Top riders competed this week in the CSI5* 1.60m Grand Prix of Wellington. With Ben Maher (GBR), Olympic champion Christian Kukuk (GER), McLain Ward (USA), and others, the course delivered top-level sport. In the end, seven pairs made it to the jump-off, where Kent Farrington kept the victory in his home country in a masterful performance!
Kent Farrington was the fifth to start in this Grand Prix. Alongside Greya (breeder: Wilfried Sandmann), Farrington entered the jump-off as the fifth competitor. The duo finished more than five seconds ahead of Lillie Keenan’s time, taking the lead. Ultimately, Darragh Kenny and his horse, Eddy Blue (breeder: Paul Schockemöhle), came closest to Farrington’s time. With a finish of 41.22 seconds, they landed in second place, about one second behind Farrington.
American rider Lillie Keenan secured third place in the Grand Prix. Keenan, who was the first to start, completed the top three with Argan de Beliard (Mylord Carthago x Ahorn). "It was an exciting jump-off," Kent Farrington said afterward. "The course was well designed and allowed opportunities to score."
Before the competition, Eve Jobs analyzed Kent Farrington as "one of the strongest riders in the world." "He is simply a winner! He competes to win—that is clearly his focus," the rider stated. "He always has a plan and takes the time to develop his horses. Take Greya, for example—he has given the mare all the time she needed!"
In front of a home crowd, McLain Ward finished fourth with Callas (Jalisco B x Alme) for Team USA, ahead of Olympic champion Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly (Cap Kennedy 2).
