Kent Farrington won the $340,000 CSI5* Grand Prix of Greenwich during the final day of Major League Show Jumping at CSI Greenwich ahead of Daniel Bluman in second and Ian Bluman in third. Photo © Meraki Creative Group.
Press release from Major League Show Jumping, edited by World of Showjumping
A winning streak for Kent Farrington (USA) continued on Sunday when the world no. 1 claimed the $340,000 CSI5* Grand Prix of Greenwich aboard Toulayna (Toulon x Parco) during the final day of Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) leg three at CSI Greenwich.
In front of a sold-out crowd, Farrington and his 11-year-old Zangersheide-mare, owned in partnership with Rabbit Root Stables, left nothing to chance and secured the win by a margin of three hundredths of a second over League rival Daniel Bluman (ISR) riding Corbie V.V. (Cornet Obolensky x Chacco-Blue).
Kent Farrington and Toulayna. Photo © Meraki Creative Group.
“I was worried about him being the last one coming behind me,” admitted Farrington. “[Daniel] beat me in the Toronto Grand Prix by fractions, so we got a little revenge today. That's how the sport goes; it's very small margins at the high level. [Toulayna and Corbie] are two fantastic horses that went around the world on the biggest stages, and you saw a great competition from both of them today.”
Farrington and Bluman have been battling for top placings all season after the American opened the fifth edition of MLSJ in August with a win in Traverse City. Bluman answered back during leg two by winning in Toronto. In Greenwich, Farrington was on form once again to bring his CSI5* Grand Prix wins for the year to a staggering tally of eight.
Daniel Bluman and Corbie V.V.. Photo © Meraki Creative Group.
“I'm very proud of what we have accomplished, and proud of my whole team,” continued Farrington. “We get a lot of these horses when they're young, we produce them up through the ranks in the sport and I have great horses because of the great team around me. That's part of what it takes to win at that level and to be consistent.”
From an eight-horse jump-off field over courses set by Guilherme Jorge (BRA), Farrington and Toulayna stopped the clock at 40.64 seconds. Bluman’s time was just shy of the lead at 40.67 seconds atop Corbie V.V., a 10-year-old Zangersheide-mare owned in partnership with Abigail Wexner.
Ilan Bluman and Acajou. Photo © Meraki Creative Group.
“World no. one, eight five-star Grand Prix – he is in a league of his own,” said Bluman after finishing behind Farrington. “That being said, I'm trying to chase and do the best that we can do. Corbie jumped amazing just like in Toronto. It’s not been the first time I've been sitting on [Kent’s] right side. I always say, if it can’t be me or my family winning and he is the winner, I'm also very happy.”
Evidence of the rivalry between Farrington and Bluman is also bolstered by the current MLSJ season standings for individual athletes. Farrington leads on 59 points and Bluman in pursuit with 55. Additionally, Bluman’s runner-up finish further anchored Maccabi United at the top of the team standings. They hold a 15-point lead over the Trelawny Trailblazers.
Capping the podium in the Grand Prix of Greenwich, Ilan Bluman (COL) – Daniel Bluman’s cousin and fellow Maccabi United team rider – took third riding Acajou, a 10-year-old Bavarian bred mare (Casallco X Chico's Boy). They stopped the clock at 43.08 seconds.
“It's just the beginning—there's still a lot of jumping to do,” Daniel Bluman said about Maccabi United’s dominance so far this season. “We have a great thing going, and to be able to share the podium with Ilan for the second time in 20 years is a big deal. The League only gets better and better, and Greenwich is a total testament of the amazing show jumping that we're seeing now with Major League.”
At the closing press conference, League co-founder Keean White noted that MLSJ Greenwich is the realization of a goal and represents a bright future for Major League Show Jumping within the North American sport scene.
“This event is a passion project for us – to make something really special for the sport,” he said. “I think today was a celebration of that. It was to show everyone what's possible when we all push in the same direction. This is season five and the sky's the limit for The League. We've got the best riders in the world, we're starting to have some of the best events in the world, and I think we're just starting.”
MLSJ now heads to the Highlands Cup (October 9-1) in New York’s Hudson Valley for leg four and the debut of a new venue.
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