Press release from Traverse City Horse Shows, edited by World of Showjumping

World No. 1 Kent Farrington (USA) continued developing one of his promising young horses Friday, guiding Diakatisa (Diaron OLD x Stakkatol) to victory in the $31,100 CSI3* Speed during week three of the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel.

One of 27 speed entries to contest Andy Christiansen’s (ECU) course, Farrington came in with purpose, knowing it was time to challenge the 9-year-old Oldenburg mare.

“I thought my horse was great,” he said of Diakatisa’s performance. “With her I wanted to practice going full tempo and teaching her to look for the jumps. I think she handled it great today.”

He won the class with a few seconds to spare, clocking in at 59.24 seconds. The next-fastest pair was Charlotte Bettendorf (LUX), who was over three seconds off Farrington’s with Kalliope (Emerald van't Ruytershof x Deister) but ended up in second place on the podium. Victoria Heurtematte (PAN) and Condara (Conthargos x Cartogran) claimed third.

Despite going later in the order, he didn’t change anything about his plan with Diakatisa, knowing exactly the path he planned to lay out in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring. 

“Overall her rate of speed is just higher than most horses,” he said of what set the mare apart Friday. “I did a couple fast options and kept the track tight around the end, but I don’t think there was one spot that took the class today.”

Farrington typically spends the early summer in Traverse City developing younger horses before returning later in the season with a more established string for the Traverse City Fall Series. His focus for the early summer is to further develop upcoming mounts and take advantage of all the Traverse City Horse Shows schedule has to offer.

“[There are] A lot of different levels of classes that I can get in the main ring and jump, from small to building my way up into the FEI division,” he said of why Traverse City suits his needs at this time of year. “I can go back down if they need that. It’s a very productive few weeks for me in the summer.”

As for the competitive ceiling for Diakatisa, Farrington will keep trying to find that in hopes that she’ll wind up as one of his most competitive mounts with a decorated future. 

“We’ve got a bunch of young talented horses and I never get too up and never get too down,” he said about his approach to bringing along younger mounts. “I just keep developing the horses and see what they want to do in the sport. Ultimately that final decision is out of my hands. I put them in the best position to be their best.”

As the summer keeps going and transitions to fall, Farrington is one of many of the world’s best riders that will grace the Northern Michigan area with their presence.

“In the summer you can see the best people producing their stars for the future that ultimately might be on the biggest stage like the Olympic Games or a World Cup Final,” he said of how crucial the Traverse City circuit has become to the sport’s development in North America. “In the [Fall] you have higher level competition and see the world’s best come to Traverse City, which is great for us.

Competition at the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, comes to a head Saturday with the feature class of the week, the $116,500 Molon CSI3* Grand Prix. Fans and competitors can view full schedules, results, and live updates through the Traverse City Horse Shows Mobile App.