Kent Farrington Finishes First in $75,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round IX CSI5*

Wellington, FL – The $75,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round IX CSI5* was the main event in the International Arena on Thursday, March 10, at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Week 9 of the 13-week series is presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate and is the third of four weeks to host international competition at the five-star level. WEF 9 also offers two-star level international classes, sponsored by Corro and a variety of nationally-rated hunter, jumper, and equitation events. U.S. Olympic team silver medalist Kent Farrington put forth the winning jump-off round on Orafina.
 
A total of 52 elite international competitors representing 16 nations contested Alan Wade’s (IRL) first round. Wade designed a difficult track and by the class’s halfway mark only five entries were set to return for the jump-off. The course, which included both a double and a triple combination, kept 15 riders from jump-off contention with the fault of a single fence but also tripped up an additional five competitors with the tight time allotted of 73 seconds.
 
As the final fences were set for the shortened course, 10 combinations had qualified to return but only nine found their way back to the arena as Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and James Kann Cruz elected to save their jumps. Always one to watch out for in a jump-off class, Farrington was the first to qualify for the class and therefore the first to return with Kent Farrington LLC’s 10-year-old KWPN mare (For Fashion x Canturo). As he has done many times before, Farrington made it look easy as the pair cleared the final timers fault-free with a fast time of 33.41 seconds.
Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP) produced the second clear of the course aboard his own 10-year-old BWP gelding Malibu De Muze (Nabab De Reve x Tornedo FCS). Landing just a fraction slower than Farrington with a time of 33.68 seconds, Moya settled for second-place honors.
 
Belgium’s Jos Verlooy and Eurhorse BVBA’s Luciano Van Het Geinsteinde once again pinned in the top three for the class as they rounded out the victory gallop with a final time of 34.28 seconds. Verlooy and the 11-year-old BWP gelding (Quinn Van De Heffinck x Air Jordan) have been in top form and were the winning combination in this class during WEF 8.

Press Release WEF 9 2022
Sent by Equestrian World@equestriansport.com
Photo Kent Farrington and Orafina. © Sportfot