Kent Farrington Continues Winning Form in the $62,500 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3* Aboard Orafina
08 JAN 26 Ocala, FL
Ocala, FL – The first of 10 weeks of international competition is well underway during the 2026 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). The $62,500 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3* kicked things off in the WEC Grand Arena early Thursday morning, and it was World No. 1 Kent Farrington (USA) who proved unbeatable, piloting Orafina (For Fashion x Canturo) to the top of the leaderboard.
FEI Level III course designer Ben Townley of Great Britain set a winding track that saw horses jumping in top form. Out of the field, 15 horse-and-rider combinations advanced to the jump-off, but only five managed to deliver double-clear efforts.
Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR) and Brooke Kemper (USA) were the first to tackle the short course, but both would see a rail fall.
Farrington was next to go, coming off a fresh win last Saturday aboard his new partner Descartes. This time, he entered the ring with his seasoned and speedy partner Orafina. “I always have a plan with her, and she just goes. She has a very big stride, so I can drop one easily. In the last line, she was easily able to do one less, and without even looking like she’s leaving out a stride.”
Farrington and the 14-year-old KWPN mare flew over the final fence, stopping the clock in an uncatchable 34.47 seconds.
“I’ve had Orafina for five or six seasons now. She’s been a winner since day one. She’s very fast and careful. She has a lot of personality and has been a great horse for my team.” Farrington currently has an impressive string, with several speedy mares among them. “They are great sport horses. They have a lot of personality. They’re real fighters in the ring. They’re careful and fast, and those are my favorite type.”
World No. 11 Daniel Coyle (IRL) returned to the WEC Grand Arena in podium fashion. Riding Ariel Grange’s coming 16-year-old KWPN gelding Farrel (Cardento 933 x Stakkato), the pair raced around the short course to finish just behind the winning time in 35.66 seconds, earning second place.
U25 rider Carlee McCutcheon (USA) rounded out the top three with Road To The Top’s Aralyn Blue (Chacco-Blue x Ludwigs As). The 20-year-old athlete guided the 15-year-old Oldenburg mare to a quick and efficient round, stopping the clock in 36.05 seconds for third.
International competition continues Friday, January 9, with the $32,000 1.45m Winning Round CSI3* at 8am in the WEC Grand Arena. The highlight event of the week, the $120,000 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix CSI3*, will take place Saturday, January 10, at 7pm. Times subject to change.
$62,500 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix Qualifier CSI3* Results
1 ORAFINA: 2012 Dutch Warmblood mare by For Fashion x Canturo
Kent Farrington (USA), Kent Farrington LLC: 0/0/34.47
2 FARREL: 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Cardento 933 x Stakkato
Daniel Coyle (IRL), Ariel Grange: 0/0/35.66
3 ARALYN BLUE: 2011 Oldenberg mare by Chacco-blue x Ludwigs As
Carlee McCutcheon (USA), Road to the Top: 0/0/36.05
4 FLEXI K: 2013 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Flex A Bill x Luidam
Francis Derwin (IRL), Kerry Anne LLC: 0/0/36.26
5 COQUELICOT VH HEUVELLAND Z: 2012 Zangersheide stallion by Catoki x Cassini III
Kady Abrahamson (USA), Foxridge Farms Stables: 0/0/39.28
6 BRIN D’OR DE HAUTE MELEN Z: 2014 Zangersheide gelding by Bamako De Muze x Baloubet du Rouet
Sharn Wordley (NZL), Della Wordley: 0/4/36.59
7 CALL ME: 2017 Holsteiner stallion by Comme II Faut 5 x Cartani 4
Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP), Sergio Alvarez Moya: 0/4/36.76
8 KATNISS DU VAL GEER: 2016 Belgian Sport Horse Mare
Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR), Sigma Stables LLC: 0/4/38.17
9 VENEZIA D’AUSTRAL Z: 2016 Zangersheide mare by Verdi Tn x Dandy Du Plape
Ryan Michael Genn (USA), Bridlebourne Stables LLC: 0/4/38.62
10 CHUTTER DU ROUET PS: 2016 Oldenburg gelding by Chacoon Blue x Sir Shutterfly
Aaron Vale (USA), Thinkslikeahorse: 0/4/39.00
Carlee McCutcheon & Coco Mercedes Speed to Victory in the $32,000 Grand Prix CSIU25 sponsored by Forestier Sellier
The $32,000 Grand Prix CSIU25 sponsored by Forestier Sellier followed the Grand Prix Qualifier and welcomed 17 top U25 athletes to vie for top honors. After an exciting eight-horse jump-off, it was 20-year-old Carlee McCutcheon (USA) who surged to the win, piloting Purple Rein Investments’ Coco Mercedes (Chacco’s Son II x Florestan I) to a time nearly two seconds faster than the runner-up.
Course designer Ben Townley (GBR) once again set a flowing track that tested horse-and-rider combinations, with eight managing to produce clear efforts in the first round. The jump-off ultimately came down to an exciting showdown between the United States and Germany.
Laurel Walker (USA) was first to tackle the short course aboard her own Armani. She laid down a quick pace, but an unfortunate rail kept her out of the running for the top spot.
Germany’s Tony Stormanns followed with Rushy Marsh Farm LLC’s 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, RMF Cinnamo (Magic Park x Avon). The 18-year-old athlete raced around the track and stopped the clock in an impressive 40.55 seconds.
Riding Brody Sporthorses’ Charlie PS (Contendros 2 x Chacco-Blue), 17-year-old Emma Brody (USA) crossed the timers in 42.00 seconds, slotting in just behind Stormanns to claim third place with the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare.
While several combinations tried to chase down Stormanns’ leading time, Carlee McCutcheon was last to go and poised to strike. Fresh off a speedy podium finish in Thursday morning’s Qualifier, she entered the ring determined to keep the momentum rolling with Coco Mercedes.
“My goal always with Coco is to keep up with her. She is way faster than I am, so I was just trying to slow her brain down and slow my brain down a bit because her pace is just so fast,” McCutcheon explained. “For me, I’m quite lucky because I jumped the CSI3* Qualifier this morning, and the first line was the same. I rode nine from one to two, then eight from two to three. She was super quick through the double, and then back on the last line, we left a stride out from the first round, and she was great.”
Stopping the clock in a blazing 38.75 seconds, McCutcheon and Coco Mercedes stormed to the top of the podium to secure the win.
McCutcheon spoke highly of the talented 13-year-old Westphalian mare. “We have been partnered together for about three years now. We know each other really well, so I have a lot of trust in her, and I think it goes both ways. She is such a speed horse, and she wants to win so badly—sometimes even too much,” she laughed. “Today I felt like she jumped amazing in the first round, and I thought I could take a shot in the jump-off, and she was great.”
Looking ahead, McCutcheon shared her excitement about spending the winter at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. “I’m based here in Ocala for the winter, and I’m really looking forward to being here!”
She also reflected on her continued development as a professional rider. “I’m fortunate to ride in a program called ‘Road To The Top’, and it has changed and improved my life greatly. I aged out and turned professional, and have the opportunity to ride with Laura Kraut and Nick Skelton and their whole team. Being surrounded by people at the highest level of this sport has made me a better rider and better horsewoman as well.”
$32,000 Grand Prix CSIU25 presented by Forestier Sellier Results
The 2026 Winter Spectacular Show Series will feature five CSIU25 weeks, with a running top-three leaderboard tracking results throughout the circuit. The athlete finishing on top at the end of the series will receive a brand-new saddle courtesy of Forestier Sellier.
Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, check out Ryegate.Live.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV
Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes!
This event is made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and marketing partners, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau.