Then and Now: Kent Farrington’s 2016 Legacy Meets 2026 Momentum

Some seasons define a career. Others redefine the sport. For Kent Farrington, 2016 did both — and nearly a decade later, the parallels heading into 2026 are impossible to ignore.

Farrington’s 2016 campaign remains one of the most memorable years in modern show jumping. Anchored by a silver-medal performance for Team USA at the Rio Olympic Games with the electric Voyeur, the season was marked by consistency, brilliance, and depth across multiple mounts. Thirteen international victories — seven at the CSI5* level — showcased Farrington’s ability to win on the biggest stages, against the toughest fields.

Highlights from that year included a triumphant win in the $216,000 American Gold Cup aboard Gazelle, a commanding performance in the $75,000 “Big Ben” Challenge with Creedance, and a victory in the prestigious Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes. Week after week, Farrington proved not only his competitiveness, but his versatility — a hallmark that would come to define his career.

Fast forward to the close of 2025, and history appears to be repeating itself — only this time, on an even larger scale.

Farrington’s 2025 season was nothing short of historic. With more than 28 international Grand Prix victories, he surged to the top of the Longines Rankings to claim the world number one spot, reaffirming his status as one of the sport’s most formidable competitors. Among those wins were a record-equalling eight CSI5* Grand Prix victories, a milestone that placed him alongside the greatest names in the sport.

At the heart of the season was Greya, whose win in the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva crowned an unforgettable year. The exceptional mare went on to be named the 2025 USEF International Horse of the Year, while Farrington also topped the Major League Show Jumping standings — further proof of his dominance across every format of the sport.

As the calendar turns to 2026, the similarities to 2016 feel strikingly familiar: elite horsepower, championship confidence, and a rider operating at the absolute peak of his powers. If 2016 was the year Kent Farrington announced himself as an Olympic force, 2026 shapes up to be the season he reminds the world exactly why he remains at the top.

In show jumping, greatness doesn’t fade — it evolves. If history has taught us anything, when Kent Farrington hits this kind of stride, the sport is in for something special.

Photo by Stefan Lafrentz