Faced with not only the best-ranked rider in the world, but also leading riders from six different nations, Ivan Tagle (ARG) crafted a challenging first-round track for the starting field of 34 horse-and-rider combinations. Knowing he was building for a talented group, Tagle’s tests included a triple bar to a vertical with a liverpool, an airy wall, and a variety of bending lines and combination fences, alongside a tidy time allowed. At the completion of the first round, only a total of seven pairings had managed to beat both the time on the clock as well as leave all fences upright, setting the stage for an exciting jump-off. Farrington found himself as the penultimate competitor to return, having piloted Kent Farrington LLC’s 10-year-old KWPN mare (Dexter R x Caricello), Kanny-Fee, successfully across the first-round course with only one more clear entry to follow.  

Immediately prior to his performance over the short course, Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Jireh had lowered the time to beat to an efficient 40.02 seconds. Never one to back down to the challenge, Farrington utilized Kanny-Fee’s unique thoroughbred-like style to his advantage, shaving precious milliseconds off of Vanderveen’s time to stop the clock in 39.41 seconds. 

“It was a technical course today with enough entries and some very good horses in the class,” stated Farrington. “They utilized some championship-style jumps, including a delicate gate early on and a related distance off of the triple bar from fences three to four, so it took a rideable and careful horse to finish clear today.”

While Kanny-Fee was the less-experienced of the two horses Farrington had in the field, her winning performance earlier in the week left Farrington feeling confident she could be successful against a harder track. 

“She’s just been making steps in the sport and progressively moving up, so this has been great experience for her these last two weeks being here,” he explained of Kanny-Fee’s development. “Leaving the week with two wins was more than I expected, so I’m just thrilled with the horse.”

While often described as unorthodox, Kanny-Fee fits Farrington’s criteria when he scouts upcoming talent. 

“I like to say I just look for a good horse, one that wants to clear the fences and work with the rider,” he detailed. “She has a bit of a strange style of jumping, but she’s very willing, has big power, and she’s careful too.

“We have had great competition here these last few weeks, and it’s largely in part of sponsors such as Core that make it possible,” he added. 

Known for their top finishes, the combination of Vanderveen and the Bull Run Jumpers, Inc’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Uriko x Colman) returned in the runner-up position for the class’s victory gallop. It was a full-fledged team USA podium as Adrienne Sternlicht and Starlight Farms 1 LLC’s 11-year-old Westphalian gelding (Los Angeles x Lancer III), Los Angeles de la Cense, became the final combination to master the jump-off track, rounding out the top three with a time of 40.47 seconds.