Welcome to the EquiRatings Archive, a treasure trove of timeless tales that celebrate the unique bond between horse and rider, the thrill of competition, and the beauty of this age-old tradition. Here, you'll find an extensive collection of stories from the world of equestrian sports, covering everything in show jumping and eventing.

Main

This week&rsquo;s US Equestrian Open qualifier at the Adequan&reg; Global Dressage Festival brings two chances to earn valuable leaderboard points: the CDI Freestyle and the CDIO Freestyle&mdash;the latter doubling as a Nations Cup event, where riders compete for their country rather than just themselves.&nbsp;
With national pride and leaderboard points on the line, the CDIO has drawn the bigger field. And while the battle for top scores should be fierce, realistically, it&rsquo;s a fight for second place. Felicitas Hendricks is in a league of her own.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/0797145e-d12f-41a5-b700-72f19876344a.png?width=1332&amp;height=1440" alt="Table showing the Grand Prix Freestyle Stats for entries in the 2025 Fei Nations Cup Cdio3 Adequan Global Dressage Festival 7">
It&rsquo;s not just Hendricks&rsquo; personal best (79.105%) that makes her the overwhelming favorite &mdash; it&rsquo;s her consistency. With an average of 77.491%, she&rsquo;s not just leading; she&rsquo;s doing so with a cushion. For anyone to overtake her, it would take both an above-average, personal-best performance from a competitor and a rare underperformance from Hendricks and 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Drombusch OLD. That&rsquo;s a tough equation to bet against.
The one competitor who could put up a fight is fellow countrywoman Evelyn Eger, a rider who is currently leading the Series in a three-way tie. Eger and 12-year-old Oldenburg mare Tabledance 3 have an average of 73.771%, which is nearly four percentage points behind Hendricks. Their personal best of 77.085%, however, does put them within striking distance. That result came in May of last year, when she came fourth, behind Ingrid Klimke (3rd), Andrina Suter (2nd), and Isabell Werth (1st), the current FEI Dressage World No. 1.
If Eger can pull off an upset, she will outright lead the Series on a score of 60. But if the final results give a Hendricks-Eger 1-2, the leaderboard would again be tied, with both riders at 57.
While the CDIO Freestyle will be a battle for national pride, the smaller CDI 3* class is a different story. With just three entries, US rider Karen Lipp is the clear frontrunner.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/b02bf52d-f824-4432-8b29-b72e6dc855bd.png?width=1332&amp;height=772" alt="Table showing the Grand Prix Freestyle Stats for entries in the 2025 Cdi3 Adequan Global Dressage Festival 7">
As a frequent competitor in the Series qualifiers, Lipp has 30 points under her belt, meaning a win would guarantee she&rsquo;s the first rider to break the 50-point threshold. This would also vault her to the top of the leaderboard, where she&rsquo;d have sole possession of the number one spot&mdash;but likely only for a few hours, as the Nations Cup is scheduled to start immediately after the 3* concludes. Unless Hendricks and Eger both have wildly uncharacteristic days, it is unlikely Lipp will remain on top for long.
So, the real question: does anyone shake up the standings? Will Eger deliver a PB? Does Lipp get her moment at the top of the leaderboard &mdash; however brief?
Or are we simply living in a Drombusch world?
The CDI3* is set to start at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, with the FEI Nations Cup immediately following. <a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew">Become a USEF Network Fan</a> for free to stream the upcoming qualifiers live!
<h2 dir="ltr">Stay Connected</h2>
Stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen"> Instagram</a>, and follow US Equestrian on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USequestrian"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrian/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@usequestrian">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/usequestrian">X (Twitter)</a>. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/313059f5-aa3c-4b83-b2e7-8aa565f17d7c.png?width=1080&amp;height=1080" alt="Table of the Show Calendar for the 2025 Us Equestrian Open of Dressage Series">
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<hr>
For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at <a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at <a href="mailto:cweilminster@usef.org">cweilminster@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lgriffin@usef.org">lgriffin@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;

Close-up image of a bay horse's face as it looks into the camera contentedly. The horse wears a dressage bridle with a browband bedazzled in red, white, and blue. A rider in dressage gear sits on the horse's back.

