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In their first competition since last summer&rsquo;s European circuit, Anna Buffini and Fiontini clinched the Grand Prix Freestyle win at the Del Mar Dressage Affaire with a score of 73.235%. A narrow margin separated Buffini from her longtime coach, G&uuml;nter Seidel&mdash;just 0.155%.
<h2 dir="ltr">A Smooth Return for Dressage&rsquo;s Favorite &lsquo;-inis&rsquo;</h2>
It was a quiet class in sunny Southern California, with only four combinations entered in the freestyle. While eight riders completed the Grand Prix this weekend, the field split between Special and Freestyle divisions. This marks Buffini&rsquo;s first appearance in a US Equestrian Open of Dressage qualifier, and her win earns her 20 points&mdash;putting her alongside three other riders tied in the standings. With only two West Coast qualifiers remaining, Buffini could still climb the leaderboard&mdash;but unless she plans to head East for additional shows, her path to the Finals may be limited.
Their final score of 73.235% this weekend marked a steady, if not spectacular, return. Although Fiontini boasts one of the highest personal bests in the field&mdash;an 83.410% earned earlier in her career under a previous rider&mdash;Buffini is still forging her own path with the 15-year-old Danish Warmblood mare.
Buffini acquired Fiontini in late 2021 but kept the mare largely out of the spotlight for the first two years of their partnership, focusing instead on building trust and fine-tuning the basics. It wasn&rsquo;t until February 2024 that the pair made their international debut at the CDI3* in Del Mar, where they finished second in both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special . The mare, a triple World Young Horse Champion, has passed through the hands of some of Europe&rsquo;s most prolific male riders. In Buffini&rsquo;s program, she&rsquo;s found a quieter cadence&mdash;one that prioritizes partnership over pressure.
Sunday&rsquo;s result gives them a strong foundation to build from this season. The test wasn&rsquo;t without its quirks&mdash;most notably, a wide spread in the scoring for their extended canter. One judge awarded an 8, while others gave 5s and even 4s, suggesting a possible miscommunication or moment of misinterpretation. Still, the performance was enough for the win.
<h2 dir="ltr">Seidel Shows His Hand</h2>
G&uuml;nter Seidel and Equirelle posted a 73.080%, a marked improvement from their last US Equestrian Open outing, where they earned a 68.695%. This time, two judges&mdash;at H and C&mdash;actually placed Seidel in first, awarding him 74.200% and 75.175%, respectively. Those were the highest individual scores given in the class.
Their test was clean and cohesive, with no major weak spots. The 16-year-old KWPN mare looked relaxed and rideable, and the pair&rsquo;s degree of difficulty averaged 9.16&mdash;just edging out Buffini&rsquo;s 9.12&mdash;making a strong case that Seidel delivered the more technically ambitious ride of the day.
<h2 dir="ltr">Standings Update</h2>
Canada&rsquo;s Brittney Simpson and her mount Kartsevo Goldfinch placed third on a 72.010%, while Kristina Harrison-Antell and Finley rounded out the field with a 68.140%. The result brings both Simpson and Harrison-Antell to a tie for ninth place in the overall US Equestrian Open of Dressage standings, each sitting on 49 points.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/bfa610aa-0a22-4f19-8ee2-f7bed19800bc.png?width=491&amp;height=609" alt="Screenshot of the leaderboard as of march 24, 2025">
<h2 dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s Next</h2>
While this weekend didn&rsquo;t dramatically shake up the leaderboard, Seidel&rsquo;s upward trajectory is one to watch. With only two more West Coast qualifiers remaining, his path to the Finals may require a few cross-country miles&mdash;but if he wins another qualifier and picks up additional points out East, he could position himself for a return trip to Thermal this fall.
Qualifier 13 takes place this Friday in Wellington, Florida, during the final week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Tune in live to the USEF Network to watch the action unfold.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/22433326-f7d7-4286-930b-62c3a1ba80f2.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Show calendar for the 2025 US Equestrian Open of Dressage">

