August 12, 2023 
When Kent Farrington discovered Electrique, he thought he’d found a promising mount for himself.
The American Olympic medalist bought the mare as a 7-year-old and developed her into the beginning of her 9-year-old year. As most things do with Farrington, the partnership was going rather well. The pair were finishing in the top 10 more often than not (56% at 1.45m, by Jumpr App stats).
“She won a bunch of classes with him as well,” recalled Tiffany Foster.
There was just one problem…the big bodied mare was a poor fit for Farrington’s 5’6″ frame.
“She’s a bit of a bigger model and he was having an injury with his groin. He just kept re-injuring it every time he tried to ride her,” shared Foster.
Farrington offered her the ride at a time when the Coxe family behind 5 Roosters was looking to add to her string.
“Kent helps me find horses and he was like, ‘I don’t know where to find a better one than this. I have it in my barn. I’ve been riding it for a year and I would keep her, but…’ So it was pretty fortuitous that I ended up with her.”
That good fortune has continued in the ring.
Foster has been competing the Zangersheide mare since March and, as of Friday, has already logged two international wins and a 50% clear round and top 10 finish average at 1.50m (Jumpr App). But it’s only in the last month that she feels their partnership is starting to gel.
“For such a big horse, she’s very sensitive. It took me a little bit of time to figure out all the buttons.”
Foster used the four weeks of Calgary’s Spruce Meadows Summer Series in July to test and tweak their program to find out what best suited the mare.
“I kept sending [the owners] videos and [saying], ‘Tried something new this day. Tried a new bit this day. I tried different spurs this day. I tried a different warm-up this day,” she said.
“It was a bunch of tiny little things. By the last week [of the Summer Series], it sort of all really came together.”
That week, the pair rode away with their first victory in the CSI5* Scotiabank Cup 1.50m. Now back in the ring at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, BC, they’ve picked up right where they left off—winning.
“Now I feel like I’ve got the formula.”
Four of the 25 international starters in the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors 1.50m mastered Anderson Lima’s first round course to advance to the jump off. Canada’s Kara Chad and Igor GPH set a speedy standard in 40.24 seconds, but left the door open when they dropped a rail at the last. Foster followed immediately after and used the mare’s massive stride to shave half a second off, leaving all the poles in place and long to the last.
“We’re going to give that last jump to her,” smiled Foster.
“I was planning the nine [strides to the final fence]. But I saw what happened to Kara Chad. She went to go get the nine, got a little on the inside [track] and got there too close in the nine, so I didn’t want to do that.”
She added, “I definitely didn’t do that. I was very, very long.”
When Jim Ifko and Un Diamant des Forets, the final combination in the ring, dropped a rail, Foster’s win was assured.
Jaclyn Duff (CAN) and Eblesse finished second in 42.46 seconds. Chad and Igor GPH, third.
