Kent Farrington and Madison blazed into the arena with a performance hotter than the opening pyrotechnic show at the $100,000 President’s Cup CSI-W at the Washington International, held Oct. 25-30 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

The pair went head-to-head with some of the world’s top show jumpers and pulled out two faultless rounds to set an unmatched jump-off standard with a time of 32.22 seconds.

At age 24, Farrington was competing at this year’s Washington International for the first time as a professional. He took home the Tad Coffin WIHS Equitation Classic Finals title as a junior in 1999 and has been gaining momentum ever since.

Madison was originally purchased as a prospective amateur-owner horse in 2000 by one of Farrington’s students, Alexa Weeks. Since 2003, Farrington has been making a big impression with the athletic, Dutch-bred mare at grand prix level.

A lengthy list of achievements in 2005 tells the story of the duo that currently leads the American Grandprix Association Horse of the Year standings. With major victories from the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) to the Budweiser Grand Prix of Devon (Pa.), Farrington and Madison are hard to catch wherever they go.

“I think it’s all about the horses I get to ride. Right now I’ve got a really nice horse and great clients,” said Farrington.

“This was a really exciting win for me, competing against Todd [Minikus] and Laura [Kraut] who I’ve watched forever. It’s really an honor to ride in this class with them,” said Farrington.

Runners-up Kraut and Minikus gave kudos to the up-and-comer originally from Chicago, Ill., complimenting him on his swift style. “Watching the jump-off, I knew how fast Kent was. I saw his time and thought, ‘This is going to be a very difficult time to beat,’ ” said Kraut.

Noted Farrington of Kraut’s mount, Anthem, “I know that horse is very fast. It’s kind of an illusion because he can add an extra step but still be faster. It was pretty nerve-racking to watch her ride.”

As Kraut and Anthem cleared the final fence of the jump-off, the crowd erupted and waited for the official time to appear on the scoreboard. But Kraut estimated that a slight stumble after the first fence cost her and Anthem the .22 seconds just be-hind that of Farrington and Madison.

The course, designed by Steve Stephens, proved to be a formidable but fair venture for the riders. Its tough combinations—especially the triple—narrowed the class of 25 riders to seven jump-off qualifiers. “I thought it was a very exciting course, and there was the right number of horses in the jump-off to make it exciting for the crowd as well,” said Minikus who cleared the final round in 34.06 seconds aboard Harry R. Gill’s Flier.

The 10th element of the first-round course asked riders to navigate a tight triple combination. This obstacle was the curse of the course and kept many horses out of the jump-off. After watching a significant number of efforts trip through the combination’s second vertical fence, Farring-ton revised his strategy.

“I wanted to get a little deep at 10A because I didn’t want to fly in and punch out that second plank,” said Farrington.

Madison and Farrington landed smoothly after fence 9 and composed a steady canter into the combination. They negotiated the oxer-vertical-oxer trio with an airy silence. The duo landed in a gallop to conquer the final oxer and incite a boisterous ovation.

Harry Smolders, of the Netherlands, rode a solid jump-off round in 36.56 seconds. At age 25, this year marked his debut trip to the Washington International as well.

Aside from his fourth-placed finish in the President’s Cup, Smolders soared to victory in the $25,000 AOL.com Puissance, clearing a wall of 7’4″ by combining his own talent and confidence with that of his mount Verelst Quebec, 12. The pair had only just met in England 12 days earlier.

But they hit the ground running asvictory gallops became routine for Smolders and his new mount. Earlier the same day, the duo tacked the $25,000 Accumulator on to their expanding list of victories.

Schaefer Scores
The WIHS adult jumper course provided a 180-degree difference from the congruently designed children’s course that preceded it (see p 39). With only three clear rounds for the adults (versus 14 in the children’s class), Ericka Schaefer of Rockville, Md., and her mount Maizy Toltien stepped into the ring to demonstrate how to do it—and earned the championship.

Schaefer and Maizy Toltien qualified second of the three combinations, as 14 riders led their horses back to the stalls. Schaefer and her 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood took their turn just after an impressive show by Mindy Blackford and Foul Play.

After Blackford completed a faultless ride in 33.94 seconds, Schaefer walked into the arena, measured up a new layout, and took to the first fence with a powerful gallop. “Mindy had an extremely solid round, and I knew it was all or nothing,” said Schaefer.

“Instead of doing the inside turns, I wanted to keep my horse on a big stride and go faster around,” said Schaefer, who trains with Alexandra Listrani.

They finished clear in 32.28 seconds to take the lead. After the final rider put a rail to the ground, Schaefer’s nerves turned to exuberance.

And her victory became the perfect opportunity to introduce herself to her co-workers. “I’m the administrative director for the show [Washington International] and just started working here in July, so no one really knows my name yet. So it’s nice to be able to make a name and now have people recognize me. I’ll be able to walk around here with my head held high for the next week,” said Schaefer, who plans to add some color to her office desk with her championship ribbon.

But her behind-the-scenes involvement with the WIHS wouldn’t help alleviate the stress of her first year competing at this level. “I went into the first round very nervous. I had a very bad stomach ache and was on the verge of tears,” said Schaefer. “I had to sit there and calm myself before I went in. Fortunately my horse knows her job, and we both had a really good time.”

Schaefer found Maizy Toltien last May in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, as somewhat of an accident. “I went over looking for a hunter with no intention of finding a jumper. But I came back on the plane with my jumper,” said Schaefer. “I tried out about 15 horses a day for an entire week, but when I rode her, that was it. It was love at first sight. Now jumpers are my first love.”

