Kristen VanderVeen (USA) and Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili sped to a 36.579-second jump-off round to take the win in Saturday’s $73,000 JTWG, Inc. Grand Prix CSI 2* at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) at Tryon Resort. Brittni Raflowitz (ISR) and Hilton van de Breepoel, a 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Contact Van de Heffinck x Opium) owned by ESI Show Jumpers, Maarten Huygens & Darragh Kerins, claimed reserve honors with a time of 39.153 seconds, with the yellow rosette going to Todd Minikus (USA) aboard the Bit by Bit Group’s Amex Z, the 2009 Zangersheide mare (Andiamo Z x Landaris), stopping the timers in 36.764 seconds with four faults.

The Guilherme Jorge (BRA) course design saw 39 contestants in the first round, with 10 horse-and-rider pairs returning to challenge the jump-off round. VanderVeen and the 2005 Belgian Warmblood stallion (Berlin x Darco) owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC used both speed and tight turns to their advantage in the jump-off, she explained. “The jump-off, I really liked. The jump-offs are always fun with Frosty because he turns and he goes fast, so it’s fun.

“The course was great,” she said of the track. “I actually was surprised he [the course designers] had so many clear. I walked the initial round and thought it was quite challenging,” she admitted. “Not sure what I was expecting!”

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