World no. 10, Kent Farrington (USA) claimed the $340,000 CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Traverse City on Sunday as the FEI North American League made its debut at Traverse City Horse Shows during the Tournament of Champions. As crowds gathered on the edge of the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, some of the top riders from North America and beyond converged at Flintfields Horse Park for a chance to earn vital qualifying points towards the 2025 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Basel, Switzerland.
Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton added some international flair to the podium as he raced to the runner-up position riding Melusina Bvl Z. Making their travel across the pond worth the time, Hutton gave it his best effort with AS Sport Horses’ 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Mylord Carthago HN x Air Jordan Z). He finished less than two tenths behind Farrington, clocking in at 37.36 seconds.
“I was lucky enough to have a late draw, so I saw Kent go,” said Hutton. “I gave it my all. This is her first five-star clear, actually. I’m really happy with her. It’s been a very competitive week; nothing is given away here.”
Another exhilarating finish came from Alise Oken (USA), who galloped swiftly into third on High Hopes Farm’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Gelvera (Quality Time TN x Numero Uno).
“I actually thought I had Kent’s time up until the liverpool, but I definitely lost time back to the last line because our right turns aren’t that great,” she explained. “She jumped fantastic though, so I’m happy with the result.
“I really believe in this mare,” she continued. “She had good results in the qualifiers last year and I ended up not going to World Cup™ Finals but I think this year she’s in great shape and I really want to focus on that. We have a great partnership now that we are pretty synced up.”
The qualifier was not only the first of seven in the North American League season, but also the first held at Traverse City Horse Shows, marking it a momentous occasion for the venue.
“It means everything for us to host this event,” stated Traverse City Horse Shows event director Matthew Morrissey. “I want to thank the FEI for placing their trust in us and hosting this event. We’ve been here for 10 years at this venue, continually making improvements, improving our team, and I think we put on a great event today.”
Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton added some international flair to the podium as he raced to the runner-up position riding Melusina Bvl Z. Making their travel across the pond worth the time, Hutton gave it his best effort with AS Sport Horses’ 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Mylord Carthago HN x Air Jordan Z). He finished less than two tenths behind Farrington, clocking in at 37.36 seconds.
“I was lucky enough to have a late draw, so I saw Kent go,” said Hutton. “I gave it my all. This is her first five-star clear, actually. I’m really happy with her. It’s been a very competitive week; nothing is given away here.”
Another exhilarating finish came from Alise Oken (USA), who galloped swiftly into third on High Hopes Farm’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Gelvera (Quality Time TN x Numero Uno).
“I actually thought I had Kent’s time up until the liverpool, but I definitely lost time back to the last line because our right turns aren’t that great,” she explained. “She jumped fantastic though, so I’m happy with the result.
“I really believe in this mare,” she continued. “She had good results in the qualifiers last year and I ended up not going to World Cup™ Finals but I think this year she’s in great shape and I really want to focus on that. We have a great partnership now that we are pretty synced up.”
The qualifier was not only the first of seven in the North American League season, but also the first held at Traverse City Horse Shows, marking it a momentous occasion for the venue.
“It means everything for us to host this event,” stated Traverse City Horse Shows event director Matthew Morrissey. “I want to thank the FEI for placing their trust in us and hosting this event. We’ve been here for 10 years at this venue, continually making improvements, improving our team, and I think we put on a great event today.”