KENT FARRINGTON AND CREEDANCE VICTORIOUS IN CREDIT SUISSE GRAND PRIX

On the eve of the Rolex Top Ten Final, the USA’s Kent Farrington kicked off his return to Switzerland with a vengeance, winning the Credit Suisse Grand Prix Qualifier aboard Creedance. As one of only two double clear rides on the first day of the CHI Geneva CSI5*, Farrington recorded a strong start to the event.

The grand prix qualifier for Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix saw 50 international horse-and-rider combinations enter the Palexpo Areno to take on the 13-fence track. However, only nine pairs were able to claim clear score sheets in the first round.

Starting the class off in enthusiastic fashion was local rider, Christina Liebherr, and the 12-year-old BWP stallion L.B. Eagle Eye. They were the first pair in the ring and the first to ride clear.

Nearly 20 riders thereafter were unable to advance from either recording time faults for exceeding the 64 seconds allowed or from lowering poles on course. The list grew to include top names and contenders such as Harrie Smolders, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Christian Ahlmann, Rolf Göran-Bengtsson, and Robert Whitaker.

At the conclusion of Round One, Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca, USA’s McLain Ward, Germany’s Daniel Deusser, Ireland’s Cian O’Connor, and Belgium’s Jérome Guery would jump clear, making Thursday’s class a nine-man jump off with seven different countries represented.

As Cian O’Connor elected to withdraw from jump off competition, the remaining eight took to the shortened course. Six knocked down a single pole, and in the end, it was Farrington who finished with all the poles in place and with a 5.07-second advantage to take the win.

Jérome Guery and the 10-year-old BWP chestnut gelding Grand Cru van de Rozenberg (Malito de Reve x Heartbreaker) produced the second double-clear performance of the evening, riding into second place with a time of 42.10 seconds

In 2015 Farrington was the first American rider to win the Rolex Top Ten Final.

Source: Noelle Floyd