After a summer of watching exceptional high-goal polo matches at the Greenwich Polo Club in backcountry Greenwich, Connecticut, we concluded the season with exhilarating Major League Show Jumping. We attended the final day of the 2-day competition of the $200,000 Fidelity Grand Prix CSI 5* at Greenwich Polo Club held on September 28 – 29, 2024, which brought 46 of the top riders from across the United States, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, Lebanon, Portugal, Sweden, and Venezuela. It was a thrilling afternoon watching riders and their horses in amazing tandem!
Katherine A. Dinan on Out Of The Blue SCF
This year marked the fourth year that the Greenwich Polo Club hosted CSI Greenwich, an Olympic-level international show jumping competition, featuring some of the riders who had recently competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. While we regularly attend polo matches, this was our first time experiencing show jumping, and it was exciting to see how the polo field was transformed into a show jumping course. As the week had been rainy, they built a sand course on the polo field to protect the horses and their riders.
Nicolette Hiri on Chaiou 7
There are many interesting aspects of show jumping competition, including the fact that both male and female riders compete against one another. This equestrian sport requires an elevated level of skill and dexterity by both the rider and the horse who must be in perfect sync to complete the course in record time and jump over the different obstacles positioned around the course. To give you an idea of how high the obstacles are, look at the photo of Debra next to an obstacle inside The Brant Foundation Art Study Center at the Greenwich Polo Club, and then imagine being on horseback jumping over it. Incredible daring and skill is required by both the horse and their rider!
Debra C. Argen next to Obstacle Jump
As this was our first experience at a show jumping competition, we followed each aspect with great interest and found it thrilling to watch the riders walking the course beforehand to get a feel for it by pacing the course and measuring the distance between each of the obstacles and inspecting them. Each of the obstacles on the course have railings (poles) that are designed to fall out if a horse knocks into them. This is to protect the horse and rider. If a railing falls during the jump, it is called a knockdown and a fault (penalty) is given. A refusal is when the horse stops before the obstacle or goes around it to avoid jumping over it. If the horse does this twice, it is referred to as a second refusal and results in elimination. If the horse or rider falls, the result is also elimination. When a rider has a clean ride around the course (without faults), it is declared a Clear Round.
Quentin Judge on HH Griffin Van de Heffinck
The competition on Sunday, September 29, 2024, consisted of a roster of 46 riders from around the world with the audiences’ attention on top 10 ranked riders. A few of the top riders included Kent Farrington from the United States who has had more multiple 5* Grand Prix wins in the past decade than any other rider, is a former World Number One, and he represented the United States in multiple Olympic Games (Team Silver in Rio in 2016, Bronze in World Equestrian Games); Shane Sweetnam, one of the top riders from Ireland; and Richard Vogel from Germany, to name but a few.
Richard Vogel on Phenyo Van Het Keysersbos
Watching these outstanding equestrian teams race around the course and “fly” over the obstacles was a memorable and exhilarating experience each time that they successfully cleared them without fault, and heartbreaking whenever they bumped into and knocked the rails to the ground, or their horse refused when it approached an obstacle.
Hallie Grimes on Karoline of Ballmore
A few of the many riders we enjoyed watching included Nicolette Hirt (rider 142) from the United States on her horse Chatou 7, Hallie Grimes (rider 138) from the United States on her horse Karoline of Ballmore, Katherine A. Dinan (rider 175) from the United States on her horse Out of the Blue SCF, Luis Fernando Larrazabal (rider 272) from Venezuela on his horse Condara, Bruno Diniz Das Neves (rider 204) from Portugal on his horse Gucci Musterd, and Richard Vogel (rider 251) from Germany on his horse Phenyo Van Het Keysersbos.
Luis Fernando Larrazabal on Condara
While all riders were amazing to watch, Abdulrahman Al-Rajhi from the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia on his horse Ventago was an inspiration to watch, as rider and horse were in perfect harmony as they raced easily around the course and over the obstacles in record time. Also fabulous to watch was American Lillie Keenan on her horse Kick On who finished in second place trailing Al-Rajhi by .46 seconds, and American Kent Farrington on his horse Myla who took home a third-place finish.
Abdulrahman Al-Rajhi KSA First Place on Ventago
The Results of the $200,000 Fidelity Grand Prix CSI5*
First Place: Abdulrahman Al-Rajhi on horse Ventago (0 / 0 – 35.42)
Second Place: Lillie Keenan on horse Kick On (0 / 0 – 35.88)
Third Place: Kent Farrington on horse Myla (0 / 0 – 36.27
Coco Fath on Happy Time
It was an exciting day of international show jumping at Greenwich Polo Club. While this was our first time experiencing this sport, we look forward to attending future show jumping competitions. Until next time, keep enjoying the adventure!
Fidelity Grand Prix CSI5* – World of Show Jumping
To learn more about and watch video streams of Grand Prix show jumping competitions visit World Of Show Jumping at https://www.worldofshowjumping.com/ , @worldofshowjumping
To learn more about CSI Greenwich, please visit their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/csigreenwich/, @greenwichpoloclub, @majorleagueshowjumping
Please visit the Greenwich Polo Club website for more information: www.greenwichpoloclub.com
Greenwich Polo Club
Field Address (location of public matches)
1 Hurlingham Drive
Greenwich, Connecticut 06831
United States
Greenwich Polo Club Mailing Address (Office, not the Polo Field)
80 Field Point Road, 3
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
United States
Telephone: +1-203-561-1639Email: info@GreenwichPoloClub.com
Website: https://www.greenwichpoloclub.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/greenwichpoloclub @greenwichpoloclub
United States Polo Association®
Telephone: 1-800-232-USPA
Website: www.USPolo.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/USPoloAssociation
Instagram: www.instagram.com/uspoloassn @uspoloassn
Skylar Wireman on Tornado – See you at a future World of Show Jumping Event!
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