A Fight for Second Place? Hendricks Looks Untouchable in Qualifier 8

The evening air was crisp by Florida standards, dipping into the low 70s as a cool breeze drifted through the showgrounds. The sky burned orange behind a tapestry of palm trees. In the fading light, the first riders entered the warm-up arena, their movements quiet and deliberate. Horses and riders moved in quiet concentration, warming muscles, refining aids, and dissolving any lingering tension as they prepared for their dance under the lights.
<h2 dir="ltr">Under Pressure</h2>
By the time Kevin Kohmann entered the arena at 8:44 p.m., the sky had fully darkened, and the stands were packed with spectators. If he felt nervous about this high-pressure ride, it didn&rsquo;t show. He and 16-year-old D&uuml;nensee looked cool and confident in warm-up, nailing their piaffes and extensions. When &ldquo;D&uuml;nee&rdquo; missed a change, Kevin calmly brought him back to walk, reset, and produced a perfect line of ones on their next attempt.
It paid off &mdash; his test was breathtaking and ultimately secured him the win. Under the lights, the pair looked like they were simply having a late-night schooling session that a couple hundred people happened to be invited to. As their freestyle drew to a close, the audience clapped in time with the music before erupting into cheers at his final salute. As they left the arena, both horse and rider beamed, waiting for the scores.
The judges awarded Kohmann a personal best of 79.240%, with the judge at B scoring him an 80%. His score sheet was littered with 8s, including high marks for the trot half-pass, and one judge gave a 9 for his entrance and halts. With this win, he secured the final North American ticket to Basel for the World Cup Finals.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s helping me every day in the ring. I cannot thank the horse enough.&rdquo; &mdash; Kevin Kohmann
</blockquote>
His freestyle victory came on the heels of another personal best in the Grand Prix the day before. &ldquo;I know I said &lsquo;no pressure,&rsquo; but there was a little pressure sitting next to me here right now,&rdquo; Kohmann joked, nodding toward fellow competitor Anna Marek.
<h2 dir="ltr">All In</h2>
<blockquote>
"Following Kevin, I had nothing to lose..."
</blockquote>
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7a9d0a78-5e3c-4ab7-817b-69333e8edeb0.jpg?width=3464&amp;height=2309" alt="Anna Marek and the bay horse Fire Fly during a dressage test in competition.">
Anna Marek &amp; Fire Fly. Photo by Shannon Brinkman
Marek and Fire Fly finished second with a score of 77.640%. The pair was electric yet fluid, and Fire Fly is truly a horse to see in person. Flashy and beautiful on the livestream, his animated movement in person is next level. He embodies the &ldquo;floating horse&rdquo; &mdash; his passage so light it looks as though he doesn&rsquo;t touch the ground. For a horse that has struggled with the piaffe in the past, Friday night&rsquo;s performance showed no signs of it. Marek said she feels like she can ask for more now &mdash; and he answers without hesitation.
Their Stranger Things-themed freestyle is a dramatic, high-energy performance that perfectly matches Fire Fly&rsquo;s animated power. Anticipation hung in the air as Marek trotted down the final centerline. Tentative cheers floated on the breeze, hesitant at first, as if the crowd didn&rsquo;t want to disrupt the energy. When Marek hit her salute, the arena erupted in applause.
&ldquo;Following Kevin, I had nothing to lose,&rdquo; Marek explained. &ldquo;So I was just like, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ll just go for it and take some risks I might not normally do on Fire Fly.&rsquo; But today, it all worked. He was really, really good. I was proud of him.&rdquo;
Kohmann and Marek have a friendly rivalry that pushes them to be better every time they step into the ring. It adds pressure &mdash; but the right kind.
&ldquo;I was trying to scare him a little bit yesterday,&rdquo; Marek joked. &ldquo;Oh Kevin, I&rsquo;m coming for you.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Bring it on,&rdquo; Kevin laughed in response.
&nbsp;
<hr>
Marek&rsquo;s second-place finish makes her first reserve for the World Cup Final in Basel. Now that the World Cup qualifiers are wrapped up, she shifts her focus to the US Equestrian Open of Dressage, with her sights firmly set on the final in Thermal, California, at the end of the year.
<h3>Top 10 Placings on the Series Leaderboard after the Palm Beach Derby:</h3>
See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier,&nbsp;<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/daad2cec-cb26-4933-978d-b062e57337fa.png?width=543&amp;height=948" alt="Leaderboard for the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage as of 3 March (after Qualifier 9)">
The Palm Beach Derby&rsquo;s conclusion shakes up the leaderboard. Karen Lipp&rsquo;s sixth-place finish earned her 10 points, putting her in a tie for the overall lead with Germany&rsquo;s Evelyn Eger. Marek now sits behind them on 54 points, tying her with Felicitas Hendricks. Meanwhile, Camille Cartier Bergeron&rsquo;s third-place finish earned her 17 points, bringing her season total to 37. That result ties her for 10th place alongside Kohmann and Adrienne Lyle.
<h2 dir="ltr">What's Next</h2>
Next week, the qualifiers continue up north in Ocala, FL, at the World Equestrian Center March Dressage Show.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/dce51360-5371-41aa-a234-8d5afb25ac10.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Dressageopensched Final">
<h2 dir="ltr">Stay Connected</h2>
For the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/dressage-us-equestrian-open-quick-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most up-to-date series calendar</a> and <a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest standings</a>, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/">usequestrianopen.org</a>.
Stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen"> Instagram</a>, and follow US Equestrian on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USequestrian"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrian/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@usequestrian">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/usequestrian">X (Twitter)</a>. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.
And stream the action live by becoming a <a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USEF Network Fan</a> for free.
&nbsp;
<hr>
For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at <a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at <a href="mailto:cweilminster@usef.org">cweilminster@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lgriffin@usef.org">lgriffin@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;

