The U.S. Equestrian Federation announced on Jan. 16 that Kent Farrington (Wellington, Florida) has been voted the 2020 International Equestrian of the Year, and Tracy Fenney (Flower Mound, Texas) has been voted the 2020 National Equestrian of the Year by the USEF membership. Farrington and Fenney, along with many additional outstanding equestrians, were recognized for their achievements during the virtual USEF Pegasus and Horse of the Year Awards Celebration.

International Equestrian Of The Year

Kent Farrington is one of the top show jumping athletes in the world, consistently producing dominant results in the United States and abroad year after year. Farrington’s roots in equestrian sport were seeded in Chicago, 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 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (France), and 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games (Mexico). In 2019, he became the first U.S. rider to win the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen (Germany) and the International Jumping Riders Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva (Switzerland) in the same year.

Kent Farrington (pictured on Kaprice) is the 2020 USEF International Equestrian of the Year. Kimberly Loushin Photo

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* (Michigan), besting a competitive jump-off of 15 combinations. With a strong start to the season at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, Farrington set the tone early with a win in the $214,000 Marshall & Sterling/Great American Insurance Grand Prix CSI4* aboard longtime mount Creedance, before guiding Gazelle to a second-placed 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.

National Equestrian Of The Year

Tracy Fenney 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 (Florida) with MTM Outbid. 2020 brought an impressive list of victories for Fenney, especially in the green hunter classes.

Tracy Fenney is the 2020 National Equestrian of the Year. Kimberly Loushin Photo

Fenney campaigned MTM Animated and MTM Dippin’ Dots throughout 2020 in the 3′ green hunter division, posting wins at Ocala January Classic (Florida), Equifest I and II (Illinois), Texas Rose Sport Horse Cup, Final Chase (Texas) and the championship at Showplace Summertime II (Illinois).

With MTM Personal Assistant in the 3’3″ green hunter division, Fenney brought home wins at the Ocala Winter Celebration (Florida), 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.

Six equestrians were recognized for their competitive achievements in 2020 and honored with the following trophies:

Barbara Worth Oakford Trophy – Colby Powell
Bill Robinson Trophy – Margy Cox
C.J. “June” Cronan Trophy – Joel Gangi
Emerson Burr Trophy – Tracey Fenney
Norman K. Dunn Trophy – Jonathan Ramsay
William C. Steinkraus Trophy – Kent Farrington

Sally Ike (Oldwick, New Jersey) was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her more than 30 years of impactful service to USEF and the equestrian sport. Ike has been an integral part of USEF’s success and growth since 1989, working extensively with the USEF Sport Department. She has managed countless responsibilities and held numerous titles throughout her tenure, including chef de mission, discipline director of eventing, managing director of jumping and director of vaulting activities. She also served as the jumping team leader for every Olympic Games, Pan American Games, FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI World Cup Finals from 1990 through 2008.

Sally Ike (left) was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Chronicle File Photo

Lucy Enns (Wichita, Kansas) received the Ruth O’Keefe Meredith Memorial Trophy as the 2020 Junior Equestrian of the Year. Enns has participated in the equestrian industry both in the arena and in its governance. Enns was a finalist in the American Morgan Horse Association Youth of the Year contest in 2019 and 2020 and currently serves on the AMHA Youth Council as vice president of Central Region. She is an accomplished young driver, earning five top-10 finishes with her mare Mabelene at the 2020 Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show.

The following prestigious awards are bestowed annually to equestrians for their service to the sport. This year’s recipients are as follows:

Sallie Busch Wheeler Trophy: Murray Kessler

USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award: Brooke USA

Walter B. Devereux Sportsmanship Award: Debbi Long

Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeders’ Award: Oak Hill Ranch and Rollingwoods Farm

Pegasus Medal of Honor: Dr. Mark Hart and Richard “Dick” Miller

Richard E. McDevitt Award of Merit:
Larry W. Alcorn
Carl Bessette
Steve Blauner
Gay Culverhouse
Carol Dean-Porter
Eve Lloyd Thompson
Patrick “Packy” McGaughan
Richard Petty
Kip Rosenthal
Lt. Col. John William Russell