Kristen Vanderveen (USA) added to her list of accolades on Friday, February 23, during the seventh week of the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili were the winners of the $35,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Jumpers CSI 5*.
64 entries in the class competed over a speed course designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. There were 12 clear rounds, and the fastest of those was Vanderveen on Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion by Berlin x Darco owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC, in 63.88 seconds.
Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili. Photo by Sportfot Photography
Second place went to fellow American rider Andrew Kocher and Kahlua, owned by Top Line Sporthorse International LLC. They stopped the clock in 64.48 seconds. Finishing in 66.88 seconds, Eduardo Menezes (BRA) and Caruschka 2 placed third.
Vanderveen and her impressive grey stallion have now won ten FEI ranking classes since last year’s Winter Equestrian Festival.
“He has been really consistent, especially as my speed horse – which you wouldn’t guess because of how big he is,” she said. “He really likes to have fun, so I find that in the speed classes, he doesn’t fight with me. He’s really game on. He’s looking for the next jump, and it keeps it new and interesting and exciting for him.”
Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili in their presentation with ringmaster Steve Rector. Photo by Sportfot Photography
Speaking of the course and how her horse handled it, Vanderveen said, “It’s a long gallop to these verticals. It’s almost with him, the more that you challenge him, the harder that he tries. So I let him kind of run all the way down there. He looked back at it and was like ‘Whoa!’ He got real careful. Near the end of the course, with his big stride – which is unique in a speed horse – he was able to leave out a lot of strides in the last few lines. He’s really good at things like that.”
Vanderveen will aim for the next five-star competition at WEF 9 with this horse. “With him I try and play it a little bit week by week. I think if we do too much with him, then he gets a little bit bored, so we’ll just see how he keeps holding on,” she said.
Final Results: $35,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Jumpers CSI 5*
1 BULL RUN’S FAUSTINO DE TILI: 2005 Belgian Warmblood stallion by Berlin x Darco
KRISTEN VANDERVEEN (USA), Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC: 0/63.88
2 KAHLUA: 2008 KWPN mare by Tygo x Caritas
ANDREW KOCHER (USA), Top Line Sporthorse International LLC: 0/64.48
3 CARUSCHKA 2: 2004 Oldenburg mare by Caspar x Continue
EDUARDO MENEZES (BRA), Eduardo Menezes: 0/66.88
4 CYKLON 1083: 2001 Swedish Warmblood stallion by Cardento x Cortus
SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), Spy Coast Farm LLC: 0/67.67
5 RYE VAL DE MAI: 2005 Selle Francais stallion by Helios de la Cour II x Type d’Elle
SHARN WORDLEY (NZL), Sharn Wordley: 0/69.41
6 REDMOND: 2006 Selle Francais gelding by Neo d’Aunou x Joly Jumper
ALBERTO MICHAN (ISR), Brianne Goutal LLC: 0/69.43
7 CHANDON BLUE: 2005 Oldenburg gelding by Chacco Blue x Landcapitol
LAURA CHAPOT (USA), Mary Chapot: 0/70.97
8 QUIRIE 2: 2007 Bayerischer stallion by Quadrigus M x Quidam’s Rubin
ALI WOLFF (USA), Ali Wolff: 0/71.44
9 BURBURRY R: 2006 KWPN mare by Pacific x Indoctro
PETRONELLA ANDERSSON (SWE), Stephan Conter: 0/72.50
10 HH VENICE BEACH: 2009 Hanoverian mare by Voltaire x Escudo I
QUENTIN JUDGE (USA), Double H Farm: 0/72.97
11 KIRSCHWASSER SCF: 2010 BWP stallion by Amaretto d’Arco x Nabab de Reve
SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), Spy Coast Farm LLC: 0/74.31
12 MERQUSIO: 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Cicero Z x Flamenco de Semilly
RICHIE MOLONEY (IRL), Equinimity LLC: 0/74.55