The Specialists: John French Finds His Niche Alongside Kent Farrington

Originally published by The Competitive Equestrian March/April IssueWritten by Ester Hahn | Photo by Alden Corrigan Media

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To see Kent Farrington ringside at the Winter Equestrian Festival’s hunter arenas is a curious sight. Farrington, a mainstay on the international show jumping podium, hasn’t shown in the hunter ring since the time of his early riding career.

At closer inspection, Farrington’s presence isn’t part of a plot to re-enter as competitor in the land of standing martingales and shadbelly tailcoats. But it is to watch his own horses compete under the expert guidance of leading hunter rider and trainer, John French.

A New Direction

“When Kent heard that I had left California, he reached out to me,” said French, when contacted by phone to discuss his new partnership with Farrington. “He called me and said, ‘I heard you’re not in California anymore. Would you want to come and work together with me and ride my hunters?”

That was a time in transition for French. After 32 years in California, he had relocated to Seattle, Wash., in May 2019, where his partner, Carlos Sosa, enjoyed the changing seasons and where French could train out of Lauren Crooks’ farm in nearby Snohomish.

French and Sosa were settling into their new city—already with a house and with a plan to escape to Thermal, Calif., during the winters—when French heard from Farrington. But with the timing, French didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity.

“When Kent contacted me, I believe in September, I told him, ‘No, I just moved to Washington, and I’m living here now,’” remembered French. “But then he said, ‘How about we just meet anyway at the Washington International Horse Show? I’ll be at that show, you’ll be at that show, and we can just meet.’”

Farrington on his part had known French for years, ever since Farrington was a young professional sourcing horses to sell in California.

“I thought it was interesting that John had moved to Seattle,” said Farrington, on a separate call to discuss his growing involvement in the Hunter discipline. “I wondered how that was going to go for him. A rider of his caliber should be riding with the best and competing with the best.”

This thought process prompted Farrington to ask French to come to Wellington, Fla., for the winter season to develop and compete Farrington’s hunter horses. Although not too widely publicized, Farrington isn’t new to importing and selling hunter prospects.

But the partnership with French would be different. The horses for French to ride wouldn’t need to be sold quickly. They were for French to develop, with a longer-term vision of building out a specialized hunter program for French, under the Kent Farrington LLC umbrella.

“I was hoping that by having good horses to ride, John would also attract owners that could support his hunter riding,” explained Farrington. “I think Hunters is one of the unique things we have in America. That’s how we start in horses, and it’s also a way for people to be involved in horses who don’t have the time or desire to do the Jumpers.

“I think the discipline is a really important part of the American Hunter/Jumper world. And supporting the hunter industry, and keeping it at a high level, is beneficial for the overall growth of the sport in America.”

Taking Chances

When French and Farrington met at the Washington International Horse Show, French was reminded of Farrington’s business acumen. The proposition was an interesting one, and French returned home from the Indoors circuit to contemplate the offer.

“Thermal was approaching, and I didn’t have many people going,” said French. “I knew I was going to have to do a lot of catch riding to cover the expenses of being down there. I just thought, ‘I’d rather not do so much catch riding anymore. I’d rather know the horses that I’m working with—to really spend the time to know them.’ And that’s exactly what Kent wanted me to do with his horses.”

The job offer was to ride Farrington’s hunters and to help promote the horses for future sales. And as the position would be within Farrington’s operation, French would be free of the various administrative tasks, such as staffing and logistical issues, that are a time-consuming aspect of owning a horse business.

In November, around the Thanksgiving holiday, French traveled to Farrington’s Wellington base to see the facilities and to further discuss the terms. By the trip’s end, French agreed to give the partnership a try.

The success in the ring was immediate. Beginning with Week 3 of the Winter Equestrian Festival, French and Farrington’s hunters have consistently won classes, ending each week’s efforts with champion or reserve champion honors.

“So far, it’s been great,” said French. “I don’t show as much as I did. Before, I would sometimes ride 40 to 50 trips a day, and now, I get to actually work with the horses.”

There were five hunters awaiting French when he arrived at Farrington’s. Recently imported from Europe, they had never done hunters prior, and French spent the first few weeks in Wellington turning them into show-ready competitors.

The first group to make their hunter debuts under French are Lucky Strike, Babylon, Montage, and Chagall. They are all geldings, either bay or chestnut, and sired by fairly obscure stallions, like Legolas, Crumbie, and Sandro’s Adel. It’s a departure from the show jumping horses that Farrington sources, but as a true connoisseur of horses, there’s a method to his selection.

“I look for a stylish jumper, an eye-catching horse that has great appeal,” Farrington revealed about his process for finding hunter prospects. “A good mover is probably the last of the required qualifications, although it is a bonus. I’m more drawn to the jumping side of things. I spend a lot of time in Europe and spend a lot of time looking at horses, particularly young horses. It’s an easy thing for me to do, and I enjoy good horses at whatever job they do.”

“I keep a lot of young horses in Europe, both hunters and jumpers,” Farrington added. “When I see something really talented that I like, I buy it. But it’s more cost effective to produce them up to a certain level in Europe. There’s no point in bringing over a green horse when they can get the same mileage in Europe for a couple of years for a fraction of the cost.”

The Learning Curve

When French arrived in Florida, he held some reservations about the new partnership. He worried that he would be on his own with the hunters while Farrington would be busy with the show jumping side of the business. Instead, to French’s satisfaction, the hunter project has become a true collaboration between the two horsemen. 

“Kent really takes an interest in the hunters, too,” French said. “If he’s not able to be there to see me go or to school them, we’ll take videos. Then, at the end of the day, I’ll go to his barn and we watch the footage on the big screen and talk about how to improve the horses.”

Farrington leased the barn next door to his property for French and the hunters. And there are a variety of rings available for French’s use, in addition to receiving riding help from Farrington and his assistant, Claudio Baroni.

“Claudio is amazing on the ground,” revealed French. “With one of the horses, we spent a lot of time lunging him and longlining him to work on his canter. That’s been amazing for me to see—how much working from the ground can help.”

On French’s part, his method to “hunterize” a European import is to ride the horse loosely and softly. He doesn’t put too much pressure or leg off the ground at fences to encourage a slower jump, and he utilizes pole work to teach skills like landing on a specific lead.

“I think some of the horses from Europe aren’t used to being left alone,” French explained. “At first, they don’t really know how to canter without it being manufactured and really pulled together every stride. They’re not strong enough to go in a real hunter way. A lot of it is getting them stronger behind so that they can canter super slow and relaxed, without having to be forced up into the bridle and over flexed.”

The unexpected partnership between the top jumper rider and the top hunter rider is quickly gaining interest from the casual observer to the professional participant. A consummate entrepreneur, Farrington’s addition of a hunter vertical works to diversify his business, opening the door to a new clientele of buyers, owners, and riders.

“There’s been a lot of interest in the horses,” said French. “People are asking about purchasing, but Kent says that we aren’t in a hurry. He knows that he has good horses and that they’re only going to get better, so we don’t need to sell them right away. And it’s nice for me that the horses aren’t going to be gone and out from underneath me as soon as I get them.”

After the winter circuit, Farrington and French will travel to separate locations for the summer season before reuniting during Indoors. Although their show schedules will differ, they’ll be in close contact, with Farrington staying involved and invested in his new venture. Despite this keen interest in hunters, Farrington remains firmly behind the scenes.

“I’m probably too far gone and accustomed to riding in my own style to ever show in the Hunters again,” Farrington said, lightheartedly. “I’m not really geared toward the hunter style of going so I’ll leave that to John.”