Text © World of Showjumping

CHI Geneva celebrates its 60th anniversary this year and got off to a flying start on Thursday, when USA’s Kent Farrington and the 14-year-old gelding Creedance topped the feature class – the CSI5* 1.60m Trophée de Genève, which also counted as a qualifier for Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix.

The starting field of 49 horse-and-rider combinations was filled with the world’s best, and even though the course set by Gerard Lachat (SUI) and Louis Konickx (NED) was very challenging, a total of 14 pairs cleared the first round. With Belgium’s Jérôme Guery and Quel Homme de Hus (Quidam de Revel x Candillo Z) withdrawing from the jump-off, it was eventually a battle between thirteen.

Kent Farrington and Creedance (Lord Z x Notaris) got into top gear from the start, powering through the shortened track in their signature style. A time of 33.12 seconds secured the pair the win, getting Farrington off to a great start ahead of a big weekend at Palexpo with both the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final as well as the Rolex Grand Prix coming up. “The plan is to try to keep going like this,” Farrington smiled after his win. “It's very difficult to do, at a show of this calibre: You have the best riders in the world, the best horses in the world. We are off to a great start, and feeling good today, but it is a long week to go."

“It was very technical building today, some half stride distances,” Farrington commented on the course, which saw many riders struggle. “A vertical-vertical with a plank on it, coming in at the end to a wide oxer with three long strides… those were some very technical lines and you needed a rideable horse and precise riding today.”

Creedance is a very special partner for Farrington, and the pair also won the Trophée de Genève in 2019. “I call him the foal, the crazy foal,” Farrington smiled. “Because he looks kind of like one, especially when we don’t clip him. He is a very special horse to me, he is very unique in the way he goes and what a heart he has. He is an unbelievable horse.”

CHI Geneva is one of Farrington's favourite shows. "It is an unbelievable indoor event,” Farrington said. “I think the Rolex Majors really are something different in the sport, you can see just from the calibre of the competition here.”

Peder Fredricson (SWE) and H&M Christian K (Namelus R x Calvados) took the runner-up position with a time of 33.59 seconds in the jump-off, while Daniel Deusser (GER) and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z (Tangelo vd Zuuthoeve x Mr.Blue) placed third in 34.79. Martin Fuchs (SUI) on Conner Jei (Connor 48 x Cosimo) finished fourth, and Nicolas Delmotte (FRA) on Ilex Vp (Diamant de Semilly x Darco) fifth. 

Earlier in the day, Francois Mathy Jr. (BEL) won the CSI5* 1.45m Prix Swiss Wine Genève. Riding Casanova de l'Herse (Ugano Sitte x Kashmir van Schuttershof), the Belgian rider beat Bertram Allen (IRL) on Classified (Je T'Aime Flamenco x Libertino I) by more than a second. Jérôme Guery (BEL) finished third with Napoli v. Nederassenthof (President x Quasimodo Z), nearly two seconds behind his compatriot.