He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
The world’s number one-ranked show jumper, Kent Farrington, was a brilliant combination of determination and precision aboard Greya to win the 1.2 million Euro ($1.4 million U.S.) Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday and start on the road to the elusive Rolex Grand Slam.
Kent was very distressed Friday when he finished second on Toulayna to Britain’s Scott Brash in the International Jumper Riders Club top 10 competition, and blamed himself for the loss while noting how beautifully his mare had handled the challenge.
“Today was better riding. Thank God,” said Kent.
“I was so upset the other day. I thought my horse jumped incredible, so I was out for revenge today. Super happy with the results. Greya is an incredible horse,” he said of the 11-year-old daughter of Colestus, who is his match for ability and fortitude.
Kent and Greya, the mare who was victorious in seven 5-star grands prix this year, were determined to win in Geneva.
In the eight-horse tiebreaker, the American was fighting to beat the time of U.S.-based Irishman Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz, clocked in 41.39 seconds. Kent claimed the 400,000 Euro ($469,000 U.S.) top prize with tight turns and brilliant foot speed, staying ahead of his rival all the way to finish in 40.04 seconds. Thibeau Spits of Belgium was third with the Zangersheide stallion Impress-k Van’t Kattenheye Z in 42.21 seconds.
Rolex Geneva Grand Prix winner Kent Farrington with second-place Shane Sweetnam, left, and third-place Thibeau Spits.
“I was worried about this one,” Kent admitted, but he played it perfectly.
“A great finish for my year. I’m super proud of my horse and my team,” he said.
Shane, who noted he keeps finishing behind Kent, realized that even if he had put in his ideal round, he couldn’t have beaten the winner. But the Irishman was pleased that after having been third and fourth in the class in previous years, he was pleased to have moved up to second on his Irish-bred mount.
Swiss designer Gérard Lachat and Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo of France laid out the route in the Palexpo Arena.The view was a winter wonderland, with Christimas trees on course, decorative gift-wrapped presents next to one jump and even a reindeer along a side of the arena.
The clock was a factor in how the course rode, with the first three of the 40 contenders having penalties for failing to make the 74-second time allowed. A total of 12 riders accumulated time faults. Slowest of the clear jumping rounds belonged to the USA’s Lille Keenan on Fasther, who had two time penalties to finish thirteenth. The only other American in the class, Kyle King, was thirty-eighth on Kayenne Z.
Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz.
Next up on the Grand Slam circuit is the Dutch Masters in March, followed by Aachen and Spruce Meadows. Only one rider, Scott Brash, has ever won the Grand Slam by taking all four. He was the Geneva Grand Prix winner in 2014 to start his streak. As the winner of the Spruce Meadows grand prix in September, he would have been halfway to another grand slam had he won Sunday. But he didn’t even make the jump-off after having two fences down in the first round with Hello Folie and finishing thirtieth.
This was the second time that Kent has won the Geneva grand prix. He also was victorious in 2017 on Gazelle. Only two other Americans have won the class; McLain Ward on HH Azur in 2022 and Katie Monahan Prudent on Belladonna in 1999.
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