Horse and rider pictured from above entering a competition arena

Buffini Returns, Seidel Surges: A Tight Finish at the Del Mar Affaire 

Only four horses are entered in this week&rsquo;s qualifier, but don&rsquo;t let the numbers fool you. &ldquo;Small field&rdquo; does not equal &ldquo;small story.&rdquo; From a US Equestrian Open of Dressage leaderboard perspective, this show won&rsquo;t be the most consequential event of the season. But it will, however, feature one of the most celebrated horses in the entire Series: Fiontini.
<h2 dir="ltr">A Living Legend</h2>
The 15-year-old Danish Warmblood mare has one of the most consistent records in the sport. In 15 Grand Prix starts, she&rsquo;s dipped below 69% just twice. In the freestyle, she consistently scores in the mid-70s to 80s, no matter the rider. A Triple World Young Horse Champion (2015&ndash;2017), Fiontini isn&rsquo;t just good; she&rsquo;s reliably brilliant.
Over the course of her career, she&rsquo;s been ridden by some of Europe&rsquo;s top male riders: Severo Jurado L&oacute;pez, Andreas Helgstrand, and Patrik Kittel. Now, she&rsquo;s owned and ridden by 30-year-old US team rider Anna Buffini&mdash;one of the youngest athletes to represent the US at a World Championship in recent years. After purchasing the mare, Buffini joked that it was time to turn Fiontini into a &ldquo;lady&rsquo;s ride.&rdquo;
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-Bh1Wn" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Fiontini's Grand Prix Freestyle Scores" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Bh1Wn/1/" height="646" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Interactive line chart" data-external="1"></iframe>
<h2 dir="ltr">A New Chapter</h2>
Buffini first saw Fiontini competing with Kittel at Aachen. It only took one test ride for her to fall in love with the mare&rsquo;s big heart and immense talent. But transitioning Fiontini to Buffini&rsquo;s lighter riding style became a project of patience and tact. She was used to stronger leg aids and, at first, would shake her sides like she had flies on them when Buffini applied pressure.
So began the process of teaching her to respond to subtler cues&mdash;a new language for horse and rider. With the help of her longtime coach G&uuml;nter Seidel (also entered in this weekend's class), they opted for a long runway: two full years out of the spotlight, focused on trust, softness, and feel.
Buffini, who has a large social media following, chose to keep Fiontini&rsquo;s training private. Fans were eager to see the mare return to competition, but Buffini stayed steady in her approach.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;When she&rsquo;s ready, we&rsquo;ll come out.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
<h2 dir="ltr">A Measured Return</h2>
That moment came 11 months ago&mdash;at this very venue. They scored 72% in the Grand Prix and 72.447% in the Grand Prix Special, a notoriously difficult test. In both, they placed second to decorated U.S. Olympian Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper. The Special was particularly close: four of the five judges placed Buffini ahead of Peters, who won by a razor-thin 72.766%.
Buffini and Fiontini debuted their freestyle the following month, again in Del Mar, earning a 76.210%. Judges rewarded the mare&rsquo;s expressive, expansive gaits with 8s for extended walk, trot, and canter. Their floor plan earned a 9.16 average degree of difficulty. The question now: in the year since we&rsquo;ve seen them perform this freestyle, have they dialed that difficulty up even further?
<h2 dir="ltr">A Delicate Dance</h2>
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-xKbdJ" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Grand Prix Freestyle Stats:&nbsp;Del Mar Dressage Affaire&nbsp;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/xKbdJ/1/" height="459" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe>
With only four riders in Sunday&rsquo;s freestyle class, Buffini and Fiontini are the clear favorites. This is a chance to polish the freestyle, push the degree of difficulty, and test Fiontini&rsquo;s firepower. Seidel is the only one who could realistically challenge her. Equirelle&rsquo;s personal best&mdash;76.615%&mdash;actually edges out Buffini&rsquo;s PB on Fiontini (76.210%), but Seidel&rsquo;s last outing suggests they&rsquo;re still shaking off some freestyle rust.
Still, Seidel is a veteran, and you can never fully count him out.
Under Buffini, Fiontini is no longer just a powerhouse. She&rsquo;s expressive, responsive, and joyful in the ring. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s really become my horse,&rdquo; Buffini said after their debut. This weekend, Del Mar gets to see that magic in action.
For the West Coast, it&rsquo;s a reminder that top sport lives here too&mdash;even with smaller fields. Fiontini&rsquo;s presence brings eyes and gravitas to the Series. And for fans, it&rsquo;s a rare chance to see one of the most celebrated dressage mares of the modern era compete on home turf.
Fiontini might not be &ldquo;on the comeback&rdquo;&mdash;she never really left. But Del Mar might be where we see her new era begin.
Watch Buffini and Fiontini&rsquo;s return to the freestyle arena this Sunday&ndash;stream it live on the USEF Network. <a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew">Sign up for free</a> as a fan to catch the action.

