Kent Farrington had a stellar week at the CHI Geneva, held Dec 12-15, in Geneva, Switzerland. First he picked up a win in the Trophée de Genève with speedster Creedance.
“I brought Creedance here because he is so fast, and he does a lot by himself, so I just try to stay out of his way and let him go, which is usually the best plan,” Farringotn said. “He’s actually won this class before, so he really knows what he’s doing, and he showed that tonight.”
Kent Farrington and Creedance. Rolex Grand Slam/Ashley Neuhof Photo
Farrington followed that up on Friday with his second victory in the Rolex IJRC Top 10, which pits the top 10 ranked riders on the Longines FEI World Ranking List against one another.
Farrington is actually ranked 11th but got his spot because fellow countryman Beezie Madden, who is ranked seventh, elected not to come to Geneva. He rode a newer mount, Austria 2 for that win.
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“She’s amazing,” he said of Austria 2. “I started riding her in May and as soon as I tried her I thought she was an exceptional horse. She’s really small in stature, but she’s got a huge heart and is a tremendous jumper. This is the biggest class she has ever jumped in her life, so to go on and win is amazing, she is unbelievable.”
Kent Farrington and Austria 2 on their way to victory in the Rolex IJRC Top 10. Rolex Grand Slam/Ashley Neuhof Photo
The 10 horse-and-rider combinations were set a technically challenging course designed by world-renowned course designers Gérard Lahchat of Switzerland and Louis Konickx of The Netherlands. The first round proved to be challenging, producing just three clears from Farrington, Steve Guerdat and Darragh Kenny. The second round saw Farrington produce another exacting clear round, stopping the clock in an outstanding time of 40.32 seconds, joining an elite group of riders who have won the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final twice.
Reflecting on his win, Farrington said, “I think this is an amazing class; it’s great that Rolex supports it as it really showcases the top level of our sport. I look at the list of riders that have already won it once, and then the guys that have won it twice, Steve Guerdat, Rodrigo Pessoa and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, they are the best in our sport, so it’s an honor to be on that list with those riders.”
