September 15, 2025 
Every child of the 90s and early aughts will remember that iconic, three-beat theme song heralding that long sought-after moment when you dropped down the Super Mario Bros. World 1 green pipe into the far-more-creepy, dungeonous, and less forgiving World 2.
But what a feeling! It’s a kind of singularly satisfying leveling-up—not unlike the sensation that Kent Farrington must have had aboard Greya, his partner of four years, this weekend. On Sunday, the pair took home the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W – Traverse City for the second year in a row, unofficially launching the 2025/2026 North American League [NAL] season.
“Greya continues to improve and evolve as a show jumper, so I’m really proud of her today,” Farrington said of the now-11-year-old OS mare. “Today, you’re seeing a more mature horse than I had last year, even though she was already winning. I didn’t think today would be the fastest jump-off in the world, but still, big jumps and difficult enough to go clear.”
Farrington was right: It wasn’t the fastest jump-off in the world, but Greya’s unprecedented natural foot-speed and fiercely concentrated expression (it’s giving McLain Ward’s Rothchild) certainly made it look that way. Farrington and Greya were the only combination in the field to earn a sub-40-second jump-off time, stopping the clock at 39.45 seconds.
Spencer Smith (USA) and Keenland were second, earning the first double-clear effort of the day on a time of 41 seconds. Jacob Pope (USA) and Highway FBH were third on 41.11 seconds.
“It’s nice to finish out in a good way at what feels like a home show for us,” said Smith, who spent his spring and summer seasons in Traverse City and hopes to make his first FEI World Cup™ Finals appearance in Fort Worth, TX with Keeneland—a 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding—next April.
“We’ve jumped three double-clears in big, 5* Nations Cups now, but I haven’t pushed it in a jump-off yet, and felt like we are getting a little closer to bigger and bigger things,” Smith added.
While no one would assume that Farrington and Greya’s win 12 months ago in this very class was anything resembling a fluke, their two-for-two dominance is a special kind of Grand Prix-winning milestone.
And, with this victory, Farrington officially takes back over the lead for the most 5*, 1.60m+ Grand Prix wins this season on six (Greya holding five of them), according to Jumpr Stats. Scott Brash (GBR) and Christian Kukuk (GER) tie for second at five a piece.
In fact, Farrington has also now officially tied Brash in their imagined, fourth-quarter match-race, heating up the standings with 10, 5* 1.60m podium finishes a piece. Oh, and did we mention Farrington is still the reigning world no. 1?
“[Greya] has a better understanding of the sport,” the American rider said of the mare’s growth throughout the last year. “I know her better now—how to give her enough time before she goes in the ring, what jumps I need to show her, where I can take more risks, where I need to play it a little more safely.
“You only learn these things by doing the sport, and I think ultimately that’s what our sport is about,” Farrington added. “A rapport with your horse and getting to know your horse.”
