LEXINGTON, Ky.--Kent Farrington of Wellington, Fla., was awarded the 2020 International Equestrian of the Year and Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, Texas, the 2020 National Equestrian of the Year at the U.S> Equestrian Federation's virtual annual meeting.
Kent Farrington (Shannon Brinkman Photo)They were both voted the award by the USEF membership, while Farrington was the only option due to the Covid shortened 2020 horse show schedule.
Farrington and Fenney, along with many more outstanding equestrians, were recognized for their achievements during the virtual USEF Horse of the Year Awards Celebration.
And, while Farrington won the equestrian award, his mount Gazelle, Robin Parsky and Kent Farrington’s 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, was voted the 2020 International Horse of the Year .
Pritchard Hill, Balmoral’s 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding, was voted the 2020 National Horse of the Year by the USEF membership.
Gazelle and Pritchard Hill were also honored during the virtual USEF Horse of the Year Awards Celebration.
Kent Farrington is one of top jumping athletes in the world, consistently producing dominant results in the United States and abroad year after year.
Farrington’s roots in equestrian sport started in Chicago, Ill., where he began riding at the age of 8.
He quickly made his mark, ascending through the junior ranks before turning professional in 2000.
HE HAS since gone on to represent the United States at numerous international championships, including the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, 2015 Toronto Pan American Games, 2014 World Equestrian Games and 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games.
In 2019, he became the first U.S. rider to win the Grand Prix of Aachen and the International Jumping Riders Grand Prix of Geneva in the same year, both on Gazelle.
Farrington capitalized on limited opportunities during an unconventional 2020 season, bringing home numerous victories, including a top finish aboard Gazelle in the coveted $213,300 American Gold Cup Grand Prix CSI4*, beating a competitive jump-off field of 15.
With a strong start to the season at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., Farrington set the tone early with win in the $214,000 Marshall & Sterling Grand Prix CSI4* aboard longtime mount Creedance, before guiding Gazelle to a second-place finish in the $401,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5*.
Most recently, Farrington has recorded several international wins aboard Kaprice, Creedance and new mount, Orafina.
TRACY FENNEY, the National Equestrian of the Year, might be known for her winning results in the jumper ring but she’s had plenty of success in the hunter ring over the course of her career, including a notable win in 2017 at the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at HITS Ocala with MTM Outbid.
Tracy Fenney (Photo by Shawn McMillen)Last year brought an impressive list of victories for Fenney, especially in the green hunter classes.
Fenney campaigned MTM Animated and MTM Dippin’ Dots throughout 2020 in the Green Hunter 3’ division, posting wins including those at Ocala January Classic, Equifest I and II, Texas Rose Sport Horse Cup, Final Chase and the championship at Showplace Summertime II.
With MTM Personal Assistant in the Green Hunter 3’3” division, Fenney brought home wins at the Ocala Winter Celebration, Showplace Summertime II, Equifest I and the Texas Rose Sport Horse Cup.
Fenney has successfully trained and shown hunters and jumpers for more than 35 years, and has a long track record of producing exceptional green horses.
She is the co-owner, trainer, and rider at MTM Farm in Texas, where she imports and develops outstanding sport horses for the hunter and jumper rings.
In 2020, the National Horse of the Year,Pritchard Hill tallied numerous championship titles in the 3’9” Green Hunter and High Performance Conformation Hunter classes during five weeks at the Desert Circuit with Carleton Brooks and Leslie Steele in the irons.
The Warmblood gelding also won the $1000 West Coast Green Hunter 3’6”/3’9” Stake and the $1000 USHJA Green Hunter 3’6”/3’9” Stake during Desert Circuit IV.
He kicked off his summer with 3’9” Green Hunter Championship, Green/High Performance Conformation Hunter Championship, and 3’6” Small Junior Hunter Championship titles at Showpark Summer Festival.
Pritchard Hill collected two more 3’9” Green Hunter Championship titles at Showpark Racing Festival and the National Sunshine Series II to close out his impressive year.
