A Grand Prix That Sets the Tone: WEF’s Proven Launchpad for Historic Seasons
A win in the Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix at WEF has repeatedly marked the beginning of seasons that go on to redefine what is possible at the very top of the sport.
The Fidelity InvestmentsⓇ CSI5* Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival holds a unique place on the five-star calendar. Positioned early in the year and contested against consistently elite fields, it has become more than a prestigious standalone victory. A look back at the past ten winners reveals a clear pattern: success in this Grand Prix has often been the first signal of seasons that deliver sustained dominance, and in some cases, performances that rewrite the record books.
2025: Kent Farrington & Greya Reset the Records
The most striking recent example came last season. When Kent Farrington and Greya won the Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix in 2025, few could have predicted just how historic the year ahead would become.
That Wellington victory proved to be the opening chapter of a season unlike any previously recorded. By the end of the year, Farrington had secured nine five-star Grand Prix or World Cup victories, surpassing the long‑standing record of eight wins that he himself first set in 2017 and was again, the top ranked rider in the world.
Greya’s achievements elevated the season even further. With seven five-star Grand Prix victories in a single calendar year, she became the most successful horse ever recorded at five-star level in one season, breaking the previous benchmark of six wins held by Gazelle in 2017. What began under the Florida sun culminated with victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva and an early favorite for the 2026 Aachen World Championships was confirmed.
2019: Martin Fuchs’ Seven‑Win Season
In 2019, Martin Fuchs arrived in Wellington after opening his five-star campaign with a World Cup victory in Europe at Basel with Clooney 51. The pair’s success in the Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix at WEF was Fuchs’s second major win of the season and an early indication that he was stepping into the very top tier of the sport.
From there, Fuchs kept adding to the season tally with wins in Lyon, Geneva, Cascais, Madrid and ultimately London. Across different venues and atmospheres, the then 27‑year‑old converted opportunity into results time and again, eventually closing out the year with seven five-star Grand Prix and World Cup wins. Week 5 in Wellington was again, an early launchpad.
2017: Kent Farrington & Gazelle Set The Benchmark
Before Greya rewrote the limits of what was possible, it was Kent Farrington and Gazelle who set the benchmark. Their victory in the 2017 running of the Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix during Week 5 at WEF also proved to be a cornerstone of a landmark season.
That year, Kent went on to record eight five-star Grand Prix or World Cup wins, the highest total ever achieved in a single season at the time. The record would stand until Farrington surpassed it himself in 2025. Gazelle’s role in setting that original benchmark places the 2017 WEF victory firmly within a broader pattern of early‑season success translating into year‑long dominance.
A Consistent Signal of What’s to Come
Across the past ten editions of the Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix, the evidence is compelling. These wins are rarely isolated moments. Instead, they frequently precede seasons defined by multiple five-star victories, sustained competitiveness in the sport’s strongest fields, and historic milestones at the highest level.
As the next chapter of the Winter Equestrian Festival unfolds, the Fidelity Investments CSI5* Grand Prix once again stands as an early indicator, not just of who is in form, but of which partnerships may go on to shape the season ahead.
