Wellington, Fla. – Dec. 2, 2017 – FEI competition returned to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, drawing a crowd for the CSI4* where 43 athletes set out to challenge Olympic course designer, Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) track and a different competition format in the $216,000 Holiday & Horses FEI CSI4* Grand Prix. Fourteen horse-and-rider combinations successfully navigated the course fault-free, but under the FEI two-round format only the fastest eleven would advance to the second round in reverse order.
Consistently quick, Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili, owned by Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC, stayed true to form and galloped to the quickest first round time, allowing them to return last in the second round. Vanderveen and “Frosty,” the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion, dazzled the crowd to again steal the fastest time in 45.53 seconds and claim the night’s big win. The altered format seemed to work in favor of the pair as their fast first round allowed them to watch all riders return and know the time to beat. Their partnership has continuously grown as they claimed endless wins at the Tryon International Equestrian Center throughout the year and recently won the $50,000 FEI 1.50m Las Vegas National Welcome Jumper Speed Classic CSI4*-W.
Margie Engle and Gladewinds Partners, LLC’s 13-year-old stallion Royce brought the crowd to their feet as the pair flew to the finish in 46.47 seconds to claim a brief lead before Vanderveen ultimately claimed the title. Engle was also awarded the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider award.
Third place was awarded to Beat Mändli aboard Grant Road Partners GMBH’s Dsarie with a finish time of 49.63 seconds. Mändli sits near the top of the Longines FEI World Cup™ after he rode the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare to claim the $130,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Washington President’s Cup and finish third in the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington CSI4*-W.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Kristen Vanderveen (USA) – $216,000 Holiday & Horses FEI CSI 4* Grand Prix winner
On her win:
“He’s actually felt really happy this whole week, so I’ve had a great feeling. He jumped the qualifying class really well even though he did have one down, and this is really the first proper night class that I’ve done in Wellington with him. He’s jumped now in Tryon and multiple other locations including Vegas where he was just great. This was kind of to see where we’re going to be at for season. I want to use him as my main horse, so just getting him to see the environment and everything, but I think we’re ready to go for season! I was really pleased with him. Walking the course I thought it was fair and nice and a really first nice way to get into a night class; not too easy but also not quite as big as season.”
On her travel:
“Right after Tryon I shipped to California and he jumped clean in both the grand prixs there after a 50-hour drive and then we went to Vegas for the World Cup Qualifier there and he won the qualifying class and was fourth in the grand prix. Then he had a week of travel to come back here and this is his final show for the year, so it was pretty exciting for us.”
On Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili:
“His barn name is Frosty. When I first got him I was told as a stallion he needed a cute name so a friend suggested Frosty and I agreed that it was cute, so that’s what we call him in the barn. He’s just really a laid back guy, he’s lovely to have in the barn. He’s not aggressive at all and you can go and snuggle him in the stall. He’s the most responsive horse to any human contact and he’ll yawn, and lick his lips and hug you. So in that sense he’s really cute. He really surprises people. Now they’re starting to catch on to how fast he is, but they didn’t for awhile, especially last season when he was champion in the FEI 1.45m speed classes the whole season. Every time he showed he was top three and when you look at him you think there’s no way; but he listens so well and he’s so responsive that whenever I ask for something there’s no hesitation. He’s always on it right away and that’s worked quite well.”
On the FEI two-round format:
“Obviously it was great for me because I got to go at the end and I got to see how fast to go. It has it’s advantages for me right now with this horse because I always have a fast first time-allowed so I will always be near the end of the jump-off and that’s great. I could see the frustration if I didn’t have this horse, especially if I would’ve jumped clean tonight and not of gotten to jump off. I would see the frustration in that because it changes the sport a little bit as it kind of makes it a speed round and a jump off. I think it has its positives and its negatives; right now it works to my advantage so I say it’s great but I definitely would understand the rider’s frustrations.”
RESULTS
$216,000 Holiday & Horses FEI CSI 4*
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1. Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili / Kristen Vanderveen / USA / 0 | 75.65 / 0 | 45.53
2. Royce / Margie Engle / USA / 0 | 76.97 / 0 | 46.47
3. Dsarie / Beat Mändli / SUI / 0 | 80.79 / 0 | 49.63
4. Casper / Sharn Wordley / NZL / 0 | 78.2 / 0 | 49.86
5. Exelero 2 / Liubov Kochetova / RUS/ 0 | 77.76 / 0 | 56.21
6. RMF Swinny Du Parc / Jessica Springsteen / USA / 0 | 76.79 / 4 | 46.02
7. For Edition / Taylor Land / USA / 0 | 78.11 / 4 | 47.73
8. Casall / Alexandra Wolff / USA / 0 | 78.03 / 4 | 48.64
9. Hunters Conlypso II / Lorcan Gallagher / IRL / 0 | 80.35 / 4 | 50.82
10. Shiver / Liza Finsness / USA / 0 | 79.45 / 4 | 52.5
11. Donna Speciale / Leslie Howard / USA / 0 | 77.2 / 8 | 46.38
12. Robin De Ponthual / Peter Lutz / USA / 0 | 80.98
For full results, click here.