LEXINGTON, Ky.--Kent Farrington on Kadans won the $31,000, 1.45m Welcome Stakes over Caitin Boyle on Priant van het Mikkenhof on Wednesday evening, Oct, 31 at The National Horse Show.
This is now the evening attire for presentations at the National Horse Show
It's a shame to call the show now running in Lexington The National Horse Show.
The National Horse Show evokes memories of decades of Madison Square Garden in New York City packed to the rafters with enthusiast fans cheering on top international teams along with top hunter, three- and five-gaited horses and hackeys.
Men dressed in top hat and tails, ladies clad in gorgeous evening gowns and jewels; trophy presentations with ladies escorted by a member of the Gentlemen's Committee with trophies engraved with names of some of the top horses in the world and the announcer proclaiming the names of the presenters and donors of the trophy and recent past winners.
Even when it went to New Jersey, the prestige and pomp remained, and when it first moved to Lexington with Mason Phelps as president, Phelps kept the competition top notch with some of the pomp,, black tie ights and parties for exhibitors.
The show in Lexington is a perfectly nice horse show, but this version of The National Horse Show is akin to seeing Man o' War or Secretariat running in a $10,000 claiming race.
IN THE open jumper division, which is now only a 3* event, there is only one rider in the top 50 world ranking, and that is Farrington, and only two in the top 100, Farrington and Kelli Vanderveen.
The arena is empty except for a section where exhibitors and owners pay hefty sums for tables with lunch and dinner service.
Washington International has by far overtaken the National, with almost a dozen riders in the top 50 world rankings competing.
The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto still has dozens of the top jumper riders in the world as well as the pomp of men in tuxedos and tails and ladies in evening gowns.
The arena in Toronto is well filled, and Harrisburg and Washington at least have well filled arenas for the grand prix.
For the class presentation in Lexington, two women stood alone holding a small plate with no announcement of either the name of the trophy or of the presenters.
While the hunters divisions still have a couple of top riders, the saddlebreds have been replaced by adult amateur equitation and 3'3" amateur-owner and junior hunters.
It's a nice horse show, but it doesn't deserve the history and prestige of the name "The National Horse Show."
Call it something else, maybe the Lexington National.
In the Welcome Stake, five made the jump-off from the starting field of 28 over a course set by Alan Wade.
Farrignton, last to go in the jump-off, finished clean in 34.17 to win over Boyle, clean in 34,83, and Lorcan Gallagher of Ireland on Copycat was third, clean in 40.56.
Jimmy Torano on Kochi Z ws fourth with four faults in 34.66, and Alise Oken on Oraline van Prinseveld was fifth with four faults in 34.94, while Beat Mandli of Switzerland on Kay Grey was sixthwith one time fault in the first round.
“I rode Kadans tonight," said Farrington. "He is a very athletic horse, he’s fast, careful, and just a modern show jumper. The track made for good competition with the course designer being one of the best in the world. With it being a 3* there is a good mix of horses and riders and I think he measured that well.”
