World no. 1 Kent Farrington (USA) won the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W – Traverse City for the second year in a row on Sunday to launch the 2025/2026 North American League [NAL] season.
As a crowd of show jumping fans gathered on the banks of the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, top athletes from North America and beyond competed at Flintfields Horse Park for a hopeful bid at the 2026 FEI World Cup™ Final in Fort Worth, TX. After leading the NAL standings last season, Farrington now leads the standings with 20 points to start the season.
From a jump-off field of seven, Farrington and Greya were the only pair to stop the clock under 40 seconds, clocking in at 39.45 seconds for the win.
Spencer Smith (USA) pocketed the first double-clear of the day, riding Keeneland to a time of 41 seconds flat over the short course. Smith is hoping for his first FEI World Cup™ Final appearance on home soil this season with the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Carmena Z x Quattro) owned in partnership with Storm Ridge Capital, LLC and Ashland Farms. In third, Jacob Pope (USA) piloted Highway FBH, a 13-year-old Dutch-bred stallion (Plot Blue x Cornet Obolensky) owned together with Sherri Crawford to a time of 41.11 seconds.
“Greya continues to improve and evolve as a show jumper, so I’m really proud of her today,” said Farrington of his 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Colestus x Contender). “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.
“She has a better understanding of the sport,” continued Farrington of Greya’s growth throughout the last year, which in part helped him ascend to world no. 1. “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—a rapport with your horse and getting to know your horse.”
Sunday’s win marks Farrington and Greya’s second five-star grand prix win at Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) in as many months. “I think the level of sport in North America is really good. We’ve got great facilities like here in Traverse City, which helps us do the sport better because we have good conditions, great course builders, good jumps and great competitors too. We get a nice crowd that’s been very supportive of me, so I love coming back here today.”
Smith spends his spring and summer season in Traverse City, so ending on a podium as competition peaks during the final two weeks is a highlight for the U.S. based rider. “It’s nice to finish out in a good way at what feels like a home show for us,” he said. “We’ve jumped three double clears in big five-star 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.”
For Jacob Pope, third place was the reward for a plan set with 1986 World Champion Katie Prudent, who helps guide him with Highway FBH. “Going into this week, she pulled me aside and said, ‘we’re going to jump this week, you’re going to do really well and we’re going to go to World Cup Finals,’” said Pope. “A couple weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if I was even going to jump the five star. But, Highway felt really good. He’s a special horse.The two of us are learning to go fast together, and there’s really no option working with Katie!”
This week’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ – Traverse City marked Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) 97th time course designing as part of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ series.
“It’s always great to be back in Traverse City,” he said. “I was here at the very first show in 2004, and I actually helped design this ring with a little bit of flair and different shapes that I think help the course designers come out with different tracks. It’s amazing to see what the Morrissey group has done with the facility. Every year you come here, you’re surprised by so many improvements. To be able to build a World Cup qualifier here with this level of riders is very exciting. Today, we had great competition.”
A crowd of more than 1,200 filled Flintfields Horse Park on Sunday, Event Director Matthew Morrissey noted the efforts his team has dedicated to growing the sport both locally and nationally.
“We have loved bringing special events like this to northern Michigan over the years and now we have been doing improvements so that the venue is suitable for five-star competition,” he said. “That work is paying off with strong fields like today, and we enjoy doing this along with the American Gold Cup next week as our two highlight events in September.”
The next stop on the NAL heads to the nation’s capital for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ – Washington.
For complete results from the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W – Traverse City click here.
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