Mill Spring · Polk County, North Carolina
The venue of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, home of the National Horse Show from 2026, and the show ring most of the area can reach in about half an hour.
Tryon International Equestrian Center held its first horse show in July 2014 and celebrated its grand opening in June 2015. Building it took more than 700 people and 60 companies and moved two million cubic yards of earth. The original build had six barns with 800 stalls. The venue now describes itself as 1,600 acres.
In September 2018 it hosted the FEI World Equestrian Games, 29 gold-medal events across eight disciplines. In 2026 the National Horse Show moved to Tryon after 15 years at the Kentucky Horse Park. The venue runs hunter/jumper, dressage and para dressage, eventing, combined driving, vaulting and reining, with more than 36 weeks of competition a year.
It is also a place to spend an evening. Tryon International is open to the public every day, and general admission is free, though some events charge for parking or tickets. Saturday Night Lights brings family activities in the afternoon and a grand prix under the lights around 7 PM, and it is where you will most often find the two of us, at the Legends Club. On the grounds there is lodging at the Overmountain Lodge, cabins and RV sites, a run of restaurants from Roger's Diner to the Silver Spoon Saloon, sporting clays and trail rides.
For a farm owner, what matters is the drive. Tryon Equestrian Farms and Lake Adger are a short drive away, and most of the area is within about half an hour. The venue puts Asheville Regional airport 30 minutes away, GSP 45 minutes and Charlotte about 1 hour 10.
At a glance
Sources
On the calendar
| 2026 | Event | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21 to 25 | National Horse Show, week 1 | Hunter/jumper |
| Oct 27 to Nov 1 | National Horse Show, week 2 | Hunter/jumper and equitation |
| Nov 4 to 8 | Duke “Jump for the Children” Horse Show I | Hunter/jumper |
| Nov 6 | Taste of NC, with the NC Winegrowers Association | Food and wine |
| Nov 11 to 15 | Duke “Jump for the Children” Horse Show II | Hunter/jumper |
| Nov 24 to 26 | Thanksgiving at Tryon International | Holiday dining |
| Dec 5 | Stand Up for the Hollers, featuring Pam Stone | Comedy and dinner |
From the official calendar at tryon.com/events, read October 23, 2026. Dates can change, so check there before you travel.
The 2027 schedule has not been published yet. Until it is, the shape of the 2026 season is a useful guide to when the barns are full and when to plan a visit.
| When (2026) | Series | Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| Late March to mid April | Welcome series, weeks 1 to 4 | Hunter/jumper |
| Late April | Katydid Combined Driving Event | Driving |
| Late April to early June | Spring series, weeks 1 to 6 | Hunter/jumper |
| Early May | Spring Three Day Event | Eventing |
| Late June to early August | Summer series and Summer Finale | Hunter/jumper |
| Mid September | The Fork at Tryon | Eventing, up to CCI4*-S |
| Mid September | Fall Combined Driving Event | Driving |
| Mid September to late October | Fall series, with CSI 2* to 5* weeks (proudly sponsored by Debra Minnick and Damian Hall) | Hunter/jumper |
| Late October | National Horse Show (new to Tryon in 2026) | Hunter/jumper |
Based on the 2026 calendar at tryon.com. Not a 2027 schedule.
Private conversations
Tell us how often you plan to show at Tryon and what you need for horses. We will show you the farms that make the commute easy.