With a more mature and focused Greya, Kent Farrington kicks off the 2025–26 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ season by defending his title in Traverse City.
A Confident Return: Greya Steps Up
One year after describing Greya as “at the very start of her career,” Kent Farrington (USA) returned to Traverse City and showed just how far his 11-year-old mare has come. With a composed, efficient, and technically brilliant round, the pair defended their Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Traverse City title in style — and set the tone for the North American League season.
“This is a more mature horse than I had last year,” Farrington said after the win. “Even though she was already winning big things, she continues to improve and evolve. She really knows the job now and is in there fighting for me.”
The win marked Greya’s fifth 5* Grand Prix victory in 2025 — a testament to both her athleticism and Farrington’s long-term development approach, having produced her since she was five.
Technical Course, Tactical Victory
The first round in Traverse City was no walk in the park. Designed with big, technical questions — including a challenging triple combination and a delicate vertical late in the course — only seven horse-and-rider combinations managed clear rounds. Among them were top names like Daniel Bluman (ISR), Spencer Smith (USA), and Daniel Coyle (IRL), each showing their class under pressure.
In the jump-off, the course demanded a balance of tight turns and bold gallops, with some of the tallest fences left in place. Smith laid down the early standard with a double-clear in 41.00 seconds aboard Keeneland. Pope and Highway FBH followed, also clear, in 41.11.
But Farrington and Greya executed their plan to perfection — not all-out speed, but clean efficiency. Their time of 39.45 seconds secured a comfortable win. “The plan today was to do a very efficient round, put some pressure on, but not take every risk,” Farrington explained. “Luckily, that played out.”
Looking Ahead: Fort Worth in Sight
The Traverse City result earns Farrington 20 valuable points, placing him at the top of the NAL standings after just one leg. Spencer Smith and Jacob Pope follow with 17 and 15 points respectively. All three riders have their sights set on the 2026 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Fort Worth, USA.
Farrington’s approach remains careful and strategic: “I want to go if I think I can be a contender for the title,” he said. “I have to see where the horses are in that moment.” His roadmap includes the upcoming qualifiers in Washington, Toronto, and Los Angeles — but his participation will depend on how the horses feel closer to each date.
One thing is clear: with Greya continuing to evolve, and Farrington’s team firing on all cylinders, the 2025–26 season has started on a powerful note.
Source: fei.org
