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March 23-29, 2026

Farrington Brings the Rolex Back to America. Cherif Conquers at Al Shaqab. Epaillard Keeps Rolling in Oliva.

9.1

Farrington Brings the Rolex Back to America. Cherif Conquers at Al Shaqab. Epaillard Keeps Rolling in Oliva. | JumpOff.news

Week of March 23–29, 2026

Kent Farrington and Greya producing one of the great Saturday Night Lights performances to take the $1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix at Wellington in front of a sold-out crowd of over 10,000 — the first American to win the Rolex finale in seven years — France's Cyrine Cherif delivering a masterclass at the CSI5 Al Shaqab Cup Grand Prix in Doha to deny the home favourite on the jump-off clock — Richard Vogel opening the week with a CSI5 victory before heartbreak in the Grand Prix jump-off, Julien Epaillard continuing his relentless spring form with another Grand Prix win in Oliva, and a weekend of results from Riesenbeck and beyond that reminded us the sport doesn't stop just because Wellington takes the spotlight.

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🇺🇸 CSI5* Rolex Finale Week, Wellington International

The $1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix: Farrington Finally Gets His Saturday Night

There are classes, and then there are classes. The $1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix — the final Saturday Night Lights of the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival — is one of the latter. Forty of the world's best combinations under the lights at Wellington International, six of the current FEI top ten in the start list, a sold-out crowd that hasn't seen an American rider win this class in seven years, and a course from Guilherme Jorge that the Brazilian designer himself called "probably the highest level that I have had on the final."

Five horses made the jump-off. Just five from forty.

Ben Maher went first on Enjeu de Grisien — the 10-year-old Toulon x Andiamo gelding — and set the early target. Clean. Committed. The time to beat. Then Jordan Coyle and Chaccolino came through, and Darragh Kenny on Eddy Blue, and Belgium's Émilie Conter with Portobella van de Fruitkorf. The fences stayed up, the clock ticked, and the jump-off order meant the best was last.

Richard Vogel — World No. 4, reigning European Champion — entered the ring on Gangster Montdesir and did what Richard Vogel does. He attacked. 42.87 seconds. The fastest time anyone would record all night. But the final fence came down. Four faults. The kind of heartbreak that separates the nights you sleep well from the nights you don't. "That's why our sport is so exciting," Vogel said afterwards. "It's only over when it's over."

Then Kent Farrington. World No. 2. Greya. The 12-year-old Oldenburg mare by Colestus out of Contessa 128 who has now jumped sixteen CSI5* 1.60m jump-offs with Farrington and won ten of them. A sixty percent win rate in the jump-off at the highest level in the sport. That is not a statistic. That is a statement.

Farrington chose a different line through turn two than Maher had taken. It was the decisive moment. 42.99 seconds. Clean. He was twelve hundredths of a second slower than Vogel — but his fences all stayed up. That is what makes this sport what it is. Speed means nothing if the poles hit the ground.

"I tried to go fast enough to put pressure on the others but not take ridiculous risks," Farrington said. "The plan luckily paid off."

Then, the quote that mattered most: "She can do everything. She's fast, she's careful, she's scopey, and she's rideable. She is just an incredible horse."

Three words summed it up better: "She's my favourite horse."

Greya's tenth CSI5* Grand Prix victory. Farrington's first Rolex finale. An American winning this class for the first time in seven years. The Wellington crowd — 10,000 strong — made the noise you'd expect.

$1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix CSI5* 1.60m Podium:

  1. 🇺🇸 Kent Farrington - Greya - 0/0, 42.99s
  2. 🇬🇧 Ben Maher - Enjeu de Grisien - 0/0, 43.72s
  3. 🇩🇪 Richard Vogel - Gangster Montdesir - 0/4, 42.87s
  4. 🇮🇪 Jordan Coyle - Chaccolino - 0/4
  5. 🇮🇪 Darragh Kenny - Eddy Blue - 0/4

Rolex Finale Week Opener: Vogel and Michael Jackson W Set the Tone

Before the million-dollar drama, Rolex Finale Week opened on Wednesday with the $32,000 Dodd Technologies CSI5* 1.45m — and Richard Vogel was in no mood to wait for the weekend to start winning. The German piloted Michael Jackson W, a 9-year-old Diament de Semilly x Heartbreaker gelding, through the two-phase speed class in 33.60 seconds. France's Julian Anquetin was just behind on Beau de Laubry Z at 33.92 seconds, and Canada's Kyle Timm completed the podium on Glamour du Chanu in 33.95 seconds.

"He has shown how quick and efficient he can be, and it was a very fast class," Vogel said of his young horse. The irony would come three days later when Vogel had all the speed he needed in the Grand Prix jump-off — and one rail too many.

