“I ride some very fast horses and Austria is one of the fastest, so if you’re going to go with her in the jump-off, she really only has one speed,” said Farrington of the talented 13-year-old Holsteiner mare by Casall x Corrado I. “I thought she was great today, and she looks ready to go for the season, so it was a great way for her to start.”
The shortened track of eight obstacles set by Peter Grant (CAN) and Joey Rycroft (CAN), challenged riders with a combination of places to open up their stride and gallop along with opportunities to shave valuable time off the clock through efficient turns, ultimately leading to some incredibly quick efforts.“Those smaller horses, they gain confidence from working out of speed, especially when the jumps get bigger and wide,” he said. “They have to be comfortable jumping off a big gallop so it’s a good way to start her. There are tough competitors here as always and it’s never easy to win, so I’m happy to get the win today.”
Laura Kraut (USA) finished just off the mark with her veteran partner Confu, a 14-year-old Holsteiner owned by St. Bride’s Farm, finishing less than a second and a half off the winning time in 39.79 seconds.Also putting forth a double clear effort was U.S. rider Adrienne Sternlicht aboard Bennys Legacy, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Starlight Farms, LLC, crossing the finish line in 41.04 seconds.While it’s still early in the season, Farrington has confidence he’s set up nicely for the duration of WEF, with a variety of horses to choose from as he continues to look for top results in the feature classes.“I have a mixed group here at WEF,” he said. “I have some older, very experienced horses that I’m going to work in and out of the season trying to keep them going but not overuse them here, just like I normally do. I also have some younger ones, and I’ll move them up and down depending on what they’re ready for”Earlier in the day, Laura Chapot (USA) and Calafornia won the $6,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Jumpers. Finishing off the Friday afternoon schedule with a victory, it was Vanessa Hood (USA) and Lou Lou Vls taking home the blue ribbon in the $2,500 Lugano Diamonds High Amateur-Owner 1.40m Jumpers.