MYAKKA CITY, Fla.--Kent Farrington on his newest mount, Dagny, won the $77,300 FEI 2* 1.45m Grand Prix at the TerraNova Hunter/Jumper Week 2 over a very competitive field of 39on Feb.25.
Kent Farrington on Dagny (Photo by EQ Media)Manuel Esparzaof Mexico, an FEI Level 3 course designer, set a course with a tough vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination and a tricky oxer-to-vertical one-stride off a short turn going away from the in-gate, followed by an airy 1.45m skinny vertical of three white rails and a rollback to a maximum-height triple bar along the rail.
The tight time allowed on course caused some difficulty early on, with only four going clear out of the first 20 entries.
Of the remaining 19 riders, six more horse-and-rider combinations produced clear rounds inside the time allowed of 77 seconds, confirming 10 to come back for the jump off.
The jump-off course – fences 1, +14, +15, 2, 9 b-c, 10, 12 – incorporated the TerraNova Equestrian Center vertical jumped the opposite direction from round one, an oxer not included in round one and the b and c elements of the triple combination, finishing with another maximum-height oxer, the final fence from round one.
AS THE 22nd to navigate the first-round course, Farrington went clear and returned for the shortened jump-off course fifth in the order.
On the 9-year-old mare Dagny, Farrington was out to win and stopped the timers in a blazing time of 40.18, 2.77 seconds faster than the rest of the field.
Beginning the jump-off course with more pace than his competitors, Farrington rode nine strides from jump one to the TerraNova Equestrian Center vertical, where others did 10.
The rollbacks to fence 15 and the Helm Limited vertical at fence two were smooth and efficient.
He opened up Dagny’s stride to 9 b-c and the mare had an impressive jump out of the combination.
Landing with pace, the pair easily jumped fence 10 and galloped their way to a big effort at the final oxer.
“This is a very fast horse. A new horse in my stable," Farrington said. "But you can see she looks like a racehorse. She is naturally quick so I just let her do her thing and try to stay out of the way."
"This is my first FEI show and I think the fourth class I've ever ridden the horse, so things are still very, very new,” he added.
Coming in second, with a jump-off time of 42.95, was Israel’s Daniel Bluman and the 13-year-old bay mare Colestina H, and Jonathan Millar on Isotropic Shadow finished in 45.45 to place third.
The day before, Samuel Parot of Chile on Captain Z beat the field of 41 to win the $10,000 FEI 1.40m Welcome Speed.
Entries for the speed class included elite riders from nine countries, such as Kent Farrington, Taylor St. Jacques of Canada, Cian O’Connor of Ireland and more.
As the 38th pair to contest the Manuel Esparza-designed track, Parot stopped the timers in 63.08, and in a close second was Sarah Hubbard on Latino Van De Looise Heide, while Daniel Bluman of Israel on Ubiluc was third..
“I have provided plenty of options,” Esparza said. “It’s a good track to fill the ring, so I think it’s going to be a good start for them working toward tomorrow.”
“Captain Z is fast,” Parot said with his son Bautista at his side. “I try to win, and I win.
“I thought he was going to take the last jump down, but he didn’t!” Bautista said. “I really wanted him to get first place and I always get excited when he gets first place.”
Parot is impressed with the facility, noting that it is great for young horses to get valuable experience.
He brought five horses, two FEI, one amateur mount for his wife and two for other classes.
Parot plans to return for Weeks 3 and 4 March 15-26.