$32,000 Dodd Technologies CSI5* 1.45m Podium:

  1. 🇩🇪 Richard Vogel - Michael Jackson W - 33.60s
  2. 🇫🇷 Julian Anquetin - Beau de Laubry Z - 33.92s
  3. 🇨🇦 Kyle Timm - Glamour du Chanu - 33.95s

🇶🇦 CSI5* Al Shaqab Cup, Doha

Grand Prix CSI5* 1.60m: Cherif and Triple T Calamando Blue Deny the Home Crowd

While Wellington had the biggest prize cheque, Doha had its own five-star story — and it was France's Cyrine Cherif who wrote it.

The Al Shaqab Cup Grand Prix — held under the lights at the Longines Outdoor Arena at Al Shaqab on Sunday evening — drew 17 combinations for the two-round-plus-jump-off format at 1.60m. The €125,000 prize purse attracted serious talent, and the course asked serious questions.

Cherif and Triple T Calamando Blue — the Calmando x Chacco-Blue mare owned by Ansal Horse Trading — were immaculate across both rounds (0 penalties, 86.66s in round one, 79.99s in round two) before producing the decisive jump-off round in 42.51 seconds.

The heartbreak belonged to Qatar's Faleh Suwead Al Ajami. The home rider and Wathnan Quatro — the 10-year-old gelding by Catoki x Sandro Vie Ponythof, part of the powerful Wathnan Stud roster — went clear through both rounds in impressive fashion (83.50s and 61.84s) before producing the faster jump-off time of 40.99 seconds. But four faults in the jump-off dropped him to second. The crowd wanted it. The clock wanted it. The rail said no.

American Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run's Jireh were third — a single time fault from round one (87.49s first round, 0 penalties in round two) and a clean jump-off in 53.48 seconds. Behind her, Brazil's Santiago Lambre on Zeusz picked up two time penalties across the rounds but still managed a clean jump-off in 63.39 seconds for fourth. Austria's Gerfried Puck on Equitron Naxcel V rounded out the top five.

"There were a lot of great riders today. It was still a tough competition," Cherif said afterwards. "You could see that some also had the chance to win, but they had an unlucky rail or a time fault."

CSI5* Al Shaqab Cup Grand Prix 1.60m — €125,000 Podium:

  1. 🇫🇷 Cyrine Cherif - Triple T Calamando Blue - 0/0/0, 42.51s - €31,250
  2. 🇶🇦 Faleh Suwead Al Ajami - Wathnan Quatro - 0/0/4, 40.99s
  3. 🇺🇸 Kristen Vanderveen - Bull Run's Jireh - 1/0/0, 53.48s
  4. 🇧🇷 Santiago Lambre - Zeusz - 0/2/0, 63.39s
  5. 🇦🇹 Gerfried Puck - Equitron Naxcel V - 0/4/0, 47.55s

⚡ Quick Hits

🇪🇸 CSI3* Spring MET, Oliva Nova — Grand Prix 1.50m

Epaillard: The Machine That Doesn't Stop

If you've been following the European spring circuit, you already know what's coming. Julien Epaillard won. Again. The Frenchman and Hard'Rock Queen HJD — a 9-year-old mare still building her CV at this level — took the CSI3* Grand Prix at the Spring MET III in Oliva Nova with a blistering 32.78-second jump-off from a field of twelve that cleared the first round.

Christian Wiegand's course design asked technical questions rather than height questions — delicate lines, challenging distances, the need for constant balance. Twelve riders answered in the first round. In the jump-off, Epaillard answered fastest.

Fellow Frenchman Antoine Ermann was second on Floyd des Pres in 33.88 seconds — a strong result but over a second behind. Belgium's Jan Vinckier completed the podium on Diadem Melloni at 35.26 seconds.

Epaillard's spring form has been relentless — multiple Grand Prix wins across the European winter circuit, and Hard'Rock Queen HJD is looking like a horse with a future well above the three-star level.

CSI3* Grand Prix 1.50m Podium:

  1. 🇫🇷 Julien Epaillard - Hard'Rock Queen HJD - 0/0, 32.78s
  2. 🇫🇷 Antoine Ermann - Floyd des Pres - 0/0, 33.88s
  3. 🇧🇪 Jan Vinckier - Diadem Melloni - 0/0, 35.26s

🇩🇪 CSI2* Riesenbeck International — Grand Prix 1.45m

Weishaupt Wins at Home

Philipp Weishaupt delivered a home victory at Riesenbeck International, stopping the clock at 37.09 seconds on Callao L to win the CSI2* Grand Prix. Sweden's Karin Martinsen was half a second behind on Tailormade Concha Balou at 37.58 seconds, and Germany's Sophie Hinners completed the podium on Event de l'Heribus in 37.89 seconds. Three tenths of a second covered second to third — a tightly contested jump-off on German soil.

