August 31, 2026 
Bridgehampton, NY may be the furthest place on earth from the O.K. Corral. But it, too, hosted an epic showdown of sorts on Sunday, August 30, during the Longines Hampton Classic 5* Grand Prix.
In one corner, the World No. 1, Kent Farrington: a three-time winner of this event who brought his best horse, the 12-year-old OS mare, Greya, for the occasion.
In the second: the World No. 12, McLain Ward, fresh off his appearance at the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen with High Star Hero. Last to go in the order, Ward—a seven-time Grand Prix winner at the Hampton Classic in his own right—saddled the 10-year-old KWPN gelding, Lestro VD Valckenborg, his partner of just under a year.
Separated by 22 rounds on the start list, sometime teammates Farrington and Ward were the only two riders in the field of 31 to crack the code of Nick Granat’s 17-effort, 1.60m track. In the jump-off, Farrington and a fresh-as-a-daisy-looking Greya set the pace with a time of 41.82 seconds, just pipping Ward and Lestro on 42.56 seconds.
Germany’s Christian Kukuk took third as the fasteset four-falter in Round 1 with Akarad Tivoli Z.
“Greya is a phenomenal athlete, and she really showed that today. Jump-off’s like these are actually the most uncomfortable for me, because you’ve got a guy like McLain who can pull off something crazy at the end,” Farrington explained.
“It’s really exciting with how much risk you want to take. If I go all out and I’ll have one down, I hand him the win. But if I don’t put enough pressure [on], he can take those extra risks and beat me.”
For his part, Ward was thrilled with Lestro VD Valckenborg’s performance after a series of top-10 finishes this season in the 1.60m ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows and both 1.55m qualifiers for the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen. The pair also won both the 1.50m qualifier and the 1.55m Old Salem Farm Grand Prix back in May.
“I’m thrilled with Lestro,” Ward said. “He’s a young, up-and-coming horse. This was his biggest Grand Prix start of his career. Less than a year ago, we were jumping 1.45m, so his progress and the way he performed today were brilliant.
“Arguably the best horse-and-rider combination in the world right now was the only other clear, and I found that quite motivating,” Ward continued. “I had nothing to lose in the jump-off in some ways, but at the same time, my horse is a little less experienced.
“I’m thrilled to be second to that combination.”
To be sure, the mare in ‘that’ combination sits among the five, very best show jumping horses of all time, with 11, 5* 1.60m Grands Prix wins to her name. (Farrington’s now-retired partner, Gazelle, is also a member of that esteemed club.)
Having so far amassed just under €2.8 million in career earnings together, Farrington and Greya are clear at 56% in 39 rounds at 1.60m+, finishing on the podium a remarkable 68% of the time according to Jumpr.
“I think Greya’s results speak for themselves,” Farrington said at the Hampton Classic. “I’m a big sports fan, and stats don’t lie. She is incredible—she’s a phenomenal athlete—and she really showed that today.”
