August 18, 2024 
Lillie Keenan had extra motivation heading into the jump off for Saturday night’s CSI5* MLSJ Toronto Grand Prix: Kent Farrington breathing down neck.
With the world no. six behind her on the ever speedy Toulyana, her mission was clear.
“I knew I was gonna have to go flat out if I wanted to try to beat him,” said Keenan. “There’s been quite a few times I’ve been a bridesmaid to him, so it was nice to once actually get in front of him.”
It wasn’t close either.
Keenan and Kick On crossed the timers a second and a half fastest in 39.17 seconds, the only pair in the seven-horse jump-off to post a sub-40 score. Farrington and Toulyana took second in 40.57. David O’Brien (IRL) and El Balou OLD were a distant third in 42.06.
“Every time I walk any sort of jump off class, I make sure to walk the jump off. I like to have a plan, a number of strides,” explain Keenan.
“There are some bending lines, especially to the combination that I took a bit of a risky shot. My friend Johnny Pals told me that I could leave out an extra stride and do that in eight. I did not ride my absolute best, but my horse made up for it. He was right there with me every step of the way.”
Saturday’s Grand Prix was a 1.60m debut for Kick On and second Grand Prix win. The pair won a 2* 1.45m Grand Prix at TerraNova in March and have jumped to five podium finishes prior this year (Jumpr).
His record before that was…almost no record. The 10-year-old stallion contested just one FEI event in 2019 before Keenan began competing him in the international ring at Wellington, Fl this past winter.
You can bet, people are paying attention to him now with his fist 5* win at his first 5* show in his first 5* Grand Prix. And the Farrington factor is just icing on the cake.
“I thought that if I could possibly beat him, it would either be because he went flat out and had an unlucky rail. I did not think that I would be faster than him. Kent, is always a top competitor and to be honest, I feel privileged to jump against him because he pushes me to be better.
“And, it’s pretty sweet to finally beat him once.”
