It was another beautiful day on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village as international show jumpers competed in the first of two three-star weeks as part of the 2021 ESP Spring Series. After notching a win in Thursday’s 1.45m Jumpers, Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili, owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five, LLC stole the show once again, claiming victory in the $37,000 HorseLinc 1.50m Classic CSI3*.

ESP Spring II wraps up on Sunday, April 18 with hunters competing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) and jumpers taking center stage at Equestrian Village. The concluding class of the week is the $137,000 Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix CSI3*, showcasing the week’s top talent on the grass Derby Field. The 2021 ESP Spring Series continues with a total of five weeks of competition until Sunday, May 15. Feature classes will be available live and on-demand for free on the livestream.

With 45 entries represented in the opening round, a total of only five horse-and-rider combinations qualified to return for the jump-off over a shortened track set by Catsy Cruz (MEX) and Andy Christiansen (ECU). First to return, Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and Madorada DW, owned by Gerard O’Neil, set the tone for the remainder of the field with just a single knockdown landing them on four faults. The ninth-ranked rider in the world guided the nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Breemeersen Adorado to a very quick time, crossing the finish line in 37.36 seconds.

Advertisement