The $204,000 Coca-Cola® Grand Prix CSI 4* for the Governor's Cup at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) ended in victory for Kristen Vanderveen (USA) aboard Bull Run's Faustino De Tili, navigating the short course in 36.573 seconds to capture the highlight class of the 90th Tryon Riding & Hunt Club (TR&HC) Charity Horse Show Spring 6 competition. Aaron Vale (USA) took second aboard Finou 4, a 2006 Hanoverian gelding (Flashlight 16 x Concetto Famos) owned by Thinks Like a Horse and Donald Stewart, completing his jump-off round in 38.028 seconds, and Pablo Barrios (VEN) rounded out the podium steering his own Elana 22, a 2009 Dutch Warmblood mare (Harley VDL x Almox Prints), to third place honors in 38.807 seconds.
Thirty-one entries tested the first-round track set by Ireland's Alan Wade, and nine horse-and-rider pairs returned for a shot at the podium. Vanderveen and the 2005 Belgian Warmblood stallion (Berlin x Udarco), owned by Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC, were sixth to go and put down a fast, clear run that could not be contested.
Vanderveen described how her crowd-favorite mount has been competing for three weeks following a four-week break, and she "just had a feeling" about tonight's win. "I can feel it with him," she said. "He loves this sport so much and he has a lot of personality. He had about a four-week break, and this is our third week back showing. Typically the first week he is a little fresh; the second week we work out the kinks, and by the third week he is really focused. He gave me a really good feeling," she said.