Anna Buffini riding Fiontini in the extended trot

A Quiet Stage, A Legendary Mare

For the first time in four years, an American rider stood atop the podium at the only CDI5* dressage competition in the Western Hemisphere. Adrienne Lyle and Helix delivered a career-best 80.600% in the Grand Prix Freestyle at Adequan Global Dressage Festival 10, securing a decisive victory ahead of their upcoming World Cup Final appearance in Basel, Switzerland in April.
With a technically demanding freestyle that emphasized precision and harmony, Lyle and the 13-year-old KWPN gelding (by Apache x Jazz) rose to the occasion, besting a field that included some of the biggest names in the sport. Judge William Warren (USA), who presided over the competition from C, praised Lyle&rsquo;s ride for its harmony and effortless execution.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;It felt easy, which is exactly what I was hoping for,&rdquo; Lyle said.
</blockquote>
&ldquo;I wanted one more chance to get in an environment like this before we head to the World Cup. My main goal was to have a quiet, harmonious ride, and he felt like he did the whole thing effortlessly&mdash;didn&rsquo;t even break a sweat&mdash;and walked calmly back to his stall.&rdquo;
Despite their dominant performance, Lyle and Helix are still a relatively new partnership, having made their Big Tour debut just under a year ago before representing the United States at the Paris Olympics last summer.&nbsp;
<h2>Mendoza Loor Takes Second in Second Outing</h2>
Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike continued their strong return to competition, finishing second on 78.520%. The 12-year-old KWPN gelding (by Bretton Woods x Watermill Scandic), affectionately known as &ldquo;Goldie,&rdquo; is fresh off a win in Ocala last weekend, making this just his second show since the Paris Olympics last year.
Mendoza Loor, known for his infectious enthusiasm, was thrilled with the result.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m always happy. If I have to lose against somebody, I&rsquo;m happy to lose to Adrienne,&rdquo; he said.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so grateful to be competing in the five-star with mega riders and horses.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Goldie, once deemed too difficult to ride, was purchased by Mendoza Loor for just $20 as an eight-year-old. The key to unlocking his potential? 24/7 turnout, which has transformed him into the powerful, expressive competitor seen in the arena today.
<h2>Marek Podiums, Stays Atop the Leaderboard</h2>
Anna Marek and Fayvel claimed third place with a 77.135%, further solidifying Marek&rsquo;s dominance in the US Equestrian Open of Dressage Series. With 88 points, she remains firmly in first place, having now collected scores across six qualifiers.
While Marek is a regular at Friday Night Stars, this week still carried a different kind of pressure. &ldquo;I usually come in and I don&rsquo;t look at the crowd after doing so many Friday night freestyles, but this was exciting,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The really great thing about Fayvel is that he&rsquo;s the same, and I can trust him to go in any atmosphere. I know that I can have a clean test on him now at the Grand Prix, but now that he is mature and strong, we&rsquo;re working on the details of making everything just a little bit better.&rdquo;
Marek, who has been splitting her scores across Fayvel and Fire Fly, is one of the busiest riders in the Series, having competed in half of the East Coast qualifiers so far.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/a5c8894b-1fda-4afb-857a-692db83abe82.jpeg?width=990&amp;height=1102" alt="US Equestrian Open of Dressage Standings as of March 17, 2025">
<h2>Eger &amp; Kohmann Climb the Standings</h2>
With her fifth-place finish (76.755%), Evelyn Eger remains second in the Series standings with 75 points, keeping the pressure on Marek as the season progresses. Unlike Marek, Eger has relied solely on Tabledance 3 for her scores, making her one of the most consistent competitors in the series.
Felicitas Hendricks also remains in contention, finishing sixth on 76.435%, keeping her in third place overall (64 points).
Meanwhile, Kevin Kohmann delivered a crowd-favorite performance, finishing fourth on 76.965% with D&uuml;nensee. Spectators judged their test the highest of the night, showing just how popular their freestyle has become. With this performance, Kohmann continues to climb the US Equestrian Open standings, now sitting seventh with 52 points.
Lyle, despite competing in just three qualifiers, has already moved into a tie for fifth (57 points) alongside Denielle Gallagher&mdash;a testament to the strength of her performances.
<h2>Next Stop Del Mar</h2>
Next week, the US Equestrian Open of Dressage heads back to the West Coast for the Del Mar Dressage Affaire, marking the first qualifier on the West Coast since Week 7.
With the season now past its midway point, the pressure is on for riders looking to solidify their Series standings. Watch it all unfold as the Series shifts to Del Mar.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/4d17c7b1-a53e-4de7-89f7-670b5abd23fa.jpeg?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Schedule of the US Equestrian Open of Dressage qualifiers">

