Tribute was paid to the dynamic Gazelle by a big Saturday night crowd on Feb. 11 at the Winter Equestrian Festival, as the 17-year-old mare headed for retirement after a stellar show jumping career with rider Kent Farrington.
Kent Farrington and Gazelle. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Her owner, Robin Cleary Parsky, said, “After 10 years of extraordinary accomplishments at the most prestigious show jumping events in the world, it was a difficult decision for Kent and me to have Gazelle leave her sporting career, but I am delighted to report that she is in terrific condition and she will be heading for a well-deserved life of green pastures and sunshine.
“Kent and I had a great experience here in 2017 when Gazelle won the Fidelity [Investments®] Grand Prix, so we decided that we would let her retire at the top of her game here. To be able to have her fans thank her and know how much we appreciate her, that is what we wanted. Thank you to all of Wellington and everyone here at WEF for helping us do this wonderful tribute to an incredible horse.”
Throughout the mare’s international career, Gazelle grossed over $4 million in prize money and represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympic Games and the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games with Farrington in the irons. Gazelle was also honored with the International Horse of the Year title by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) in 2020.
“I’m obviously very proud of her results,” said Farrington. “Thank you to Robin and my team and all the people who have been a part of her journey. She made me a better rider and a better horseman, and for that I’m probably the most grateful.”
One of this century’s most outstanding horses in the discipline, Gazelle (Kashmir van Shuttershof X Indoctro) won her last competition in September at Spruce Meadows. She earned more than $4 million in prize money, winning nearly all of the top 5* Grand Prix in the world including Rolex CSIO Aachen, Rolex CSI Geneva, GCT Madrid, Queen Elizabeth II Cup Spruce Meadows (twice), American Gold Cup (twice), Fidelity Investments CSI Wellington, Rolex CSI Tryon, Jumping International Valence (twice), Hubside St Tropez, Kentucky National WC and many other jumping events.
Robin Parsky, Kent Farrington and groom Denise Moriarity at Gazelle’s retirement ceremony during the Winter Equestrian Festival. (Sportfot photo)
Kent and I once had talked about Gazelle’s character and how he brought her along. Kent worked with Gazelle from the time that she was seven. As he noted, “A horse that is that careful just takes time. They need a lot of experience in the ring so they understand the job, understand how to jump the combinations and really know what’s expected of them. Horses like that have to have a lot of trust in the rider. That’s only built through time and experience.”
Kent knew what he was looking for when he selected her.
“She was very, very careful. In today’s sport, for professional riding, someone that’s accurate, that’s what you want–a horse that’s extremely careful. It takes a little extra time to produce them, but I think in the end you get a special horse.”
Watching Gazelle compete, you might be surprised to learn about Gazelle’s barn persona. As Kent explained it, “She’s really sweet in the stable, she’s very quiet; a little opposite of how she is in the competition arena. She’s a good pet; like a puppy, really friendly.”