WELLINGTON, Fla.--Kent Farrington won his second WEF Challenge Cup in as many weeks on Thursday, Feb. 8 during week 5 of Winter Equestrian Festival, this time on Toulayna.
Kent Farrington on Toulayna (Photo by Sportfot)Farrington, the 2016 U.S. Olympic team silver medalist, could not be caught in a 12-horse jump-off in the $116,100 CSI5* Challenge Cup in the International Arena.
From an original field of 52, Farrington on Toulayna, a horse he started developing as a 7-year-old, won in a time of 35.98, with two seconds to spare, over a course built by Gregory Bodo of France..
“You could see his sophistication in the first round; it was not a huge course but there were faults everywhere,” said Farrington of Bodo, who will design the courses for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer. “The jump-off wasn't typical. It used the entire arena running up and down, so I think it was an advantage for a well-schooled horse that can turn great, and Toulayna turns as well as any horse. One to two on a very short rollback suited me well and at the end I was able to cut into the double on an angle to bend my two strides coming home. I think that is probably where she made it up.”
Spencer Smith finished second on Theodore Manciais, clean in 37.23 seconds,and Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny was third on Eddy Blue, clean in 37.79 seconds.
FARRINGTON took his time developing Toulayna and rode the mare in her first FEI grand prix victory in the CSI4* Grand Prix only one year ago in the International Arena at WEF.
“You always have to be looking for future talent even while you're running the talent that you have, so I always try to use Florida as a way to get my experienced ones up and running while at the same time producing the next ones for the future,” said Farrington.
Of Toulayna’s program at home, Farrington said. “It’s pretty easy. She's a show horse and she knows the job, so it's more about fitness and keeping her mentally fresh. I ride her on the canals and on the grass; I like to keep them out of the arena so they stay fresh for the sport and they're happy to do their job. She’s an incredible horse and hyper competitive.”
Boy-Adrian van Gelderen of Belgium on Jazzlyn won the CSI2* Speed.
Taylor Land was second on Falco V and Laura Chapot was third on speed specialist Chandon Blue.
