Kent Farrington (USA) finished the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final the way he began it: with a victory.
Farrington cliched the first World Cup title of his career Sunday afternoon at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas with a clear effort in the final round of jumping aboard his partner of five years, Greya.
He finished on just 4 total penalties from three days of competition and four rounds of jumping. Daniel Deusser (GER) finished second on 7 penalties with Otello de Guldenboom, followed by Katie Dinan (USA) and Out of the Blue SCF with 9 penalties.
“The World Cup Final is special to me, because that’s what I grew up watching. I didn’t have access to high level shows, but we had video tapes of the World Cup Final, and I would get that every single year,” Farrington said. “I would watch it so much that I would burn through the tape on cassette, so to be here winning it today is really special for me, and I’m very proud to have my name on the trophy.”
Farrington led the competition at every stage. He won the opening speed round with Toulayna before also topping the second round’s jump-off competition with Greya.
“I think it’s important [to note] that I rode two horses here that brought me to this victory. I couldn’t have done it without Toulayna on Day One, who also won,” he said. “I have two exceptional mares, and they put me in a position that I am here to win this title.”
Pressure packed
Sunday’s Third Final Competition—reserved for the top 30 athletes after the first two rounds—was as thrilling as the sport could offer. Course designer Anderson Lima (MEX) set the stage for a pressure-filled final day with his artfully colorful and technical tracks, the first of the two jumping rounds featuring an eye-catching Longhorn-shaped wall and a challenging double of verticals with a water tray.
Dinan, Rene Dittmer (GER) and Richard Vogel (GER) moved up the leaderboard with impressive clear efforts, while three-time World Cup Champion Steve Guardat (SUI) and Kevin Staut (FRA) saw their positions fall with a rail apiece.
Farrington had more than a rail in hand entering the round, but when the plank fell at the sixth fence on course, it left him just three penalties ahead of Deusser.
The top 20 then advanced to a second and final round, which posed more challenges, from a wall of mural planks to a short oxer-vertical line against the rail and a power-required oxer at the end of the triple combination. Dinan jumped clear again, and Deusser gave himself his best chance at a second career title with another faultless effort.
“My expectations were high. That’s why I’m coming here,” said Deusser, the 2014 title holder. “I had a very good start on Day One, [but] one rail down pushed me back a little on Day Two. Today, I have to say, [Otello de Guldenboom] really tried his heart out. He really did his very best, and I have to say I’m very proud of him.”
To win it all, Farrington and Greya would have to keep every rail up, and the fans sensed the pressure. It was silent in the stands as the pair set off in the arena toward the first fence, but when they landed off the last obstacle, the crowd erupted.
“I was hoping to go [into the last round] with a rail in hand. That didn’t happen,” Farrington said. “I’m very confident in my horse, so I was hoping she would perform like she did, and she delivered.
“From [when I was] a little kid, I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself, and at a certain point, there’s no more pressure to put on,” he added. “I just focus on my task at hand, be in the present, be one with my horse, think about what I have to do and not worry about the end result in that moment. I’m just in the present, riding the course with my horse.”
All-American heroes
The United States brought nine athletes to these Finals on home soil, and they impressed throughout the week. All nine riders advanced through to Sunday, with six making the very final round. Ultimately, the Americans bookended the podium. To Farrington’s immediate left was Dinan, who at just 32 years old, has already competed in seven World Cup Finals.
A year ago, Dinan and her mare Out of the Blue SCF finished eighth in Basel (SUI) and were the only pair to produce a double-clear effort on the day. They were double-clear once again Sunday in Fort Worth.
“I’m in awe of my horse,” Dinan said. “She was spectacular every day, jumping clear on Thursday, Friday, and both rounds today. I owe everything to her.”
Coached by 2007 World Cup Champion Beat Mändli (SUI), Dinan’s placing was even more meaningful, given she achieved it in her home country—and with a horse that was bred in the United States, by Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, KY.
“This is a mare that was born in the U.S. and did her whole young horse career in the U.S. She’s gone to Europe for shows, but everything was all U.S.-based,” Dinan said. “It’s exciting to represent my country like that.”
Just blocks from Dickies Arena is Farrington Field, an American football stadium that the World No. 2 jumping athlete encountered upon his arrival to Fort Worth. The venue is named after an athletic director named Evan Stanely Farrington, but there might now be additional significance. As Farrington sat before his trophy, he acknowledged there may have been a bit of foreshadowing in Texas.
“I did see Farrington Field,” he said. “I thought that was a good sign when I got here.”
To access flash quotes from the Mixed Zone, click here. This link is updated during each competition.
