Farrington and Cruciotti-Vanderveen Take the Final Honors at Silver Oak

Farrington and Cruciotti-Vanderveen Take the Final Honors at Silver Oak

Kent Farrington and Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen named the 2026 Silver Oak Jumper Tournament Leading Male and Female Riders, presented by Windstar Cruises

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wellington, FL – Sept. 15, 2026

The jumps are down.

The ribbons have been handed out.

The final horse has left the ring.

But before the book officially closed on the 2026 Silver Oak Jumper Tournament presented by the Davis McCullough Foundation, there was one final honor to award.

And it went to two riders who spent the week doing what great competitors do best:

Showing up. Staying consistent. And delivering when it mattered.

Presented by Windstar Cruises, the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament Leading Male and Female Rider Awards recognize the riders whose performances across international competition separated them from the field over the course of the week.

For 2026, those riders were:

Leading Male Rider — Kent Farrington

The world No. 2 closed out Silver Oak in spectacular fashion, capturing the Agero CSI3 Grand Prix* aboard Dolores PS and putting an exclamation point on a week filled with top-level international competition.

Farrington’s Grand Prix victory came after a remarkable stretch that saw him compete in Traverse City, travel to Toronto for Major League Show Jumping, finish second in a CSI5* Grand Prix, and return to Traverse City the next morning to win.

When the final points were counted, Farrington stood alone as Silver Oak’s Leading Male Rider.

Leading Female Rider — Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen

Few riders were as consistently in the conversation throughout the week as Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen.

Cruciotti-Vanderveen produced top results across multiple international classes, qualified two horses for the jump-off in the Agero CSI3* Grand Prix and finished third aboard Mochito V/D Mishagen.

She also came within 0.651 seconds of winning the Babington Benefit Classic aboard defending champion Shamonix SF.

Ride after ride, class after class, Cruciotti-Vanderveen remained near the top of the leaderboard.

That consistency earned her the title of 2026 Silver Oak Jumper Tournament Leading Female Rider.

“This was an incredible week of sport,” said Silver Oak Jumper Tournament Chairman Jeff Papows. “We witnessed some of the best show jumping of the season, and to close the tournament by recognizing Kent and Kelli felt like the perfect ending. Both riders were consistently competitive, they delivered under pressure, and they represented exactly the level of sport we want Silver Oak to showcase.”

A Week Worth Remembering

The Leading Rider Awards put the finishing touch on a week that delivered just about everything.

Speed.

Jump-offs decided by fractions of a second.

A historic third Babington Benefit Classic victory for Michael Morrissey. Soon joining Windstar Cruises for a vacation of a lifetime.

A world No. 2 flying back into Traverse City and winning the Grand Prix.

And some of the sport’s best riders battling from the opening class through the final Sunday afternoon.

Through it all, Windstar Cruises helped celebrate the performances that defined the tournament — from the signature Windstar Cruises Clear Round Horn to the presentation of the tournament’s final Leading Rider honors.

And when the final scores were tallied, two names stood above the rest.

Kent Farrington.

Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen.

One Leading Male Rider.

One Leading Female Rider.

And one final salute to an unforgettable week at Silver Oak.

A final special thank you to the entire Flintfields Equestrian Center Staff and the Morrissey Management Group. Your efforts truly made this week special and we cannot wait for next year.