Ocala, FL – A picture-perfect Florida day set the stage for the $117,000 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Grand Prix Qualifier CSI4*, where 34 world-class combinations representing 11 nations vied for top honors. In the end, it was Kristen Vanderveen (USA) who clinched the win aboard Bull Run’s Jireh (Uriko x Colman) with a blistering fast jump-off performance.
FEI Level IV course designer Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) led the course design, working alongside FEI Level III course designer Peter Grant (CAN) to set a technical, yet fair track. Horses were jumping in top form and 18 combinations managed to navigate the first-round test successfully, earning a spot in what turned out to be one of the fastest jump-offs yet.
Alessandra Volpi (USA) and Glamour were first to go and set a strong target of 39.30 seconds, holding the lead for much of the class. It wasn’t until Zoe Conter (BEL) and La Una (Chacco-Blue x For Pleasure) took to the ring and shaved off crucial fractions to stop the clock at 39.09 seconds.
It seemed Conter might have secured the win until her fiancé, Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX), and H5 Porthos Maestro WH Z (Picasso Z x Ogano Sitte) stormed around the course in 38.52 seconds, sliding into the top position.
The class wasn’t over yet; Kristen Vanderveen and the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding Bull Run’s Jireh stepped into the ring determined to go all the way. “I tried not to watch too much because I knew it was going to be fast, and it’s always fast here,” Vanderveen said. “One-two, I was quite slick, and he turned really well off that left rollback to the combination. I thought he ran over the plank pretty well—he’s really careful, so I could go fast there. Then he had a huge stride to the oxer and in the last line. I don’t think many people got seven [strides], and I got seven done slow. He knows the game.”
Stopping the clock in a blazing 37.73 seconds, Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Jireh secured a well-earned victory.
Reflecting on her journey with the talented gelding, Vanderveen shared, “I got him when he was seven, and it’s been a nice, slow progression. I’ve always felt he’s the nicest horse I’ve ever ridden, so I’ve been careful to do things right and not rush him. But honestly, he’s like a lion—he’s never backed down or gotten worried about anything I’ve asked of him. I think we’ve built all the right building blocks to get him here, and now he’s really confident at this level.”
$117,000 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation Grand Prix Qualifier CSI4* Results
1 BULL RUN’S JIREH: 2014 Holsteiner gelding by Uriko x Colman
Kristen Vanderveen (USA), Bull Run Jumpers, Inc.: 0/0/37.73
2 H5 PORTHOS MAESTRO WH Z: 2014 Zangersheide gelding by Picasso Z x Ogano Sitte
Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX), H5 Sporthorses LLC: 0/0/38.52
3 LA UNA: 2011 Oldenburg mare by Chacco-blue x For Pleasure
Zoe Conter (BEL), Zoe Conter: 0/0/39.09
4 GLAMOUR: 2011 KWPN mare by Numero Uno x Iroko
Alessandra Volpi (USA), Alessandra Volpi: 0/0/39.30
5 DHALIDA: 2014 Zangersheide mare by Diamant De Semilly x Calvaro
Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA), Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC: 0/0/39.43
6 CORNWALL BH: 2008 Holsteiner gelding by Cambridge 8
Amanda Derbyshire (GBR), Gochman Sport Horse LLC: 0/0/39.96
7 BE SKY HAWK: 2016 Warmblood gelding by Golden Hawk x Harlequin Du Carel
Michael Duffy (IRL), G Sporthorses Limited Partnership: 0/0/40.08
8 H5 KASTELLE MEMO: 2010 Belgian Warmblood mare by Thunder Vd Zuuthoeve x Cicero Z
Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX), H5 Sporthorses LLC: 0/0/40.29
9 CANDY LUCK Z: 2015 Zangersheide mare by Comme Il Faut 5 x Canturo
Alessandra Volpi (USA), Cedar Fox LLC: 0/0/40.33
10 LYJANAIR: 2014 Holsteiner gelding by Lyjanero x Coriano
Richard Spooner (USA), Show Jumping Syndications Int’l: 0/0/41.75
Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, check out Ryegate.Live.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV
Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes! Plan your stay at World Equestrian Center – Ocala.