ROAD TO ROLEX IJRC TOP 10 FINAL: Kent Farrington

KENT FARRINGTON (USA) - 28/12/1980

HORSE: Toulayna 

Kent Farrington, Number 1 in the FEI Jumping Ranking List, has been cruising steadily at the top of the rankings for a while. He has qualified for eight editions of the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final since 2014. He topped this competition twice: in 2015 with Voyeur and in 2019 with Austria 2. He is the only US rider to have reached this milestone. In 2023 he was on the Top 10 podium in 3^rd place with Greya, the mare with which he would achieve what he considers his greatest achievement in 2024: winning the Grand Prix of the Rolex Series in La Baule. Last year he was 2^nd on the podium  with Toulayna. Kent is a real asset to the US team at the world's top events. In 2016, at the Olympics in Rio, he played a main role in the US team's silver medal win. More recently, Kent has been silver medallist at the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023, where his team topped the podium.

Kent began cultivating his equestrian reputation when he won the gold medal at the 1999 North American Young Riders International Competition. He was 18 years old. Stubborn, perfectionist and resolute, he grew up in downtown Chicago, in a family that had nothing to do with horses and yet supported him greatly in his passion.

His start was uphill: as a boy he used to travel three hours a day for training and sometime he happened to ride up to twenty horses that he trained for competitions and equestrian shows.

In February 2018, he had a bad accident during the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington that made people worry about his future as a rider. But Kent turned even this difficult circumstance into a challenge and, thanks to his determination, achieved another great personal victory.

Chat on the sidelines

What about your 2025 season? What do you consider your highlight?

I’m not sure there is one highlight. Great horses and consistent results got me back to World Number 1. I guess that’s the highlight.

Have you already made up your mind about the horse you’ll be riding in the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final?

I think I will be riding Toulayna (Ed: The same horse he rode last years.)

What are your feelings about this year’s competition? 

I always look forward to Geneva. It’s an amazing show. All the best horses and riders gathered in one class... It is a strong competition and it is always my favourite. Geneva’s crowd is one of the best in the sport. They are knowledgeable about the sport and very supportive. I love it»

 @IJRC