Kent Farrington, 24, is just starting to make his mark on the grand prix circuit. Adding the $75,000 Budweiser Grandprix of Devon to his resume was a huge accomplishment for him. Farrington and the feisty bay mare Madison topped Joe Fargis and Jimmy Torano in a three-horse jump-off for the large crowd gathered around the Dixon Oval in Devon, Pa., tonight, June 2.

The 21-horse field for the grand prix faced a course–built by Olaf Petersen Jr.–which didn’t look to be overly challenging, but proved to be tough enough to narrow the field to just three for the second round. A difficult triple combination of vertical-vertical-oxer was a true scope test, and the last line of triple-bar to plank vertical to an oxer off a bending line caught many other riders. “We didn’t have a huge number in the grand prix tonight, but the quality was there. Hidden Creek’s Perin was here, and Chris [Kappler] on Primeur, and McLain [Ward], who is deadly on any horse,” said Torano.

Torano was the first into the ring to jump off. He and the flashy bay Aguila set off with determination, galloping to the first few jumps and slicing the turn to the third jump in the jump-off. Torano paid for the speed with a rail at that oxer. “I just went a little too fast. I knew Kent was after me, and I was worried about him. it was my fault,” said Torano. He had another rail at a later fence, finishing with 8 faults in 41.25 seconds. Fargis cantered in on the venerable 16-year-old Edgar. He shaved the turns, but got a little but stuck in one turn back to a vertical. Fargis posted a clean round, but in a conservative 44.51 seconds.

“Joe didn’t really try to win the class. He rode for the clear round, and he left the door open for Kent,” said Torano. Farrington eyed that opening and galloped right through it with Madison. He made efficient, clean turns and capitalized on Madison’s very quick pace to cross the finish line clean and in 44.10 seconds for the win. “Joe went pretty normal, so I just tried to be a little quicker. Madison’s a really athletic horse and she’s young. She’s really coming into her own,” said Farrington.

Primeur and Kappler and Carlos Boy with Ken Berkley placed fourth and fifth respectively, with one time fault each. Todd Minikus and Fleir were sixth with the fastest 4-fault round.

Winning with Madison is all the more rewarding for Farrington because he’s brought Madison up through the ranks. His stident, Alexa Weeks, purchased the Dutch-bred mare five years ago as a 4-year-old prospect and as an amateur horse. Farrington started showing Madison in the grand prix classes a sort of a whim, but they ended up winning a grand prix in Kentucky last year. This spring, they won one of the $25,000 Friday grand prix classes at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) and took second in the $100,000 Cosequin U.S. Open Jumper Championships. They placed eighth in the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational (Fla.) in April.

Ray Francis isn’t a stranger to the winner’s circle, having earned the leading handler title in the hunter breeding division at Devon the last five years. But his lifelong dream has been to handle the Best Young Horse at Devon,and this year it came true. Frnacis held Spanish Spear, a yearling colt he bred and raised, to the title. Spanish Spear, a very flashy chestnut, is owned by Kenny Wheeler’s Cismont Manor Farm, who have had a lock on the Best Young Horse title for decades.

Spanish Spear (Zarr–Karacter Kount) is a full brother to last year’s Best Young Horse, Anastazia. Wheeler bought Anastazia last year just weeks before Devon, firming up his chances for the Best Young Horse title. When Francis called him last spring, telling him that Anastazia’s younger brother was just as fancy, Wheeler bought him sight unseen. Spanish Spear stayed with Francis at his Doylestown, Pa., farm until Devon. Wheeler joked that since Francis was the only one on the Devon grounds older than him, he let him choose which young horse to hold. Obviously, Francis chose wisely.