Kevin Kohmann & the bay horse Dünensee during a dressage test in competition.

A Cool Breeze, a Fiery Freestyle: Kohmann and Dünee Shine in Wellington 

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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s Greya has challenged that legacy, with back-to-back five-star victories during the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2025.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e173d4e6-80b4-46f4-98ac-f696a1a22d51.png?width=1250&amp;height=1180" alt="Riders With Multiple Five Star Grand Prix Victories in One Wef Season (1)">
<h2>A Historic Feat at WEF</h2>
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.&nbsp;
Four years later, McLain showed he wasn&rsquo;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.
<h2> Greya: Continuously Writing History</h2>
Following on the back of an incredible 2024 season, Kent Farrington&rsquo;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&rsquo;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&mdash;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&rsquo;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.
<h2> Chasing a Record-Breaking Third Victory</h2>
With WEF 12&rsquo;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&mdash;win three five-star Grand Prix events in a single WEF season.
As the festival&rsquo;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.
&nbsp;
<hr>
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:
<ul>
<li>Provide a structured, prestigious championship format.</li>
<li>Attract a broader audience.</li>
<li>Enhance competition opportunities for athletes.</li>
</ul>
Stay connected with the US Equestrian Open on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and the USEF Network for live event updates, stories, and results. Use #USEquestrianOpen to share your own experiences and connect with fellow fans.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/1ba79d22-0b13-4687-b1e5-5dc0cd708aee?width=1080&amp;height=1080" alt="P. 4 Jumping">
For sponsorship and media inquiries, please contact:
Carly Weilminster: cweilminster@usef.org Layson Griffin: lgriffin@usef.org

