Kent Farrington jumped to the top of the North American League standings with his second World Cup win of the season on Saturday. But his contender status for the Final is definite maybe.
The world no. 4 memorably kicked off the 2024/2025 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ season with a win in Traverse City, MI aboard Greya in their first 5* appearance after their abandoned 2024 Olympic bid. (The 11-year-old OS mare was sidelined by a cough in Paris.)
On Saturday evening at Desert Horse Park in Thermal, CA, USA’s reigning speed specialist captured his second victory of the season on Toulayna, topping a seven-horse jump-off by over three seconds.
“[Toulayna] is naturally a fast horse, which is a big advantage in our sport today,” said Farrington of the 11-year-old Zangersheide mare. “If you naturally have a horse who already wants to be quick, then, as a rider, it’s much easier to do less and just not interfere, which is more or less my job in riding her.”
As the lead off pair, Farrington and Toulayna set a speedy standard in 32.33 seconds that ultimately forced rails in the five pairs followed.
“I’m pretty confident in my plan; when I decide that I’m going to do something, I stick to it,” said Farrington. “When you know a horse well, whether you go first or in the middle often makes no difference. If you have fast riders coming after you, it also doesn’t make a difference. Sometimes it can work to your favor too—then you don’t change your mind. You stick to your own plan. Luckily that worked for me tonight.”
Belgium’s Jos Verlooy on FTS Killossery Konfusion, the final pair to return, were the only combination to match his clear, but rode for second with the conservative time of 35.37.
“I had my plan, but I knew Kent is very fast,” said Verlooy. “[Kent’s] horse is very fast, so I knew it was very hard to beat, probably impossible. So, I was just thinking of my second place, what I had to do to be second.”
USA’s McKayla Langmeier and Mimosa VD Rollebeek rounded out the top three.
The win is Toulayna’s third at the 1.60m height and her sixth Grand Prix win (Jumpr stats). Since making their 1.60m debut in 2023, they’ve finished top 10 in 65% of their 17 appearances at the height and average fewer than 2 faults.
Farrington is now tied with Daniel Bluman (ISR) atop the North American League standings with 54 points. Whether he’s Basel-bound for the Final in Switzerland, however, will be decided by his horses.
“I’m not sure at this time whether that’ll be a focus, but I am interested in earning the points so that I have it as an option,” said Farrington. “If I feel in good enough form to contend and to compete for the win, then I’ll go. If I don’t think I’m there, then I’ll skip it. I’ll let the horses tell me what I’m doing.”
The North American League next stops in Puebla, Mexico next week and wraps Ocala, Florida Feb 11.