Kristen VanderVeen (USA) and Bull Run's Almighty laid down an unbeatable jump-off performance in Sunday's $36,000 Sunday Classic CSI 4* to conclude Tryon Spring 6 TR&HC Charity Horse Show competition at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), stopping the jump-off timers at 33.363 seconds. Sharn Wordley (NZL) and his own Gatsby, a 2004 Irish Sport Horse stallion (Simba x Cruise On), cleared the short course in 34.904 seconds to earn second place, and Samuel Parot (CHI) guided his own Thriller P, a 2004 Swedish Warmblood stallion (Cardento x Lucky Light), to a speedy four-fault, 33.509-second round for third. Kelvin Bywater (GBR) designed a course that tested its entrants, with 20 trips attempting the first-round track and five pairs returning for the jump-off. Bull Run's Almighty, a 2008 Hanoverian gelding (Caspar x Quidam De Revel) owned by Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC, has been improving his jump-off form in recent weeks, VanderVeen explained. "I've really been working on jump-offs with him because he's not naturally a speed horse. It's been really encouraging to see in the last couple classes that he's really stepped it up." Following Wordley's blazing-fast jump-off performance, VanderVeen was able to utilize her horse's stride and tight turns to deliver a clean run that was more than a full second faster. She elaborated: "He has a huge stride, so I think I was able to leave out a stride in the first line, and then down the last line I was also able to leave out a stride, so that helped me cover the ground a little bit faster than Sharn [Wordley] - his horse is really fast! Headed shortly to Europe, VanderVeen has been preparing throughout the Tryon Spring Series at TIEC and was happy to finish with another win at the venue, where she is well-known for her success on multiple rides. "The horses fly out on Wednesday, then they get a few days and then they go straight to a 5* week," VanderVeen concluded. "I will drive the horses who aren't going to Wellington tomorrow, and then I fly out from Florida on Tuesday!"
Kristen VanderVeen (USA) and Bull Run's Almighty laid down an unbeatable jump-off performance in Sunday's $36,000 Sunday Classic CSI 4* to conclude Tryon Spring 6 TR&HC Charity Horse Show competition at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), stopping the jump-off timers at 33.363 seconds. Sharn Wordley (NZL) and his own Gatsby, a 2004 Irish Sport Horse stallion (Simba x Cruise On), cleared the short course in 34.904 seconds to earn second place, and Samuel Parot (CHI) guided his own Thriller P, a 2004 Swedish Warmblood stallion (Cardento x Lucky Light), to a speedy four-fault, 33.509-second round for third. Kelvin Bywater (GBR) designed a course that tested its entrants, with 20 trips attempting the first-round track and five pairs returning for the jump-off. Bull Run's Almighty, a 2008 Hanoverian gelding (Caspar x Quidam De Revel) owned by Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC, has been improving his jump-off form in recent weeks, VanderVeen explained. "I've really been working on jump-offs with him because he's not naturally a speed horse. It's been really encouraging to see in the last couple classes that he's really stepped it up." Following Wordley's blazing-fast jump-off performance, VanderVeen was able to utilize her horse's stride and tight turns to deliver a clean run that was more than a full second faster. She elaborated: "He has a huge stride, so I think I was able to leave out a stride in the first line, and then down the last line I was also able to leave out a stride, so that helped me cover the ground a little bit faster than Sharn [Wordley] - his horse is really fast! Headed shortly to Europe, VanderVeen has been preparing throughout the Tryon Spring Series at TIEC and was happy to finish with another win at the venue, where she is well-known for her success on multiple rides. "The horses fly out on Wednesday, then they get a few days and then they go straight to a 5* week," VanderVeen concluded. "I will drive the horses who aren't going to Wellington tomorrow, and then I fly out from Florida on Tuesday!"