WELLINGTON, Fla.--Kent Farrington, on a new mount, Easy Girl, won the $75,000 1.50m Championship CSI5* on Sunday, Feb. 13 at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Kent Farrington on Easy Girl (Photo by Sportfot)Despite a downpour, 56 competed over Kelvin Bywater’s five-star course with 17 going clean to advance to the jump-off.
Only four were clean in the jump-off, with Farrington on Easy Girl the fastest in a time of 37.27 seconds.
“She is a great horse, and she was winning classes before I got her,” said Farrington. “To be able to get on her and pick up on producing successful rounds with her immediately is I think a testament to what a nice horse she is. She is very fast, brave, and careful, which is a perfect example of what a modern show jumper should be.”
In the mare’s last big victory, she was ridden by Santiago Lambre, who won the $217,000 BFL Canada Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix CSI5* with her.
Farrington only acquired the mare at the beginning of the circuit and is optimistic about her future after such success only several weeks into their start as a new team.
“She has turned out to be quite rideable, and as I get to know her we are only forming a stronger partnership class by class,” said Farrington. “My plan today for the jump-off was just to go at cruise speed, but she is so naturally quick that even just her neat round is plenty fast. I am excited to see where she takes me, and no matter what she does I think she’s a great addition to the stable.”
Margie Engle on Dicas rwas second, roughly a second behind with a clear time of 38.24 seconds, with Great Britain's Matthew Sampson on Geneve R, clean in 38.24 seconds, placing third.
Lorenzo de Luca of Italy on Dacantos was fourth, clean in 44 seconds, and McLain Ward, just starting back with HH Azure, was the fastest of the four faulters to place fifth.
CHLOE REID on Crossover had the only clear round in $50,000 Grand Prix CSI2* for the win.
The final jump on course was the downfall for many of the competitors and groans could be heard in the crowd each time it fell and dashed the hopes of a jump-off.
Sophie Maher and Quentin Judge each had one time fault to place second and third.
“I think I was fortunate I went early because it definitely would’ve rattled my nerves if I had seen everyone having faults,” said Reid. “I walked the course and made my plan, and I stuck to it. I have had him since he was 6 years old and know he’s a fast horse so I wasn’t too worried. I knew if I could be efficient in a few places I could make it happen.”
Reid has been riding the 9-year-old Hanoverian stallion for the past three years.
“This was our FEI debut here at WEF so I could not be happier about the outcome,” said Reid. “It has been nice to have several years to grow our partnership; he is so competitive, and he was right on it today. I have never had that kind of thing happen in a grand prix before, and I think it was more nerve-wracking than to have had a jump-off!”
With her single time fault, Maher was second on Sentimiento LS La Silla, just .17 seconds over the time allotted in 68.17 seconds, and Judge was third in 68.25 seconds on HH Zorro Z.
