Farrington and Creedance Crowned Champion of Marshall & Sterling/Great American $214,000 Grand Prix CSI4*

Twenty-three athletes representing 14 countries challenged the track, but it was Kent Farrington and Creedance, owned by Farrington and Haity McNerney, who mastered the course and topped the ranks of the Marshall & Sterling/Great American $214,000 Grand Prix CSI4*.

Course designer Anderson Lima (BRA) set the arduous course. Thirteen obstacles made up the 1.60m set track, including a triple combination and water feature that were set within the tight turns and rollbacks of the course. Alberto Michan (ISR) and Cosa Nostra were the pathfinders of the first round, putting in the first clear as only the eighth to enter the arena. Katherine Dinan (USA) and Dougie Douglas followed suit, making themselves the second clear combination in the first round. In total, 11 riders left the course intact to add their names to the jump off roster.

Lima’s shortened track consisted of eight jumps set in a series of twists and turns followed by one final gallop to the last fence. Michan was first to attempt the course, leaving all of the fences up with a time of 34.075 seconds. Dinan and Jessica Springsteen (USA) also produced double-clear rides, each crossing the timers a bit faster than the other. Unfortunate faults for six other duos left them out of the jump-off, while Santiago Lambre (MEX) raced to beat the previously set lead by Springsteen in just 34.522 seconds. However, it was Farrington, one of the final three to enter the arena, that would jump an outstanding round in 34.075 seconds to lead him straight to the winner’s circle in the Marshall & Sterling/Great American $214,000 Grand Prix CSI4*. 

Farrington, who is currently ranked ninth in the world, has plenty of experience with the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Creedance. Together, Farrington and Creedance are known for their quick, clear jump offs that often prove to be unbeatable when it gets down to the wire. Farrington’s horsemanship is apparent in his riding, describing his schedule as one he creates based on where his horses like to jump.

FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

On Creedance:


“Creedance is an exceptional horse. He’s naturally so fast and such a winner. He’s unbelievable; careful and at the same time very brave. He has tons of experience going fast . He’s good in big rings and small rings. He’s just an amazing horse and a great winner for me. When the class was moved into the sand, I thought it was a good opportunity for him so I changed my plan a little bit and put him in there. He delivered like he usually does so I was very proud of him today. I try to show him where he likes and not overuse him in places where I don’t think he needs to jump. Every winter when I’m here, I pick a few weeks where he comes out.”

On moving rings:


“It’s always difficult when there is a schedule change because all of us as riders that compete at a higher level have a plan. This is one of the best fields in Florida; it’s one of the oldest fields so it has really mature roots and amazing footing. It’s a little disappointing for all of us to not jump out there this week, but we make the best of the situation. There’s another nice venue in this ring which suited a more experienced horse. It’s small and the jumps come up fast so that was an additional challenge for all of the horses and riders. The caliber of riders and horses here is very high which is why you still saw strong results from many pairs today.”

On his goals for the season:


“My goals for WEF are to protect my older horses and use this show as spring training for them. I’ll be strategically pulling them out for a couple of bigger rounds. At the same time, I want to give my younger horses a chance to step up into bigger classes. That’s one of the great things about being here in Florida — there are so many classes at different heights.”

Source: Phelps Sports Media