Farrington Finishes with Silver and Ward Secures Bronze to Conclude Santiago 2023 Pan American Games

Santiago, Chile – The U.S. Jumping Team finished all three individual combinations in the top five to conclude equestrian competition at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, with Kent Farrington and Landon earning silver individually, McLain Ward and Contagious taking bronze, and Laura Kraut and Dorado 212 finishing just off the podium in fourth. The U.S. Jumping Team also secured their Olympic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games while taking team gold on Wednesday.

“We really came here for Wednesday, and they were just brilliant and got the job done there and today, as the individuals always are, is just the icing on the cake. All three of our combinations today have been impressive,” said Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “We had some building partnerships on this team, with Kent and Landon and Laura and Dorado, and I couldn’t be happier with them, both of them jumped as well as they ever have all week.

The courses were beautifully designed all week by Marina Azevedo (BRA), showcasing the cultural flare and history of Chile, while also proving technically challenging and built to championship specs. The first round of individual competition saw rails fall throughout the course, but a particularly tricky last line, including a triple bar to a double vertical combination to a long bending line to the final oxer stood out as the most difficult of the day. Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) and Landon, a 2012 Zangersheide gelding owned by Haity McNerney, were the first U.S. combination to test the track, showcasing Landon’s growth in confidence throughout the week. The pair had an unfortunate back toe in the water to add four faults to their score with room to improve in round two.

“As a more inexperienced horse coming into this event, I think he continued to grow and improve throughout the week, and I’m just really thrilled with the result. These were big rounds today and some real jumping and I think that shows what the Pan Am Games has become in our sport,” said Farrington. “I’ve had him since the end of his seven-year-old year and he’s now ten, so really coming into his own. He’s won two five-star Grand Prixs already and just jumped better and better as the week went on. He’s an incredible athlete and you can see that he will battle is way out and finished

very strong.”

Laura Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Dorado 212, cared for by Margo Thomas, who were stellar all week, saw one rail fall in the first round, the A element of the very challenging one-stride combination toward the end of the course. Kraut has praised Dorado 212, a 2012 Oldenburg gelding owned by St. Bride’s Farm, for his continued try for her in the ring, especially in his first ever championship format competition with five rounds.

With his longtime partner, Contagious, McLain Ward looked to add another medal to their accomplishments, heading into the first round in the lead overall. The pair were speedy and careful, but a slight shift before the triple bar caused the back rail to fall to add four, while the last oxer also fell from the cups, adding eight to their score, and bringing the leaderboard much tighter going into round two.

“It was really a brilliant week for the American team. Really the goal for us here was to win a gold medal and qualify for Paris and I think we did that with a lot of style on Wednesday. I’m very proud of my team and my horse.

Contagious really fought for me today. We got a bit unlucky in a few places, but there are always things that I can do better, but he performed great and I’m just really thankful to all of the people that make it possible for me to have a horse as special as him.”

Ward and Contagious, a 2009 Zweibrücker gelding owned by Beechwood Stables LLC, and cared for by Virg Casterman, sitting in fifth, rode a brilliant second round, barely touching the back rail of the second-to-last oxer to add four faults to their total, finishing on a final score of 15.34. Landon, cared for by Denise Moriarty, continued to impress with Farrington, producing yet another clear in the second round to mark the pair’s third clear round in five total classes this week, ensuring they finished on their final score of 9.64, which would secure them the silver medal. Gaining valuable experience, Kraut and Dorado 212 finished their second round with two down to push them to fourth overall, just five-tenths of a point behind Ward and Contagious in third. Stephan de Freitas Barcha (BRA) and Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio took the individual gold medal on a final total of 8.06.

Watch all of the equestrian competition on-demand on ClipMyHorseTV. For more information on the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games, visit www.santiago2023.org/en.

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Celebrate Cowgirls Spirit at the Sixth Annual Art of the Cowgirl

Art of the Cowgirl has become the premier event for Western female artists, makers and horsewomen to showcase their talents in traditional trades. Founded in 2018 by Montana horsewoman Tammy Pate, the event celebrates and perpetuates timeless Western trades and the women who keep them alive. The highly anticipated, annual event returns to Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre in Queen Creek, Arizona, January 17-21, 2024. It offers a full schedule of exciting and educational opportunities honoring tradition and diversity in the Western lifestyle.

The heart of Art of the Cowgirl is a fellowship program that pairs emerging female artisans in traditional trades such as silversmithing, leathercraft, boot making, horse training and fine art with masters in their fields. The fellowship removes geographic, financial and other barriers to entry and offers women access to the shops of top professionals. Each fellowship recipient shares their experience during Art of the Cowgirl, and items they made during their fellowship are auctioned to raise funds for future fellowships. The event kicks off with more than 15 hands-on workshops (preregistration required) in horsemanship, leathercraft, photography, creative writing and more. Some of the best cowgirls from the United States and Canada will compete in the preliminaries of the prestigious Kimes Ranch World’s Greatest Horsewoman presented by Western Horseman and the Wrangler All Women’s Ranch Rodeo presented by COWGIRL Magazine competition. The curated tradeshow, featuring dozens of vendors selling handmade, one-of-a-kind items, will be open to the public.

Throughout the event, Art of the Cowgirl Masters and other guests will conduct demonstrations and discussions, cowgirl musicians and poets will perform, and cooks will prepare food over the campfire to sample at the chuckwagons. Cowgirls will test their skills in a breakaway roping competition presented by Merck Animal Health and cow dog trials. On January 17 and 18, the Cowgirls Artists of America will sponsor a quick-draw contest for six to eight artists, and the completed artwork will be auctioned. On Saturday afternoon, a select group of high-quality ranch horses and performance prospects trained by top horsewomen will be auctioned at the Elite Horse Sale. The event culminates on Sunday with the cowdog trial, colt starting, and a special cowgirl poetry and music concert.

Five-day passes are available for pre-order at ArtoftheCowgirl.com, and day passes will be available for purchase closer to the event. For more information, visit ArtoftheCowgirl.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Workshops allow Western women artisans to collaborate with and learn from experts at the annual Art of the Cowgirl main event. It’s estimated that mastering any skill takes at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, and after achieving that goal, most people remain students in their fields for a lifetime. Opportunities to learn and collaborate in a creative, supportive environment are also imperative. Art of the Cowgirl offers an inspiring place for women to gain exposure, experience and knowledge in various Western trades through educational workshops held during the Art of the Cowgirl main event, January 17–21, 2024, at Horseshoe Park Equestrian