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

Wrigley Field, Madison Square Garden, Arrowhead Stadium. Like some of the most well-known sporting venues, eventing venues can adopt personalities of their own.
Stadiums are compared on fan decibel levels, seating capacity, or audience experience. Eventing venues are compared on cross country difficulty, field strengths, or arena footing (to name a few). With several ways to parse apart events, this time we&rsquo;re boiling it down to winning margins: how many points does the victor win by?
Winning margins are a function of several variables: the strength of the field, the size of the field, and the conditions on cross-country day, for example. But as one, big, high-level analysis, its insightful and interesting. So here we go.
<h2>Parameters</h2>
We looked at winning margins within these boundaries.
Venues: <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/about-the-us-equestrian-open-series">US Open venues</a>
<h3>Level:</h3>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>CCI4*, since all qualifiers are at that level</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Separately, we also looked at Morven Park CCI4*-L since that is the location and level of the final.</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Timeframe:</h3>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal">2019-2024</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Why 2019? Because modern scoring started in 2019 so it allows the cleanest apples-to-apples comparison. (The dressage multiplier was gone starting in 2018 and, starting in 2019, SJ time penalties went from 1 penalty per second to the current 0.4 per second.)</li>
</ul>
<h2>The narrowest victories come at Tryon</h2>
The narrowest victory in the list comes from Tryon in April 2022 when both&nbsp;Doug Payne (Vandiver) and Phillip Dutton (Z) both finished on a score of 30.8. Doug started on a dressage score of 30 (Phillip 28) but Doug was closer to the time with just 0.8 added compared to Z&rsquo;s 2.8. Both jumped clear. Both ended up with a HPR (High Performance Rating) of 97 &ndash; one of the highest ever recorded at the venue. That rating is driven a number of factors but primarily, who they beat and by how much. That day, Vandiver and Z finished ahead of Aachen winner Off The Record (Will Coleman) and Boyd Martin&rsquo;s Tsetserleg. &nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/c8787753-9fb6-4db8-b872-e956f5ab83eb.png?width=1252&amp;height=2542" alt="Table showing the 10 Smallest Largest 4S Winning Margins at Us Open Venues">
Later the same year, we saw another narrow victory, this time from&nbsp;Julie Wolfert with SSH Playboy finishing on 55.3, just ahead of Ariel Grald and Forrest Gump 124 on a score of 55.4. This was a different quality of field, and a differently rated performance with a winning HPR of 57.&nbsp; Emily Beshear&rsquo;s 0.1 winning margin in the opening leg of the US Equestrian Open with Rio de Janeiro is joint second on the list.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/dbdb4ab1-a525-4ee7-8959-8dfdd4396cbc.png?width=1116&amp;height=1414" alt="Table showing the average 4S Winning Margins at the Us Open Venues">
<h2>Small Fields, Big Wins</h2>
Lauren Billys holds the biggest winning margin in our list when she dominated a small field in Twin Rivers back in 2019. Castle Larchfield Purdy started on a score of 29.8 and only added a couple of cross country seconds to finish on a score of 30.6. Liza Horan was second that day with a score of 66.8. The win didn&rsquo;t translate to a big rating, coming in at 52.&nbsp; Karen O&rsquo;Neal (Clooney 14) had a big win at Aspen Farms in June last year, finishing 23.5 marks ahead of Sophie Click and Quidproquo. The winning rating was 46 &ndash; again coming from the small field ad without some of the superstars.
<h2>What about the final, a CCI4*-L?</h2>
This October, the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/about-the-us-equestrian-open-series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Open final will take place at Morven Park as a CCI4*-L</a>. There will be (at least) $200,000 in prize money on the line. So how close might it be when deciding the biggest chunk of the winnings?
Well, historically, the winner of Morven Park CCI4*-L has triumphed by just 0.6 penalties to as much as 10.4. That 10.4 margin, produced by&nbsp;Boyd Martin and Commando 3, was largely thanks to the pair's fast and clean cross country round (fastest of the day) on a day when only seven of the 14 starters finished the course. On the other hand, 12 of the 16 starters completed last year's cross country with Julie Wolfert and SSH Playboy going on to win by 1.0 point, a victory earned by finishing on their dressage score.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/31003839-e2e6-44d4-af56-512d34df36d5.png?width=1068&amp;height=824" alt="table showing the Winning Margins in the Morven Park 4L and how they've Ranged From 0 6 to 10 4 Points">
<h2 dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s Next in the Open?</h2>
Having kicked off in 2024, the US Equestrian Open qualifiers will pick back up next Friday, March 7th&nbsp;when the leaderboard battle continues at <a href="https://bouckaertfarm.com/equestrian-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bouckaert</a>.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/145ad0e6-6356-4cd4-98f7-394e78b6afdb?width=1080&amp;height=1080" alt="Table of the Event Calendar for the 2024-2025 U.S. Equestrian Open of Eventing Series">
For the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/dressage-us-equestrian-open-quick-guide">most up-to-date series calendar</a> and <a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open">latest standings</a>, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/">usequestrianopen.org</a>.
<h3>Series Standings at the End of 2024:</h3>
See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier,&nbsp;<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/d85de2e9-4a7d-4cdc-9eb6-538d9de32553?width=1080&amp;height=1682" alt="Table Showing the Top 10 Athletes on the Us Open of Eventing Leaderboard as of the End of 2024">
<h2 dir="ltr">Stay Connected</h2>
Stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen"> Instagram</a>, and follow US Equestrian on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USequestrian"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrian/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@usequestrian">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/usequestrian">X (Twitter)</a>. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.
&nbsp;
<hr>
For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at <a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at <a href="mailto:cweilminster@usef.org">cweilminster@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lgriffin@usef.org">lgriffin@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;

Profile image of Doug Payne & the bay horse Vandiver clearing a show jumping obstacle

Narrow defeats or convincing victories: how close has it come at the US Open venues?

