Wellington, Florida, USA – November 27, 2019 – Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili, owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC, dominated this afternoon’s $36,000 Dover Saddlery Holiday & Horses Opener to begin the 2019 ESP Holiday Series at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC).

A total of 59 total competitors contested the track, which followed a power and speed format. Vanderveen and her well-known mount, “Frosty” went twenty-eighth in the set order of go, stopping the timers at 31.179 seconds in the second round to set the time to beat.

Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) & Balous Day Date

Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) and Louisburg Farm’s Balous Day Date came close, finishing the second round in 31.422 seconds to claim second place.

Kristen Vanderveen (USA) & Bull Run’s Prince of Peace

Vanderveen almost beat her own time when she entered the arena aboard Bull Run’s Prince of Peace, owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC, but a 31.975-second round would ultimately clinch the pair a third-place position.

The course was set by FEI designer Anthony d’Ambrosio (USA), which saw only eighteen of the fifty-nine ride double-clear. Vanderveen commented that her plan when she went in for her trip with “Frosty” was just to go fast and be clean: “He’s like my ‘old faithful’ partner, so I don’t have to worry too much with him.” Vanderveen and the 2005 Belgian Warmblood stallion (Berlin x Darco) have had great success over the years at PBIEC and across the country.

“We just got back from competing out west. This is actually his first show back in three or four weeks, because I gave him some time off after we were out in California and at Las Vegas. I was there mostly showing my younger ones and getting them ready for season.” Over the next few days Vanderveen plans to save Frosty for the smaller Grand Prix, and will ride Bull Run’s Risen in Friday’s $72,000 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center 1.50m Qualifier and Saturday night’s $209,000 Holiday & Horses Grand Prix CSI 4* presented by Palm Beach County Sports Commission.

Competition continues this week with several Hunter and Jumper competitions, and continues on Friday with highlights including the $72,000 Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Health Specialty Center 1.50m Qualifier and the $10,000 Premier Equestrian 1.40m Open Stake in the International Arena, and the $10,000 #1 Education Place USHJA National Hunter Derby in Ring 7/8.

The ESP Holiday Series began on November 27, and will continue through the new year until January 5, 2020. Click here to view the 2019 ESP Holiday Series Prize List. This week’s Holiday & Horses show will feature the season’s first Saturday night Grand Prix on November 30, with the $209,000 Holiday & Horses Grand Prix CSI 4* presented by Palm Beach County Sports Commission. Spectator gates open at 5:00 p.m. and the competition begins at 6:45 p.m. The event offers free general admission and parking, as well as VIP hospitality seating in the International Club. Click here to purchase hospitality tickets. The class’s live-stream, presented by Yellowstone, will be available at PBIEC.com.

For full results, please here.

Source: Press release from from PBIEC – Palm Beach International Equestrian Center

Photos: © ESP