Adrienne Lyle and Helix entering the arena at the Paris Olympics

Lyle & Helix Soar to Five-Star Victory

As the only CDI5* in Wellington&rsquo;s winter circuit&mdash;and the only 5-star qualifier in the Series&mdash;Adequan Global Dressage Festival 10 promises a night of top-tier competition, featuring a star-studded cast of horses and riders. The staggering $150,000 prize pool has drawn competitors from around the globe, with nearly every entry boasting an international championship appearance on their r&eacute;sum&eacute;.
With a stacked field, we could see some of the highest scores and narrowest margins of the season so far.
<h2>The Midseason Leaderboard Battle</h2>
With four qualifiers behind her, Anna Marek holds a comfortable 11-point lead as the Series reaches its midway mark. She has a solid margin, but it&rsquo;s not untouchable. German riders Evelyn Eger and Felicitas Hendricks have a chance to overtake her this weekend, but everything would have to go right for them&mdash;and very wrong for Marek. If either of them wins the class and Marek finishes outside the top ten, they would overtake her lead&mdash;an unlikely but not impossible scenario. After all, Marek and Fayvel <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/qualifier-5-preview-a-wide-open-field" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retired from Qualifier 5</a> back in January.
Still, Marek has been the most consistent rider in the series, placing first or second in all four of her qualifier performances. Her lead is likely safe this weekend, but the gap could shrink dramatically if she finishes outside the top five.
<h2>Breaking 80%: The Riders on the Brink</h2>
Adrienne Lyle and Helix are the only pair to <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/lyle-marek-and-rizvi-deliver-a-thrilling-night-of-freestyle-dressage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">score above 80%</a> in a freestyle this year. That result came in Qualifier 6, when Lyle won with 80.325%. While Julio Mendoza Loor is the only other rider in this field who has hit that mark in the past, four more combinations are knocking on the door:
<ul>
<li>Kevin Kohmann (PB 79.240%)</li>
<li>Felicitas Hendricks (PB 79.105%)</li>
<li>Anna Marek (PB 78.995%)</li>
<li>Tinne Vilhelmson Silfv&eacute;n (PB 78.080%)</li>
</ul>
With so many riders on the cusp of 80%, expect at least one new PB this weekend.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/d0eae42e-7469-4067-99d5-6832a5341b33.png?width=1372&amp;height=2104" alt="Table showing the personal best and average scores for all horses in the field this week.">
<h2>Momentum, Pressure, and the Fight for a Repeat Win</h2>
A win this weekend would make Mendoza Loor the first rider to claim back-to-back victories in the series&mdash;a feat no one has achieved in 11 qualifiers. His 84% personal best makes him the statistical frontrunner, and after outscoring Marek in Ocala last week, he has momentum on his side.
But Mendoza Loor isn&rsquo;t the only one peaking at the right time. Kevin Kohmann, fresh off securing his World Cup Final ticket, is another major contender. His win in AGDF 8 showcased his ability to deliver under pressure, and with a 79.240% PB, he has the scoring power to challenge for another podium.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Eger has been a Wellington fixture, competing in each qualifier at this venue. The Friday Night Stars atmosphere can be electric, with lights, music, and a high-energy crowd. Both she and Tabledance 3 are well-adjusted to these conditions, which could give her an advantage over series newcomer Pablo Gomez Molina.
So far, five riders have won here this season&mdash;proof that no single competitor dominates Wellington. That trend could continue, or we could see the season&rsquo;s first repeat winner.
<h2>Every Tenth Counts</h2>
One thing is certain&mdash;nothing at Wellington comes easy. Every win is earned. Nothing is guaranteed, and the fight for the top is relentless.
The data says Mendoza Loor is the frontrunner, but as we learned in <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/qualifier-8-recap-when-the-numbers-dont-tell-the-whole-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Week 8</a>, sometimes the numbers don&rsquo;t tell the whole story.
With 13 combinations in the Freestyle and so many clustered in the high 70s, every tenth of a percent is going to matter. Watch Friday Night Stars live at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on the USEF Network&mdash;<a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew">sign up for free</a> as a fan to stream the action.

