Kent Farrington Keeps on Winning in $62,500 Hermès CSI5* 1.50m Classic
Kent Farrington & Grass de Mars. Photo © Sportfot
One CSI5* win wasn’t enough for Kent Farrington (USA), who walked away with another on Sunday in the $62,500 Hermès CSI5* 1.50m Classic to close out Week 7 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Aboard Grass de Mars, Farrington proved he has another top contender coming up the ranks.
“I got the horse with the Philippaerts family; I bought them out, so I own the horse together with Katie Robinson,” he said of Grass de Mars, a 9-year-old Selle Français mare (Windows CH Costersveld x Dollar dela Pierre). “It’s been a new partnership for me and we’re off to a good start. I’m very impressed with this horse at just nine to go in and jump a class like that. She’s still growing into herself so it will be fun to see what we have.”
Of the 13 clears over Anthony d’Ambrosio’s (USA) Winning Round track, Farrington had a quick enough time to secure a jump-off position and made the most of the opportunity.
“She has a big stride and turns on a dime,” Farrington elaborated on Grass de Mars and her jump-off strengths. “She did an exceptional job to the third fence. Then I let her open up and I was amazed by how big her stride was. She can carve up the lines and still be dropping out strides which makes her exceptionally fast in a big ring.”
Grace Debney Dominates $62,500 Buckeye Nutrition CSI2* Grand Prix
Grace Debney (GBR) snagged her biggest win of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season, piloting Jesprit H.S, owned by Temple Equestrian LLC, to the win the $62,500 Buckeye Nutrition CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday of WEF 7. Together the duo topped a field of 45 entries and 13 clear efforts to claim the top spot.
“She’s special in a lot of ways,” Debney said of the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Carosso VDL), who she’s had since the mare was eight. “She’s obviously an amazing horse but she’s also the favorite in the barn; she has a huge personality, and she’s just got a lot going on. She either hates you or loves you so I’m happy to say she loves me.”
Their admiration for each other was apparent Sunday when they pulled out all the stops come jump-off time. Debney was second to last to return, and knew the task at hand wouldn’t be easy. She made an initial plan for her jump-off but switched gears because of how fast the other riders were going.
“I watched the first really good ones go and I was like, ‘Uh oh. I have no choice. I had to leave out. I had to get it done.’”
Lindsay Swedenburg Bests Bruno Delgrange Palm Beach Adult Medal
Lindsay Swedenburg took a big win Sunday afternoon in the Bruno Delgrange Palm Beach Adult Medal aboard Konfessions, owned by Brookside Pine Farms, LLC. Now riding as an amateur after a successful junior career in the equitation, Swedenburg of Scarsdale, NY is focusing all her efforts on piloting Konfessions in the adult equitation offerings at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
“His name is Ramone and he’s amazing,” Swedenburg said of the 12-year-old Warmblood gelding by Untouched. “He does everything. He’s the most ‘go with the flow’ horse. He will jump through fire honestly.”
Beginning their partnership last May, Konfessions took Swedenburg to her last equitation finals, and now they’re enjoying stepping into the ranks of the adult equitation.
“He’s really down to do whatever,” she continued about what makes him special. “He’s with you every step of the way. I think doing some of the tighter turns helped me win. At this point I know him so well — especially at this height — so it’s easy to turn and do the tighter options. I think that was a big part of it.”
Wellington International
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