Kris Killam, of Naples, Florida, won Thursday night’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix riding his wife Mandy Killam’s 13-year-old Selle Français gelding, Black Diamond. Killam topped a field of 32 with several riders showing on multiple horses. Ten moved on to the jump-off. Andre Thieme, of Germany, was the first to attempt the short course and set the Great American Time to Beat at 32.102 riding Seth Vallhonrat’s Cellisto. Their performance would hold up for second place. Killam went fifth in the jump-off and cleared the course in 31.098 to take a commanding lead, while Dorothy Douglas, from Flower Mound, Texas, riding S & L Farms’ S & L Elite, went sixth with another clear in 32.285 to fit in behind Killam and Thieme for third. Kristen VanderVeen of St. Charles, Illinois, took fourth and fifth place. VanderVeen claimed fourth on Bull Run's Faustino de Tili, who went eighth in the jump-off and finished in 32.530, and fifth on Bull Run’s Eternal, who went second in the jump-off, after Thieme, and completed the round in 32.702. Both of VanderVeen’s rides are owned by Bull Run Jumpers, LLC.