Anna Marek in her show attire smiling during a dressage test

Clash of the Titans

With just 0.04 percentage points separating them, Week 10&rsquo;s qualifier was a tight battle for first place. Ultimately, Julio Mendoza Loor took the win aboard his Paris Games mount, Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike, despite a music error that forced them to restart their test. New to the US Equestrian Open of Dressage qualifiers&mdash;but not new to the sport&mdash;Mendoza Loor rode to an upbeat, bold soundtrack, earning a score of 75.860%. Finishing second was Anna Marek aboard Fayvel, a 14-year-old gelding. This finish puts Marek and the US flag back atop the leaderboard.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e9eaf549-50ba-4fec-995a-c082ff590f4c.png?width=491&amp;height=496" alt="Top 5 riders in the US Open of Dressage as of Feb 9, 2025. (1) Anna Marek (2) Evelyn Eger (2) Karen Lipp (4) Denielle Gallagher (5) Felicitas Hendricks">
Mendoza Loor&rsquo;s high-energy freestyle music particularly suited &ldquo;Goldie&rsquo;s&rdquo; trot work. The 13-year-old KWPN gelding scored exceptionally well in the piaffe and passage, earning 8.0s from most judges. A stumble during one of the flying changes cost them a few marks, likely making the final score even closer than it would have been otherwise. This marked their return to competition after placing 27th individually at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
&ldquo;There were a lot of highlights tonight in the test,&rdquo; Mendoza Loor said. &ldquo;After the line of the one-tempis, he was really there in what I was asking him to do. His performance was amazing."
Marek, fresh off a second-place finish in Wellington last weekend on Fire Fly, delivered a strong test to a freestyle featuring the punchy, rhythmic &lsquo;BOOM&rsquo; by X Ambassadors and the playful, offbeat &lsquo;Coincidance&rsquo; by Handsome Driver. Her ride was remarkably consistent, with no movement receiving lower than a 7.0 from any judge.
The 0.04 percentage point margin between first and second place is the smallest in Series history, breaking the previous record of 0.210 percentage points, which was also set by Marek&mdash;though that time aboard Fire Fly&mdash;when she narrowly edged out Kevin Kohmann and D&uuml;nensee at Global Dressage Festival 3.
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-LMZSy" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Winning MarginsUS Equestrian Open Dressage Qualifiers" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LMZSy/1/" height="539" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Range Plot" data-external="1"></iframe>
This second-place finish earned Marek 17 points in the Series standings, cementing her position at the top of the leaderboard. With the Final in Thermal, CA, this November, her focus is now on maintaining that lead as the qualifiers near their halfway point.
<h2 dir="ltr">What&rsquo;s Next&nbsp;</h2>
The back-to-back qualifiers return to Wellington this weekend for Adequan Global Dressage Festival 10&rsquo;s CDI5*&mdash;a highly anticipated competition in Florida&rsquo;s winter circuit. The entry list is stacked, with top combinations poised to shake up the standings: Adrienne Lyle on Helix, Anna Marek on Fayvel, Evelyn Eger on Tabledance 3, Felicitas Hendricks on Drombusch OLD, Kevin Kohmann on D&uuml;nensee, Tinne Vilhelmson&nbsp;Silfv&eacute;n&nbsp;on Devanto, and Julio Mendoza Loor on Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike.&nbsp;
With Marek, Eger, and Hendricks separated by fewer than 20 points, the battle for the top spot is far from over.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/b0ba4a7e-31a4-4a11-a147-7faa41ac9f1d.jpg?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Competition Calendar for the 2025 US Open of Dressage">

A bay horse in a double bridle walks out of the arena after a dressage test. 

