Blue Skies for U.S.’s Kent Farrington at Madrid CSI5* with Grand Prix Win

In the Olympic sport of Show Jumping, ‘CSI’ stands for Concours de Saut International (from French), and the different levels in the sport are designated by stars, with 5* being the highest possible and drawing the best riders on the planet — Olympic, World and continental champions.

Indeed, the height of the obstacles is one of the factors determining the number of stars for an event, and on the grass course at the Club de Campo Villa in the Spanish capital, Farrington, Gazelle and their counterparts were jumping obstacles of 1.60 metres. In addition, speed is a factor in a competition’s status, and in the decisive jump-off round after the first round, the victorious pair came in ahead of four other combinations, racing to a time of 45.18 seconds with no bars down. In second was German veteran Marcus Ehning with his mount Pret A Tout (also with a clear round in 45.68), with third going to the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten VDL Groep Verdi TN N.O.P. (45.86). Top-ranked British rider Scott Brash was not among the 25 qualified riders for the Grand Prix, but Ireland’s Denis Lynch had a strong result: eighth place with his partner RMF Echo.

What else influences the number of stars in Show Jumping, and whether a competition receives the elite 5* status? Prize money. According to the rules of the sport, a CSI5* competition has to offer an overall minimum of €409,900 in 2017. In the Grand Prix alone in Madrid, €300,000 was up for grabs, with Chicago native Farrington himself pocketing €99,000 for his split-second triumph. Ehning took home €60,000 and Van der Vleuten €45,000.

Under blue skies in Madrid, and in front of several thousand spectators, several other Classes (competitions) took place over the weekend for this first European stop of the Tour after Mexico City, Miami Beach and Shanghai. In parallel with the Tour, for example, the mixed-nationality team Global Champions League continued its circuit at Campo Villa, with Ireland’s Denis Lynch scoring consistently good results over the weekend, with a third and a sixth place to his and his mount’s credit. Lynch is currently ranked 39th in the world but these latest results reflect momentum for the experienced Olympian, who grew up in Tipperary.

Next stop for the Longines Global Champions Tour and League is Hamburg, Germany, May 24-28, where CSI5* competition is scheduled to start this Thursday.

Madrid CSI5* Full Results LGCT / GCL