a departure from the center’s equestrian roots, Decker emphasized. “We have core licenses we've had from the beginning, and we've grown that a little bit, but we've got the opportunity to grow more and keep layering events to our equestrian heartbeat. We'll keep growing in western sports, too,” she added. “Rodeo Carolina and PBR will be back, and we're excited about growing Western sports. You'll see us adding more breed shows, too. Not everybody is a hunter/jumper, eventer, or a dressage rider! We are here for ALL who love horses, and we will continue to make that true.”