This week&rsquo;s qualifier takes place at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, one of Wellington&rsquo;s most historic competitions. The Derby was created in 1983 at a time when dressage had little presence in South Florida &mdash; a prospect that&rsquo;s hard to fathom today. What started as one of Florida&rsquo;s first major dressage competitions is now a key stop on the winter circuit.&nbsp;
This week also marks the final North American qualifier for the FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland. Anna Marek and Kevin Kohmann are the last two riders in contention for a World Cup Finals berth, but only one will earn the ticket to Basel.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/27eb162f-cc44-448f-b15a-72f615396533.jpg?width=null&amp;height=null" alt="Front-on image of Kevin Kohmann and the dark bay horse Duenensee after a dressage test. Kevin smiles and waves to the crowd. Duenensee looks content and relaxed.s 10">
Kevin Kohmann &amp; D&uuml;nensee
<h2 dir="ltr">Marek vs. Kohmann: A Ticket to Basel</h2>
The last time Anna Marek and Kevin Kohmann met, it came down to the slimmest of margins &mdash; just 0.21 percentage points separated them in Week 4&rsquo;s freestyle, with Marek taking the win.
Marek returns on Fire Fly, her 15-year-old KWPN gelding and Olympic-shortlist mount, looking for her second US Equestrian Open victory of the season. She took top honors in Week 4 and followed it up with a second-place finish in Week 6, that time aboard her up-and-coming horse, Fayvel.
As Marek said in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/new-podcast-anna-marek-on-passion-patience-and-performance">US Equestrian Open Podcast:</a>
<blockquote>
&ldquo;[Fire Fly] has taught me more than any other horse about patience and when to slow down&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Fire Fly wasn&rsquo;t a finished Grand Prix horse when he arrived in her barn &mdash; he had the talent but needed time to overcome mental roadblocks. Instead of pushing too hard, Marek took a measured, long-term approach, allowing him to develop at his own pace.
That patience has paid off. Fire Fly has earned some of the highest scores in the Series so far. A win this week would put Marek within reach of Series leader Evelyn Eger as the second half of the season unfolds.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/42f8cd4d-c3ee-41c6-b529-f5683eb8c240.png?width=1328&amp;height=2104" alt="Table showing the Grand Prix Freestyle Stats for entries in the 2025 Palm Beach Dressage Derby at AGDF 8">
Kohmann&rsquo;s average (74.825%) is just below Marek&rsquo;s (75.438%), but his personal best of 77.720% shows he has the scoring power to take the win. He and D&uuml;nensee, a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding, have broken the 77% barrier in two of their last four outings &mdash; meaning another down-to-the-wire showdown is entirely possible.
<h2 dir="ltr">P.J. Rizvi: Can She Keep the Momentum?</h2>
Few riders have made a debut as memorable as P.J. Rizvi. Aboard her Lusitano stallion, Vanilla Ice, she delivered a standout first Grand Prix Freestyle performance &mdash; <a href="https://www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_US/ondemand/event/15333/competition/320656/adequan-global-dressage-festival-5/fei-world-cup-grand-prix-freestyle?start_at=12937046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a crowd favorite set to the &ldquo;Ice Ice Baby.&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;
Now, the question is: Can she do it again?
It&rsquo;s not uncommon for riders to deliver a strong first impression in their debut, but maintaining that performance takes another level of skill. While Rizvi isn&rsquo;t in contention for a World Cup Finals spot, she could shake up the Series standings. Another top-three finish would earn her 17 points &mdash; potentially disrupting the leaderboard race for riders like Karen Lipp, who have been steadily accumulating scores all season.
<h2 dir="ltr">Karen Lipp: The Power of Showing Up</h2>
It&rsquo;s not always about having the highest scores &mdash; sometimes, it&rsquo;s about consistently showing up.
Karen Lipp has been one of the most active riders at AGDF this season. That steady participation has placed her third in the Series with 50 points, fresh off a win in the CDI3* last weekend.
Lipp doesn&rsquo;t have the highest average in the field (71.863%), but her commitment to competing regularly has put her in a strong position. A top-10 finish this week would move her into a tie for first in the Series standings, while a top-five finish would guarantee her the sole lead.
It&rsquo;s a different approach from someone like Ge&ntilde;ay Vaughn, who sits on 40 points despite only competing twice &mdash; proving that fewer starts can work, but only if you win big.
This trend isn&rsquo;t unique to Lipp &mdash; Series leader Evelyn Eger has also followed a high start-volume strategy, and it&rsquo;s kept her in control of the leaderboard. But with Eger taking a break this week, Lipp has a clear path to the top.
Is consistency the underrated key to success, or will this strategy fade as we move into the second half of the season?
<h2 dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s on the line this weekend?</h2>
<h3>Top 10 Placings on the Series Leaderboard Coming into the Palm Beach Derby:</h3>
See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier,&nbsp;<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/5ecf37bb-098b-4b7e-b7c9-4bd9351a9484.png?width=620&amp;height=1001" alt="Leaderboard for the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage as of 28 Feb 2025 (after Qualifier 8)">
Marek and Kohmann are battling for a World Cup Finals spot, but every ride also carries major implications for the US Equestrian Open leaderboard. With the Series leader absent, Lipp has a chance to take over, and Rizvi could shake things up once again.
But not every rider in Wellington is chasing leaderboard points. For some, just getting to these events is a victory of its own &mdash; something Adriane Alvord knows well. A few weeks ago, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFTkn5Ev6DF/?igsh=NDVmZGh6MTVlc2Vv">she posted</a> about her three-mile walk home with her horse after the show &mdash; a reminder that not everyone in Wellington has six-figure horses and luxury trailers. In a sport often associated with deep-pocketed sponsors, her story struck a chord. It&rsquo;s a different kind of perseverance, but just as real.
No matter what&rsquo;s on the line &mdash; World Cup Finals qualification, Series points, or simply the chance to compete &mdash; every rider has something to fight for this weekend.
<a href="https://www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_EU/events/15335" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tune in Friday night</a> to watch the US Equestrian Open Freestyle Qualifier at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby where history, rivalries, and leaderboard shake-ups are all in play.
You can livestream it all with a <a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free USEF Network Fan membership!</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">Stay Connected</h2>
For the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/dressage-us-equestrian-open-quick-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most up-to-date series calendar</a> and <a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest standings</a>, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/">usequestrianopen.org</a>.
Stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen"> Instagram</a>, and follow US Equestrian on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USequestrian"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrian/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@usequestrian">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/usequestrian">X (Twitter)</a>. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.
And stream the action live by becoming a <a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USEF Network Fan</a> for free.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/dce51360-5371-41aa-a234-8d5afb25ac10.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Dressageopensched Final">
<hr>
For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at <a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at <a href="mailto:cweilminster@usef.org">cweilminster@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lgriffin@usef.org">lgriffin@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Anna Marek and the dark bay horse Fire Fly during a dressage competition.

Rivalries, Rankings, and One Last Shot at Basel

As a sports writer, some of the best stories come when you&rsquo;re wrong. They force you to ask: why? Was the data off? Was there an environmental factor we didn&rsquo;t account for? Did we overlook something? Or&mdash;perhaps&mdash;is the reason our predictions were off the same reason sport is so thrilling to watch?
The human element.
People aren&rsquo;t bound by their own performance metrics. They have good days and bad days. And sometimes, they do extraordinary things.
So, did we misjudge Felicitas Hendricks because our data was off? Did an impromptu Florida rain shower roll in at just the wrong time? Did a rogue plastic bag float into the arena at the worst possible moment? Perhaps, Hendricks just had a rare off day?
Or did Evelyn Eger simply perform?
I&rsquo;m inclined to think it was the latter.
Hendricks&rsquo; test on Friday night was far from poor&mdash;a 75.130% is a score many riders would kill for. It just happens to be two percent below her average (77.491%). A small mistake in the final piaffe cost her a few marks, but it wasn&rsquo;t a disaster. Horses, after all, aren&rsquo;t machines any more than riders are. Hendricks smiled through the moment and finished unfazed.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;I was happy with a lot of things. He&rsquo;s a very sensitive horse, which makes him great for a freestyle. But first I didn&rsquo;t ask for enough, then I asked for too much, which caused a little explosion. So that was unfortunate, but again, he&rsquo;s a sensitive boy and I love that about him. That makes him very special.&rdquo; &mdash; Felicitas Hendricks
</blockquote>
Rather than dwelling on a rider who didn&rsquo;t quite match expectations, let&rsquo;s talk about one who exceeded them.
Evelyn Eger has been a staple at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival this season, improving steadily across her appearances. She placed sixth with a 73.275% in early January, then climbed to fourth (75.340%) two weeks later. After another strong showing in early February (74.030%, fifth place), she broke through for her first win on Friday night with a 77.235%. The 28-year-old German rider is quickly making a name for herself in Wellington&mdash;and giving the Americans a run for their money in the U.S. Equestrian Open of Dressage standings.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;The mare came today in the warm-up and told me, &lsquo;I want to win.&rsquo; She was so relaxed, already in the warm-up fighting for me. So yeah, I could enjoy the music, I could enjoy the audience, and yeah, it was a perfect feeling today.&rdquo; &mdash; Evelyn Eger
</blockquote>
For a brief moment, US rider Karen Lipp held the sole lead in the Series after her win in the smaller-field CDI3*. But by the end of the CDIO3* Nations Cup Freestyle, Eger and Hendricks vaulted back to the top of the leaderboard. Eger now holds first place with 60 points, Hendricks sits in second with 54, and Lipp holds third with 50.
<h3>Top 10 Placings on the Series Leaderboard after Qualifier 8:</h3>
See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier,&nbsp;<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/c9a6973d-0e59-444f-9a03-ae38add92f9b.png?width=499&amp;height=753" alt="Screenshot of the top 10 rider rankings in the US Equestrian Open of Dressage.">
The competition stays on the East Coast for the next two weeks before heading back to Del Mar in March, giving the West Coast riders another shot at climbing the leaderboard. Next up: the Palm Beach Derby, one of Florida&rsquo;s oldest and longest-running dressage competitions.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Stay Connected</h2>
For the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/dressage-us-equestrian-open-quick-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most up-to-date series calendar</a> and <a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest standings</a>, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/">usequestrianopen.org</a>.
Stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen"> Instagram</a>, and follow US Equestrian on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USequestrian"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrian/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@usequestrian">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/usequestrian">X (Twitter)</a>. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/2e1ff556-4bde-479a-be2b-e4fc716475d2.png?width=1080&amp;height=1080" alt="Table of the Show Calendar for the 2025 Us Equestrian Open of Dressage Series">
<hr>
For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at <a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at <a href="mailto:cweilminster@usef.org">cweilminster@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lgriffin@usef.org">lgriffin@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;

Qualifier 8 Recap: When the Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

<h3 data-start="433" data-end="462">&nbsp;</h3>
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<h3 data-start="433" data-end="462">The Riders to Watch</h3>
At the top of the prediction center sits Boyd Martin and Luke 140, a serious talent making a long-awaited return. While Boyd&rsquo;s horse is undeniably gifted, will he be at full throttle this early in the season?
Meanwhile, Phillip Dutton has a powerful hand with Jewelent and Quasi Cool, both well-placed to secure more crucial Open points. Dutton already holds the lead in the standings&mdash;could Bouckaert extend his advantage?
Another major contender is Lucienne Bellissimo&rsquo;s Dyri, a standout in the first phase with the lowest dressage average in the field. If she jumps clear in show jumping, she could find herself at the top heading into cross-country.
<h3 data-start="1141" data-end="1194">The Bouckaert Challenge: Time is Everything</h3>
Bouckaert&rsquo;s cross-country course is a true test of speed and endurance, with only four combinations in history finishing inside the time in this class. In an event where cross-country time penalties will likely decide the winner.
<h3 data-start="1479" data-end="1526">Dark Horse Alert: Who Could Surprise?</h3>
With fast horses and new riders riders in the mix, don&rsquo;t be surprised if a new name shakes up the leaderboard. Could this be the breakthrough event for someone like Ava Wehde and Bonaire? A strong show jumper with speed potential, Bonaire could benefit from the nature of this venue. Diarm picks them as his dark horse to follow here and in the series in general.&nbsp;
<h3 data-start="1827" data-end="1855">Who Takes the Win?</h3>
With it being so early in the season, and the influence of time so high, this is one of the hardest events to call. Expect&nbsp;Dutton, Martin, Bellissimo, and a few surprises to be in the mix for the podium.
Follow the action and check out the <a href="https://digital.equiratings.com/view/306031364/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full Form Guide here</a> Stay tuned for our post-event breakdown, and get ready for the next stop: Carolina International!

