USA: The Ruby-Throated hummingbird beats its wings once every 0.02 seconds about the same tiny margin (0.03 seconds) by which Daniel Bluman and Corbie V.V. lost the 2025 5* Grand Prix of Greenwich to Kent Farrington and Toulayna.
That’s right: about as fast as a hummingbird’s wingbeat.
Losing by such a small margin must sting. So it’s no surprise that on Saturday, September 26, Bluman and Corbie V.V. came back strong at the 2026 5* Grand Prix of Greenwich.
Second-last to compete in the jump-off, the pair delivered the only clear round, finishing in 44.26 seconds to win. In a bit of poetic justice, Bluman edged out Farrington, who finished second after knocking down one pole with Descartes SR in 41.31 seconds.
McLain Ward (USA), who also knocked down a rail, finished third with Lestro VD Valckenborg in 43.31 seconds.
“For sure, going after these guys and not before, in a jump off like this, is a huge advantage,” said Bluman, referring to Farrington and Ward, who went before him. “My best bet was to jump a clear round.”
Bad weather and a wide 1.90m triple bar at Jump 7 made the first round harder. Only six pairs completed Course Designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA)’s 16-jump course without faults.
Farrington may have finished second in Greenwich, but he earned his own hat-trick: his third straight second-place finish in an MLSJ Grand Prix this season, after Toronto and Traverse City.
“That’s frustrating in one sense, but in another, it’s great performances with great horses, and I’m proud of that,” said Farrington, currently ranked No. 2 in the world. “Those seconds turn into firsts.”
This is only the second 5* 1.60m Grand Prix win of Bluman and the 11-year-old Zangersheide mare Corbie V.V.’s careers. They also won the Kubota Grand Prix at MLSJ Toronto in August 2025. The pair have jumped clear in 59% of their 27 rounds at 1.60m or higher and finished in the top three 44% of the time (Jumpr).
This season, Farrington and Bluman are also competing for the MLSJ Individual title. The American rider leads with 76 points, while Bluman represents Israel in second place with 55. Six legs remain in the 2026/2027 MLSJ series, which heads to the Hudson Valley from October 7–11.
Reported By: Sports Reporter I USA
