Farrington Takes Rolex Grand Prix

American Kent Farrington, riding his mare Greya, won the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule, beating his young countryman Karl Cook in second place and Belgian Grégory Wathelet in third, in a finish that the audience and riders will remember for a long time.

With a field of exceptional riders and horses, of which many are likely to shine during the forthcoming Olympic Games, the Grand Prix produced a moment of incredible intensity for this stage of the brand-new Rolex Series (La Baule, Dinard, Rome, Brussels, Dublin and Wellington). At the end of the day, the result was an American one-two, which was a very symbolic occurrence so near to the anniversary of the D-Day landings. Fourteen years after McLain Ward, who won in 2010 on Sapphire, Kent Farrington has become the second rider from the USA to write his name onto the roll of honour. He takes the crown from Belgian Nicola Phillipaerts, who triumphed last year with Katanga v/h Dingeshof.

Eleven duos made it through to the jump-off after a highly selective but subtle first round designed by Grégory Bodo, who will be track superintendent this summer in Versailles for the Olympic Games (in partnership with Spaniard Santiago Varela). The included Swiss riders Steve Guerdat (world # 3), Martin Fuchs (# 6) and Pius Schwizer, Belgians Grégory Wathelet (# 24) and Jérôme Guéry (# 41), Austrian Max Kühner (# 5), Americans Kent Farrington (# 7) and Karl Cook (# 29), as well as Kevin Staut (# 20).

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