World No. 1 Kent Farrington Wins the WEC Ocala Adequan National Grand Prix
Farrington Wins With a New Mount
January 4, 2026 at 5:15 PMBy a.dunne
Kent Farrington was the last to go in the jump-off and, as the rain began, won the $75,000 WEC Grand Prix under the lights Saturday evening with his new partner, a 9-year-old Mexican Sport Horse gelding - Descartes.
“He’s a new ride for me,” said Farrington. “Francisco Pasquel called me and said he has an unbelievable horse in Mexico for me and said I had to come and ride it. So, I flew to Mexico to ride the horse and here we are.”
Farrington added, "He has a giant stride and a great canter, so I just trusted it and did my round.”
Tracy Fenney and her coming 15-year-old Danish Warmblood mare MTM Apple finished second in the 1.50-meter Grand Prix for a USA one-two finish, and Canada's Sean Jobin came in third with the 10-year-old mare Grande Dame DK.
In an initial field of 28, five of the six riders who advanced to the jump-off went clear. Lauren Balcomb, who won the December $75,000 Grand Prix, and Verdini D'Houtveld Z delivered the fastest jump-off time by more than two seconds over the winner, but had a knockdown at the final fence, the Adequan oxer.
Top 6 Results:
1 Kent Farrington - DESCARTES - 0/43.338
2 Tracy Fenney - MTM APPLE - 0.43.970
3 Sean Jobin - GRANDE DAME DK - 0/45.096
4 Darragh Kerins - LISSINO - 0/45.723
5 Kady Abrahamson - COQUELICOT VH HEUVELLAND Z - 0/47.990
6 Lauren Balcomb - VERDINI D'HOUTVELD Z - 4/41.205
Other WEC Ocala Winter Circuit first-week wins for Farrington
Fenney rode two other horses in the Grand Prix, missing the jump-off on MTM Myrbalia O with one time fault in the first round.
Farrington left the ring in the first round with eight faults aboard his other entry, Diakatisa. However, with this 9-year-old mare, he won the $15,000 Jumper Classic and placed fifth with Descartes in the same 1.40-meter Classic earlier in the week. Plus, to add to his winnings during the opening week of the winter circuit at WEC Ocala, he won the $15,000 Futures Prix with Orafina, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare.
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