Down to the Decimal: Mendoza Loor Wins Closest Finish in Series History

Anna Marek is poised to take over the top spot in the North American League standings. Sitting at 54 points, she needs only a ninth-place finish in this nine-horse field to secure the lead&mdash;an outcome that seems almost inevitable given her consistency this season.
<h2 dir="ltr">Marek on a Mission</h2>
For Marek, this weekend isn&rsquo;t just about climbing the standings. Last week, after missing out on the final FEI World Cup spot, she set her sights on a new goal: qualifying for the US Open. And she&rsquo;s bringing serious firepower to Ocala to make that happen.
She&rsquo;ll be aboard Fayvel, a horse that already boasts one of the top scores in Open qualification (78.995%). Marek herself holds three of the ten best Open scores this season&mdash;two with Fire Fly and one with Fayvel. If she and Fayvel can deliver a breakout performance this week, they could set a new series-best mark. To do that, they&rsquo;ll need to surpass 80.325%, which would also be a personal best for the pair.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/1ba97d71-a270-4386-b902-55fe21146232.png?width=1496&amp;height=1666" alt="A table showing the top 10 scores in the US Open of Dressage so far this year. ">
Their partnership has been years in the making. Fayvel's owner, Cynthia Davila, originally planned to compete him herself and brought him to Marek for help with the upper-level movements. The pair made their Grand Prix debut in 2021, but a few years later, an accident sidelined Davila from riding. That twist of fate led to a pivotal conversation&mdash;one that would change Fayvel&rsquo;s career.
Over lunch, Davila turned to Anne Gribbons, Marek&rsquo;s coach, with a direct question: How good did she really think Fayvel was? And should Marek be the one to show him? Gribbons didn&rsquo;t hesitate. Soon after, she and Davila approached Marek with their answer: she should take the ride. The transition wasn&rsquo;t immediate&mdash;Marek had to adjust to riding a horse she had originally prepared for someone else&mdash;but she stepped into the partnership fully, entering Fayvel in a few CDIs to test the waters.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not as sensitive as Fire Fly, so I can ride him a little more boldly,&rdquo; Marek said. She is able to let go of all hesitation, taking every risk available. Fayvel&rsquo;s response? A willing and confident, "Yeah, sure! Whatever you want."
<h2 dir="ltr">The Challenge: Mendoza Loor and Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike</h2>
Marek and Julio Mendoza Loor met in 2023 at the Pan American Games, where they both stood on the podium. Marek, aboard Fire Fly, won individual bronze and team gold for the U.S., while Mendoza Loor and Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike claimed individual gold for Ecuador. Now, their rivalry continues in Ocala, where Mendoza Loor enters as one of the biggest threats to Marek&rsquo;s bid for victory.
The two have already gone <a href="https://equestrian-hub.com/show/193602/competition/dressage/2565973" target="_blank" rel="noopener">head-to-head</a>&nbsp;this week in the Grand Prix, the required qualifier for the Freestyle. Marek took the win with 70.522%, while Mendoza Loor finished second on 69.587%. The Grand Prix has historically been a lower-scoring event than the Freestyle, and it remains unclear how well results from one translate to the other. But if this first matchup is any indication, the battle in the Freestyle could be even closer than expected.
The Ecuadorian combination has a personal best of 84.230%&mdash;a number that eclipses the rest of the field. Over 12 performances, they&rsquo;ve averaged 77.823%, a level of consistency that makes them the clear favorites.&nbsp;
Denielle Gallagher and Come Back De Massa, winners of the last Ocala event, are back in the lineup, but a repeat victory seems unlikely against the likes of Marek and Mendoza Loor. Gallagher&rsquo;s best score with Come Back De Massa sits at 72.94%, well below the leading contenders.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/24cc954b-3dbb-487b-a06d-9299f3433fc1.png?width=1376&amp;height=1618" alt="Table showing the Grand Prix Freestyle Stats for the World Equestrian Center March Dressage entries">
While the depth of the field isn&rsquo;t as strong as previous qualifiers, the battle for top honors is a compelling one. Can Marek secure her series lead in style, or will Mendoza Loor prove unbeatable? And with Open qualification on the line, could we see another step forward for Fayvel? Tune in to the <a href="https://www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_US/events/16155" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USEF Network</a>&nbsp;on Friday to watch the Grand Prix Freestyle unfold live.
<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>.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/b0ba4a7e-31a4-4a11-a147-7faa41ac9f1d.jpg?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Competition calendar for the 2025 US Equestrian Open of Dressage">
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;

A horse in extended trot across the diagonal 

Marek Takes Aim at Series Lead in Ocala Showdown

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 

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

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">
&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;

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.

Dressage