Kent Farrington and Orafina Finish First in the $62,480 FEI CSI3* Welcome During HITS Hudson Valley IV
International show jumping competition during HITS Hudson Valley IV continued on Thursday, July 17, 2025, with the $62,480 FEI CSI3* Welcome. The action-packed week at the world-class HITS Hudson Valley venue in Saugerties, New York, is the first in the popular three-week-long HITS Hudson Valley Jumping Tour™, which features a weekly FEI CSI3* division, as well as a World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) week. Starting off the day with a bang, it was the number one rider in the world, Kent Farrington (USA), and Orafina, who raced to the top of the class for the win.
An elite field of 36 horse-and-rider combinations geared up to contest the 1.50m track designed by Mark McGowan (GBR). With a lineup of Olympic veterans and five-star powerhouses, 20 managed to find the clear path and advance to an all-deciding jump-off. The time to beat got faster and faster until about halfway through, when Farrington and Orafina effectively closed the door on the competition, stopping the clock in an unbeatable 35.00 seconds.
“My plan with Orafina was just to do her round,” detailed Farrington of his strategy for the short course. “She has a giant stride so I kind of do my own plan for the jump-off, and if it goes well, it’s usually good enough to win as it was today. I’m very happy with the horse and very happy to be here at HITS.”
While Farrington enjoys success on the biggest stages, behind the scenes he is sourcing and developing young talented horses to continue strengthening his string. Orafina, a 13-year-old KWPN mare (For Fashion x Canturo) owned by Kent Farrington LLC, was part of that pipeline, having joined Team KPF five years ago.
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