New Podcast: Eventing Series Returns; Bouckaert International Preview

Beezie Madden on her story, emerging talent on the US Equestrian Open

The stage is set on the Atlantic coast as CSIO5* La Baule returns for another electrifying edition. With a &euro;500,000 prize fund and a field stacked with Olympic medalists, world champions, and rising phenoms, all eyes will be on one pair in particular: Kent Farrington and Greya. After making history with their breakout win here in 2024, the American duo returns to defend their title&mdash;this time as one of the most in-form combinations in the world. But with some of the sport&rsquo;s highest-rated talent also lining up, the road to a repeat will be anything but easy.
<h2> All Eyes on Greya</h2>
When Kent Farrington and Greya galloped across the finish line to win the 2024 Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule, they weren&rsquo;t just adding a prestigious title to their record &mdash; they were announcing Greya&rsquo;s arrival as one of the sport&rsquo;s modern greats. Now, as CSIO La Baule 2025 beckons, the pair return to the French coast with one goal in mind: defend their crown.
&nbsp;
<h2>From Breakthrough to Brilliance</h2>
Their 2024 season was nothing short of transformative. From Wellington to Riyadh and then onto Europe, Greya consistently rose to each occasion. After finishing fourth in the five-star Grand Prix at WEF9, she traveled to the FEI World Cup Finals in Riyadh and narrowly missed a podium with another fourth-place finish. But it was in La Baule that her star truly exploded &mdash; outpacing Karl Cook and Caracole de La Roque in a thrilling jump-off to claim her first Rolex Grand Prix title.
The momentum only continued. Their season was capped by a World Cup win in Traverse City and a final Elo rating of 769, among the Top 10 highest ever achieved by a 10-year-old horse since 2010. Greya joined elite company including Olympic legends HH Azur, Big Star, and Explosion W.
&nbsp;
<h2>Making History at Wellington</h2>
2025 began with more history for Farrington and Greya. At the Winter Equestrian Festival, they became the first ever horse-and-rider combination to win two five-star Grand Prix classes in a single WEF season. Their victory in the $500,000 Lugano Grand Prix CSI5* in February marked their second five-star win in just three weeks.
Farrington praised Greya&rsquo;s "foot speed across the middle and her ability to sprint to the next fence," calling her &ldquo;a great modern show jumper.&rdquo; Her Elo rating climbed to 772 by March, making her the highest-rated U.S. horse and eighth in the world &mdash; a staggering feat for a still-young 11-year-old.
&nbsp;
<h2>2025&rsquo;s Field of Stars: Who Can Stop Greya?</h2>
This year&rsquo;s CSIO La Baule Grand Prix reads like a who&rsquo;s who of global show jumping, and the data backs it up. Here are the top-rated combinations expected to challenge Farrington and Greya for the title:
Dynamix de Belheme &amp; Steve Guerdat (Elo 777) The reigning European Champion enters La Baule with the highest Elo rating in the field. Already a legend, Dynamix&rsquo;s blend of scope and experience makes her a serious threat.
Ermitage Kalone &amp; Gilles Thomas (Elo 775) A powerful up-and-coming Belgian pair with an impressive trajectory. Their high CAS (Clear Against Standard) score suggests they often outperform course difficulty.
Leone Jei &amp; Martin Fuchs (Elo 770) A stalwart on the Swiss team, Leone Jei consistently posts strong results. His huge stride and jump-off speed make him ideal for tight Rolex GP battles.
Bond Jamesbond de Hay &amp; Gregory Wathelet (Elo 770) Last year&rsquo;s third-place finishers return with podium momentum. Known for calculated aggression, they&rsquo;ll be aiming for a cleaner, faster round this time.
&nbsp;
<h2>The Legacy on the Line</h2>
For Greya, this week is about more than another title. It&rsquo;s a chance to solidify her status among the greats. To go from a 10-year-old breakthrough in 2024 to a dominant force in 2025. To prove that her legacy &mdash; like HH Azur before her &mdash; is only just beginning.
&nbsp;

CSIO La Baule 2025: Greya Returns to Defend the Crown

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