Traverse City, Michigan, USA – September 15, 2024 – World no. 10, Kent Farrington (USA) claimed the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Traverse City CSI 5*-W on Sunday as the FEI North American League made its debut at Traverse City Horse Shows during the Tournament of Champions. As crowds gathered on the edge of the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, some of the top riders from North America and beyond converged at Flintfields Horse Park for a chance to earn vital qualifying points towards the 2025 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Basel, Switzerland.
A familiar face in the North American League, Alan Wade (IRL) built a course that suited the challenge for a 35-horse field. As the first to produce a fault-free effort in round one, Farrington set the pace over the tie-breaking jump-off. Six additional pairings from five different nations ultimately joined him in the return. Farrington and his own Greya, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare (Colestus x Contender), cleared the final timers in 37.19 seconds, daring the remainder of the field to catch them.
“I went first, and I thought the class would be fast, but I didn’t think that it would be wild,” described Farrington. “I thought I had done a pretty aggressive round and that someone would have to try hard to catch it. It got a little closer [to the final fence] than I would have liked, but we had luck on our side today.”
For Farrington, having a class of this caliber at the start of the fall schedule in the United States is a step in the right direction for the sport in his home country.
“I think that this is great for American show jumping,” he stated. “You’re starting to see some new faces like Sam [Hutton] and Abdel [Saïd] and this whole team coming from Europe, and I think that says a lot about the venues and the prize money that we have. The support that we’re getting from the industry and sponsors is great for our sport and great for North America.”
Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton (GBR) added some international flair to the podium as he raced to the runner-up position riding Melusina BVL Z. Making their travel across the pond worth the time, Hutton gave it his best effort with AS Sport Horses’ 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Mylord Carthago HN x Air Jordan Z). He finished less than two tenths behind Farrington, clocking in at 37.36 seconds.
“I was lucky enough to have a late draw, so I saw Kent go,” said Hutton. “I gave it my all. This is her first five-star clear, actually. I’m really happy with her. It’s been a very competitive week; nothing is given away here.”
Another exhilarating finish came from Alise Oken (USA), who galloped swiftly into third on High Hopes Farm’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Gelvera (Quality Time TN x Numero Uno).
“I actually thought I had Kent’s time up until the liverpool, but I definitely lost time back to the last line because our right turns aren’t that great,” she explained. “She jumped fantastic though, so I’m happy with the result.
“I really believe in this mare,” she continued. “She had good results in the qualifiers last year and I ended up not going to World Cup™ Finals but I think this year she’s in great shape and I really want to focus on that. We have a great partnership now that we are pretty synced up.”
The qualifier was not only the first of seven in the North American League season, but also the first held at Traverse City Horse Shows, marking it a momentous occasion for the venue.
“It means everything for us to host this event,” stated Traverse City Horse Shows event director Matthew Morrissey. “I want to thank the FEI for placing their trust in us and hosting this event. We’ve been here for 10 years at this venue, continually making improvements, improving our team, and I think we put on a great event today.”
Having built courses in the Turtle Creek Casino & International Ring over many years, including multiple years for the American Gold Cup, Wade felt right at home for the build.
“There’s a certain set of specifications that you have to follow, but unless you have faith in a surface and fence material—which I always have—and it isn’t every day you would build such a strong course,” he affirmed. “The horses have been jumping amazing all week. In the qualifier on Friday, I thought horses jumped very well. We were setting a fair test, hoping that the better horses would get to the top. As it was the first [FEI] World Cup™ qualifier of the season, I think it was a good start to the season.”
Final Results – $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Traverse City CSI 5*-W
1) Kent Farrington (USA) & Greya – 0 / 0 – 37.19
2) Samuel Hutton (GBR) & Melusina BVL Z – 0 / 0 – 37.36
3) Alise Oken (US) & Gelvera – 0 / 0 – 38.44
Source: Press Release from Traverse City Horse Shows
Photos: © TCHS / Andrew Ryback Photography / Megan Giese Photography
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