Foster Wins, Ballard Places 3rd on Thursday at WEF

U.S. team Olympic silver medalist Kent Farrington opened his week on the grass derby field at Equestrian Village with a win in the $62,500 Adequan® CSI4* riding Landon during the MARS Equestrian™ sponsored WEF 4 in Wellington, FL.

From a stacked field of 54 horse-and-rider athletes, 12 were clear and on to the jump-off designed by Anderson Lima (BRA). After one withdrawal from the tie-breaking round, 11 faced off for victory.

Landon, an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo) owned by Haity Mc Nerney, delivered a competitive time to beat for Farrington from the second half of the jump-off order. Their time stood at 37.96 seconds stood after Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) tried to best it riding 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Loukas de la Noue (Malito de Reve x Mr. Blue) for owner Oakridge Farm. She finished in 38.70 seconds, while Canada’s Erynn Ballard rounded out the top three in 39.77 seconds aboard another 13-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Libido van’t Hofken d’16 (Nabab de Reve x Heartbreaker) owned by Ilan Ferder.

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The weather was mild and sun was high over the derby field, providing perfect conditions for Farrington and Landon to rise to the occasion. “I love showing on the grass; I think that’s the best setting for horses in general,” said Farrington, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic squads in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Tokyo, Japan. “It’s great sport and we’re lucky to have a wonderful field in Wellington.

A horse and rider jumping a fence at WEF.

Tiffany Foster and Jetouelle-S, winners of the Griffis Residential CSI2* 1.45m. (Sportfot photo)

“The start of the course was pretty wide open and I tried to keep a normal stride,” said Farrington of his plan for Landon, the mount that won him a team gold medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, this summer. “At fence four, my turn back there is probably where I won the class today.”

With Paris 2024 as a fixed goal in Farrington’s near future, Wellington marks a time of preparation for him and his string of horses.

“I try to use it like a spring training where I get them up to some bigger level events if they’re in form,” he said. “This is Landon’s first week out and it’s off to a great start.”

When asked why Farrington makes his winter base in Florida, he noted, “It’s a great culmination of a bunch of different disciplines and high-level riders. It’s a place we call home and we’re able to compete, develop, train and we can do everything and still stay in our own bed every night, so that’s great for us who spend most of the year traveling. I love being here.”

For the win, Farrington was presented with The Barry Lane Challenge Cup. Established in 2003, the trophy is given in memory of Barry, who lost her life in a riding accident in 2002, and was established in honor of her devotion and love of the sport of show jumping.

Earlier in the day, Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster won the Griffis Residential CSI2* 1.45m on the grand derby field at Equestrian Village. Piloting Jetouelle-S, owned by 5 Roosters, to a time of 62.24 seconds, she topped the one-round speed event by a margin of less than a second over Ireland’s Jordan Coyle, who took second aboard Elan Farm’s Ariso in 62.91 seconds. Fellow Irishman Conor O’Regan rounded out the top three riding Carmen de Bonnieres for owner Ericka Houlihan in a time of 66.65 seconds.

Results here.