22 August '23
Double victory for Kent Farrington and Toulayna Van Het Bloesemhof Z!
© Atalya Boytner / MLSJ
A few weeks after their victory during the CSI3* GP of the Travers City Horse Shows in Williamsburg, the American rider Kent Farrington and his 9-year-old mare Toulayna impressed again last weekend! Farrington and Toulayna, a daughter of Toulon and Parco who was born at the home of breeder Jasper Doucé as Toulayna van het Bloesemhof Z, appeared at the start of the five-star show in Rockwood, Canada, and won both the GP-Qualifier on Thursday and the CSI5* GP on Saturday night!
Farrington and Toulayna immediately started their show on Canadian soil very well During the 1.50m high GP Qualifier on Thursday they were one of the 10 combinations that remained clear in the basic round and so qualified for the jump-off. They managed to deliver another clear round and with a finishing time of 32.97 seconds they were almost 2 full seconds ahead of the competition.
But the highlight of the weekend came for the duo during the CSI5* GP on Saturday evening. Here too they managed to ensure a clear round during the basic round and so they were one of the 8 combinations that managed to advance to the jump-off. In that jump-off they managed to repeat that flawless performance and with a finish time of 37.26 seconds they now also wrote a CSI5* GP on their list of honors, after a CSI3* GP and a CSI4* GP earlier in the year!
But also the 3rd place during this CSI5* GP colored blue and yellow and that was ensured by the American lady rider Mimi Gochman with the 10-year-old grey stallion Cosmos BH, a son of Chellano Alpha Z and Artos Z, who was born as Cosmos Z here at Stoeterij Zangersheide and with whom Gochman performed very strong in Williamsburg earlier this month. They also managed to keep all poles in the cups in the jump-off, but they crossed the finish line in 39.75 seconds.
Another striking combination in Rockwood was the Irish rider Conor Swail with the 10-year-old grey mare Calcite EB Z, a daughter of Cornet Obolensky and Berlin who was bred by LVP Stables. Swail and Calcite EB Z already managed to secure a 5th and a 6th place on Wednesday and Thursday and during the CSI5* GP they secured a 4th place in the ranking.
Who was also placed twice in Rockwood was the Canadian lady rider Ali Ramsay with the 10-year-old gelding Conrado Z (Cardento VDL x Diarado – B: Duka Invest D.O.O.). After a 6th place during the 1.40m class on Wednesday, a 4th place followed during the 1.50m class on Saturday. During the 1.50m GP Qualifier on Thursday, Ramsay also jumped to an 8th place with the 12-year-old mare Bonita vh Keizerhof Z (Bustique x For Pleasure – B: Leon Otten).
Furthermore, the British lady rider Jessica Mendoza also jumped into the picture during that GP Qualifier and this with the 11-year-old gelding I-Cap CL Z (I'm Special de Muze x Air Jordan Z – B : Alexander Liefsoens). Both during the basic round and during the jump-off they kept the 0 on the scoreboard and this performance earned them a 5th place in the ranking.
Next to the CSI5* competition, also a CSI2* competition took place in Rockwood and during the CSI2* GP on Saturday, there was a podium place reserved for the Irish rider Paul O'Shea with the 9-year-old mare Dirty Girl, a daughter of Donckervoort DH and Casall ASK who was born at the home of breeder De Dwerse Hagen BVBA as Delaya DH Z. In a jump-off for which 12 combinations were able to qualify, they finished clear in 36.51 seconds and this performance was good for a 3rd place in the ranking.