Text © World of Showjumping

Current world number two Kent Farrington (USA) and the 11-year-old Zangersheide-mare Toulayna (Toulon x Parco, bred by Jasper Doucé) are on a winning streak. They kicked off 2025 with a win in the CSI4* 1.55m UF Health Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala (USA) back in January, went on to take the top honors in the CSI5*-W 1.60m Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ of Thermal at Desert International Horse Park (USA) in February, and in March the two claimed the victory in the CSI4* 1.55m Mars Equestrian Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala (USA). 

“I think that where the best horses are similar in the end is their winning mentality,” Kent Farrington tells World of Showjumping about Toulayna’s best qualities. “I believe all top horses probably have that in common.”

Farrington bought Toulayna from Ludo Philippaerts when the mare had just turned seven – without trying. “Ludo called me and said he had found a horse for us to be partners on. I just said ‘OK, sounds great’ – and I hadn't even seen the horse. I just trusted Ludo, and since he was excited about the horse it sounded like something to try.”

With horses, you can never be 100% sure of anything because there are so many unknowns

“Coming from America, this is a part of the trade-off,” Farrington explains. “Many riders in Europe have more access to horses and buying them is maybe a little more convenient. Meanwhile, there are other strengths in being based in America. It is a very competitive market, and sometimes I have to rely more on other people who are seeing all these horses at local shows where the talented young horses are. I wouldn't say this is something that I love to do – buying horses without being able to sit on them – but when they're very young and I have people whose judgement I can trust, I sometimes take a chance."

"Every horse is going to be a bit of a gamble anyway. With horses, you can never be 100% sure of anything because there are so many unknowns. Buying without trying is more me just having to adapt to the reality of trying to find good horses today, which is difficult. That's just part of a gamble.”

Farrington took over the reins on Toulayna a few months after buying her. “Obviously, she's a horse with a lot of blood and she is very careful,” Farrington tells.

You have to let the horses tell you what they're ready for and when they're ready

“When I first got her, I actually took a lot of time with her without showing, just getting to know her better. I gave her time to adapt to my way of riding and familiarise herself with a new space. For Toulayna, coming to America was different than what she was used to. I always find that horses need a bit of time when you change their environment with different feed, farriers and grooms. Especially with sensitive young horses, it takes some time to adapt.”

“As an 8-year-old, she did very few shows,” Farrington continues. “As with all my horses, I see how they develop and plan accordingly. With horses, it is sometimes hard to target too far in advance. You have to let the horses tell you what they're ready for and when they're ready.”

“I saw Toulayna a lot at the local shows and I really liked her, but she was never for sale,” Ludo Philippaerts tells World of Showjumping. “Eventually, I heard she was coming on the market and I bought her straight away, and then sold a half to Kent. My boys rode her, and there were quite a lot of people asking for her. In the end Kent ended up buying her for himself, as we both believed she was good enough to reach the top.”

“She has always been a winner,” Philippaerts continues. “However, winning a World Cup is something different and you can never really know which horses reach the highest level no matter how promising they seem as youngsters. What I think makes the difference with Toulayna, is that she had a really fantastic attitude right from the beginning.”

It was obvious that she was a fighter and I liked her mentality straight away

“I always try to find the right person for each horse, and that is not always easy,” Philippaerts – who also matched Peder Fredricson with his already legendary All In – tells. “Fast, competitive horses with great technique are a good fit for Kent, and that is why I told him about Toulayna. Her competitiveness and good technique are what caught my eye in her in the first place, but I could not say how much scope she had. However, it was obvious that she was a fighter and I liked her mentality straight away.”

“Kent is a fantastic rider and a fantastic partner to do business with,” Philippaerts concludes. “I like to work with him because he's a real professional. Also, he is a winner – and it's nice to work with people who win.”

25.3.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.