CSI2* Grand Prix 1.45m Podium:

  1. 🇩🇪 Philipp Weishaupt - Callao L - 0/0, 37.09s
  2. 🇸🇪 Karin Martinsen - Tailormade Concha Balou - 0/0, 37.58s
  3. 🇩🇪 Sophie Hinners - Event de l'Heribus - 0/0, 37.89s

🇧🇪 CSI2* Azelhof, Lier — Grand Prix 1.45m

Home Crowd Gets Their Winner

Belgium's Evelyne Putters edged a breathtakingly close jump-off at Azelhof Lier on Pivoine de La Pomme Z, winning in 39.12 seconds — just three hundredths ahead of Brazil-born, Belgium-based Carlos Eduardo Mota Ribas on Ricante Van Het Keysersbos (39.15s). Anthony Wellens was third on Quelle Force Van Sappenleen at 39.67 seconds. Three hundredths. That's the margin between winner's cheque and second place.

CSI2* Grand Prix 1.45m Podium:

  1. 🇧🇪 Evelyne Putters - Pivoine de La Pomme Z - 0/0, 39.12s
  2. 🇧🇪 Carlos Eduardo Mota Ribas - Ricante Van Het Keysersbos - 0/0, 39.15s
  3. 🇧🇪 Anthony Wellens - Quelle Force Van Sappenleen - 0/0, 39.67s

🇺🇸 CSI2* Wellington — Grand Prix 1.45m

Brown and Colina Z Close Out the Festival

With the five-star drama happening under the lights, the CSI2* division at Wellington had its own story to tell. Cambell Brown and Colina Z won the Grand Prix in 41.90 seconds, ahead of Wilton Porter on Sternmarke 3 (42.21s) and Ali Wolff with Hesperide du Breuil (42.92s). A clean American podium to close out the WEF season.

CSI2* Grand Prix 1.45m Podium:

  1. 🇺🇸 Cambell Brown - Colina Z - 0/0, 41.90s
  2. 🇺🇸 Wilton Porter - Sternmarke 3 - 0/0, 42.21s
  3. 🇺🇸 Ali Wolff - Hesperide du Breuil - 0/0, 42.92s

More Weekend Winners

  • 🇮🇹 CSI2* Busto Arsizio — Hans-Dieter Dreher 🇩🇪 and Cous Cous 3 (37.83s) edged Denmark's Rikke Heineking on Gwinnru de Kernevez by a single hundredth of a second (37.84s).
  • 🇫🇷 CSI2* Cluny — Jean-Luc Mourier 🇫🇷 on Forever Joy de Tus (38.75s) over Great Britain's Emily Ward on Wild Star HF (39.13s).

📊 Rankings Watch

Brash Holds the Top — But Farrington is Closing

Scott Brash retains the World No. 1 position on the Longines Rankings for a third consecutive month. The Scotsman's Grand Prix Hermès win the previous weekend at the Grand Palais widened his lead — but Kent Farrington, now World No. 2 after the Rolex victory, is closing the gap. Ben Maher sits third. With Farrington's Greya recording her tenth five-star Grand Prix win, the American will be looking at the spring circuit as the place to make his move for the top spot.

The question the rankings are asking: can Farrington do to Brash what Brash did to Henrik von Eckermann? The Rolex win suggests the answer might be yes.

🔭 Looking Ahead

The WEF curtain has fallen for 2026. Twelve weeks. $16.55 million in prize money. Wellington International delivered, and Kent Farrington gave it the ending it deserved.

The circuit now shifts — and next week's calendar is loaded. The headline act is the CSI5 Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami Beach (April 1–4), bringing five-star showjumping back to American soil almost immediately after Wellington's finale. Doha continues with another CSI5/CSI3 week (April 1–4), keeping the Middle Eastern circuit alive. In Italy, CSI4 Arezzo (March 31–April 5) and CSI3 Busto Arsizio (April 2–5) offer strong fields on European soil, while the Netherlands hosts CSI2 Peelbergen (April 1–4). France has two-star action at both Gassin–St Tropez (April 1–5) and Barbaste (April 2–5), and CSI2* Cheng Du–Dongan Lake (April 3–4) flies the flag in China.

Plenty to watch — and with the FEI Jumping World Cup Finals on the horizon, the qualification picture is starting to crystallise. Who's in, who's out, and who needs one more result? We'll be tracking it all.

Rating: 9.1/10

This was a 9.1 week and it wasn't particularly close. The $1,000,000 Rolex Grand Prix alone — five in the jump-off from forty, Vogel's fastest-time-but-one-rail heartbreak, Farrington's tactically perfect ride, the first American winner in seven years, a sold-out crowd under the lights — would have been enough to carry the week. Add Epaillard's continued dominance in Oliva, competitive fields across Europe, and the closing of one of the great WEF seasons, and you have a week that had everything. The only thing missing was a Nations Cup. Otherwise, it was as good as it gets.

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