Mill Spring, North Carolina, USA – May 30, 2019 – Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Prince of Peace came out on top in Thursday’s $36,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3* at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), stopping the jump-off timers in 35.167 seconds to take the win.

David Blake (IRL) & Keoki

David Blake (IRL) and Keoki, a 2009 Holsteiner male (Catoki x Cassini I) owned by Pine Hollow Farm, secured the red rosette after their 39.292-second performance.

Hector Florentino (DOM) & Venus

Third place was claimed by Hector Florentino (DOM) and Venus, a 2002 Dutch Warmblood mare (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Julius) owned by Raylyn Farms, Inc., for their 39.697-second jump-off effort.

Thirty-three entries tested the Michel Vaillancourt (CAN) course design, with seven pairs returning for the jump-off round. Vanderveen and the 2009 Holsteiner gelding (Cardenio x Contender) owned by Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC have been moving up the ranks together, and “Prince” is beginning to take his place as a reliable member of her FEI string, Vanderveen explained.

Kristen Vanderveen (USA) & Bull Run’s Prince of Peace during the awards ceremony

“It is quite exciting, to see him now more at the top [level], and I’m using him as one of my main horses. And this is actually my first class with him this week!” she added. “So, it was great for him to come out in kind of a bigger class and not need a warm-up.”

Vanderveen is heading to Europe this summer, and mentioned that Bull Run’s Prince of Peace is proving himself ready for the journey with his performance at TIEC over the last few weeks. “That [using him selectively] was something I was trying out, as I’m going to Europe soon and I’m going to be using him as one of my main horses,” she said.

The competitive field was no big deal for the pair, who bested the class by more than three seconds. “He’s naturally very fast, and he’s super careful,” assessed Vanderveen. “I can take a lot of risks, I think, through the turns, and just never [have] to really slow down because he’s always watching the rails by himself.”

Though Vanderveen is well-known for her success at TIEC with another mount, Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili, Bull Run’s Prince of Peace continues to rack up successes and his future is looking particularly promising, Vanderveen revealed. “I think he might end up being one of my best horses, so you never know, but fingers crossed. I hope to bring him along to be one of my top horses and jump the big classes,” she concluded.

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Source: Press release by TIEC – Tryon International Equestrian Center

Photos: © TIEC