The previous week’s Pennsylvania National marked the beginning of Schaefer’s indoor career, but her confidence is now sky-high.

The Winning Dance
Cecilia Halsey, of Madison, Ala., made a remarkable comeback aboard her 12-year-old Thoroughbred, Galway Bay, winning the WIHS Adult Hunter Championship.

Having missed last year’s championship by half a point, Halsey returned to Washington this year ready to win. “I was extremely nervous, and it was a lot of pressure,” said Halsey, who returned to riding two years ago after a 20-year break. “I’d never been to the indoor shows before last year. For me to come back at 46 was a big deal.”

But with a partner like Galway Bay, Halsey’s nerves dissolved as the duo found their rhythm in the ring.

With the tight quarters and crowded schooling rings at the MCI Center, Halsey and trainer David Wright opted to keep Galway Bay at an equestrian center off-site until the last minute. “We went out and rode him a little in the rain this morning, but he hadn’t even seen the ring here yet. But he just walked right in there and did his thing,” said Wright.

“He never hesitated,” agreed Halsey. “He knows his job and loves it.”

Galway Bay, casually known as “Teddy,” charmed the judges for a final score of 165. “He has quite a personality,” said Halsey. “He thinks he’s James Bond.”

As one might expect of James Bond, it was Teddy’s charisma that got the girl. “We were in Palm Beach and casting around for a horse, but not looking hard-core. A friend of David’s brought him to our attention. I went to look at [Teddy], and he turned and looked at me with these amazing topaz eyes as if to say, ‘You cannot resist me, you have to have me,’ ” said Halsey.

But few would guess that this remarkably quiet Thoroughbred originally came from the racetrack. “Cecilia rides Thoroughbreds very well,” said Wright. “She rides him very loose, and he likes that. For her to pull on the reins isn’t really even necessary.”

Halsey has experienced her share of hot horses and has learned quickly how to communicate with Teddy. “He’s really sensitive. Although if you get into a pulling match with him he says, ‘I’m a race horse—letme show you how it’s done.’ But he’s wonderful and really good at feeling my body language and responding to my movement,” said Halsey. “It’s been a learning process for him because I don’t think he’s ever been ridden that way.”

The pair’s natural chemistry has always been apparent to Wright. “I like to tell Cecilia, ‘Have fun with your dance partner,’ before they go in the ring,” said Wright. “They seem like they’ve known each other forever.”

Grand Slam Performances
For Shaw Johnson Price, her primary goal at the Washington International was to stay consistent in her riding throughout the two days of competition at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. And when the amateur-owner, 36 and over, division concluded, she’d done that and more—aboard Reese, she collected the championship, grand amateur-owner title and leading amateur-owner hunter rider award.

“This was for sure our biggest win,” she said, smiling. “I walked away with the grand slam, that’s for sure!”

After starting with Reese, her 9-year-old Swedish Warmblood (Gershwin—Solita) in the amateur-owners last January, this was their first championship together in the 3’6″ division. They won the first over fences class and placed third in the under saddle before returning the following day for another blue over fences.

“I was thrilled and surprised,” she added. “We’ve had some great classes and some bad classes in the past. I really went into Washington wanting to be consistent and think my way through.” Price, 41, Annapolis, Md., returned to the show ring two years ago. She took a lengthy break to be married and have two children. She said she “found another life.”

She began riding again with trainer Bob Crandall, who found her Reese and Costello, and now she trains with Louise Serio and Amanda Lyerly at Derby Down in Kennett Square, Pa.

“I truly couldn’t have done this without all of them,” said Price. “Bob found me two wonderful horses, and Louise and Amanda have been amazing.”

With top ribbons aboard her Costello in the amateurs, Price just missed earning the reserve championship too. But the handsome bay gelding didn’t go home without his own accolades. With Serio in the irons, Costello earned the first year green hunter championship.

“I feel like I’m a really, really fortunate person to be able to come back after such a long break and have two really nice horses,” she said. “It’s been a terrific thing, and I’ve been incredibly lucky.”

Scott Stewart knows all about grand slams too. He and Chopard, partners now for more than five years, have earned count-less blue ribbons in the green and regular conformation divisions, and they added yet another title to their resume with the regular confor-mation hunter championship and the grand hunter title.

“Chopard is great,” said Stewart simply. “He does it all on his own. He’s just an unbelievable horse to ride.”

The pair won all five classes in the division, and while this wasn’t the first time they’d pulled off a clean sweep, it was particularly memorable for Stewart because of the quality of their time spent in the ring. “This is about the best he’s ever gone, really,” said Stewart, smiling. “Yesterday’s class was about the best we’ve had. Because I know him so well, I know exactly what he’s going to do every step of the way.”

Stewart noted that Chopard, 11, is especially suited for venues like Washington because he’s the ultimate show horse. “In this environment, he’s so easy. You don’t longe him. You just ride him for five minutes. I think he got ridden for four minutes this morning,” said Stewart, laughing. “And he’s been here before, so it’s old hat.”

Chopard has a pretty easy life now. He’s lightly shown in theregular conformation division by Stewart and in the amateur-owners by owner Krista Weisman.

“At home he’s ridden lightly almost every day. Krista does him in the amateurs a few times a year. But he doesn’t do much when he’s not showing,” said Stewart.

By virtue of his tricolor performances with Chopard and with Granted and Truly in the green conformation section, Stewart earned the leading hunter rider award. This year he’s batted four-for-four, with additional leading hunter rider titles at Devon (Pa.), the Capital Challenge (Md.) and the Pennsylvania National.Tricia Booker