Writing History at WEF: Greya's Back-to-Back Five-Star Grand Prix Wins

Since 2010, only one rider has ever won more than two five-star Grand Prix classes in a single WEF season. That record belongs to McLain Ward, whose historic 2016 and 2020 campaigns set a benchmark in Wellington’s International Arena. For those back-to-back victories, he had been riding different horses, so up until this year not a single horse had ever won five-star Grands Prix in WEF during the same season. Since last weekend, Kent Farrington’s Greya has challenged that legacy, with back-to-back five-star victories during the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2025.

A Historic Feat at WEF

In 2016, McLain Ward became the first rider to ever win back-to-back five-star Grands Prix during the same WEF season. He picked up the first of his wins that season riding Rothchild, fresh off their Pan-American Individual victory. Two weeks after that WEF win, he repeated that performance on 10-year-old HH Azur, with whom he had already won a five-star Grand Prix in Calgary the previous year. 

Four years later, McLain showed he wasn’t finished writing history in Wellington. He started the 2020 season off by winning the five-star Grand Prix riding Noche de Ronda during WEF 5. Since her 2016 Grand Prix victory, HH Azur had only continued to improve on her incredible form, helping Team USA claim Team Silver at the Rio Olympic Games and winning the 2017 World Cup Finals. It was therefore no surprise when McLain claimed his second five-star Grand Prix victory of the 2020 Wellington season riding HH Azur during WEF 7.

For years, McLain Ward remained the only rider to ever claim more than one five-star Grand Prix victory in one WEF season and no horse had ever managed to achieve this.

That all changed last weekend. While Kent Farrington became the second rider to win more than 1 five-star Grand Prix during the same WEF season, his 11-year-old mare Greya has become the first horse to achieve this incredible milestone.

Greya: Continuously Writing History

Following on the back of an incredible 2024 season, Kent Farrington’s Greya has continued her superb form into the 2025 season. They started the year off with a victory in their first five-star Grand Prix during WEF5. Two weeks later, the pair repeated this performance with another Grand Prix win during WEF7. This puts Greya in the history books as the first horse to win more than one five-star Grand Prix during the same Wellington season.

Farrington attributes Greya’s success to her unique attributes: "Her foot speed across the middle of the course and her ability to sprint to the next fence make her very hard to catch. She's ultra careful, so you can run at the jumps at speed, and she's an incredible competitor—she's a great modern show jumper."

Despite these back-to-back five-star wins, Farrington insists that Greya has yet to fully peak: "She's coming of age now where she can really compete, and I'm proud of what she's showing she can do. I've always thought a lot of this horse, and I’m enjoying the moment."

Greya has strengthened her position as the highest-rated US horse on an Elo rating of 772. She currently ranks as eighth in the world.

Chasing a Record-Breaking Third Victory

With WEF 12’s Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix still ahead, Farrington and Greya have a chance to achieve what no other horse or rider since 2010 has done—win three five-star Grand Prix events in a single WEF season.

As the festival’s biggest event looms, all eyes will be on this incredible partnership. Can they break new ground and etch their name even further into WEF history? If their performances so far are any indication, the answer might just be a resounding yes.

About the Series
Born from a commitment by the US Equestrian Board in July 2023, the US Equestrian Open aims to grow the sport's awareness, exposure, and fan engagement. With $1 million in prize money and extensive media coverage on ESPN and the USEF Network, this series is designed to:

• Provide a structured, prestigious championship format.
• Attract a broader audience.
• Enhance competition opportunities for athletes.

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