04 March '25
Kent Farrington and Toulayna win the CSI4* Grand Prix of Ocala again
© Andrew Ryback Photography
American rider Kent Farrington and his top mare Toulayna showed their class again last weekend! Over a month after their previous Grand Prix victory, they managed to add a CSI4* Grand Prix to their record of achievements for the second time in just a few weeks last Saturday in the magnificent accommodation of the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala.
Ocala's Grand Arena once again attracted quite a crowd on Saturday evening for this absolute highlight of the weekend, for which French track builder Gregory Bodo and his team had once again laid out a masterful round. The 1.55m high base lap was technical, but above all the tight time allowed proved to be the biggest challenge for many combinations. In the end, only 3 out of 34 managed to keep it neatly clear to secure a spot for the decisive jump-off. These included Kent Farrington and his 11-year-old mare Toulayna, a daughter of Toulon and Parco who was born as Toulayna van het Bloesemhof Z to her Belgian breeder Jasper Doucé. Farrington and Toulayna have already scored some resounding victories in recent weeks, so that list was extended again last weekend. As the last combinations at the start, they again provided a demonstration round, as a finishing time of 47.21 seconds put them over 2.5 seconds ahead of Farrington's compatriot McLain Ward.
Also in the top five of the standings of this CSI4* Grand Prix we saw Portuguese Luis Sabino Gonçalves with the 11-year-old chestnut gelding Scoop de Septon Z, a son of Hunters Scendro and Echo van 't Spieveld from the breeding farm of SPRL Val De Somme. They too managed to keep all the beams neatly in the basic round, but a time penalty unfortunately kept them out of the jump-off and made them settle for 4th place. Moreover, it was already the second top ranking of the weekend for the duo, as Luis Sabino Gonçalves and Scoop de Septon Z were also good for 5th place during the 1.50m class on Thursday.
Another notable combination in the CSI4* competition was Irish rider Conor O'Regan with the 12-year-old gelding Big Boy Z, a son of Big Star Jr K Z and Caridor Z bred in the Netherlands by A. van der Heijden. O'Regan and Big Boy Z competed three times in Ocala and also managed to jump into the prizes three times in the process. A 10th place in the 1.45m opening class on Wednesday was followed by a nice 5th place in both the 1.45m class on Friday and Saturday.
CSI2* competition
Besides the CSI4* competition, there was also jumping at two-star level in Ocala last weekend, in which some Z-horses once again showed their best. The CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, for example, saw American rider Brian Moggre achieve a top 5 ranking with the 8-year-old mare Crislin van den Bosrand Z, a breeding product of Luc Huyghe who combined the blood of Carambole with that of Nabab de Rêve. In a jump-off for which 11 combinations managed to qualify, they again provided a flawless performance, finishing in 4th place.
In the 1.45m class on Saturday, his compatriot Michael Walton managed to jump to a top ranking with the 10-year-old stallion Viva La Vida RW, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Cambridge from the breeding farm of Anton Vullers in the Netherlands. Walton and Viva La Vida RW, who also finished 10th in the 1.45m class on Thursday, managed to secure2nd place in this class.
McLain Ward also managed to jump into the picture twice with the 9-year-old gelding Snapchat van de Broekkant Z, a son of Hunter's Scendix and Concorde bred by Inno Lamers. Ward and Snapchat van de Broekkant Z started their competition on Wednesday with a 5th place in the 1.40m class and in the 1.45m on Friday they also managed to secure a2nd place.
Finally, Argentinean rider Luis Pedro Biraben also managed to finish with the also 9-year-old mare Baileys Van De Broy Z (Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere x Lord Z - B: Birgit Engelbosch). During the 1.45m class on Thursday, they ensured flawless rounds and this resulted in a 4th place.