A New Series Leader Could Emerge at TerraNova
A second-place finish for Darnell takes it all, but two riders will make that harder than it sounds.
Claire Darnell could leave TerraNova as the Series leader, and it’s not a long shot. She doesn't even need to win. A second-place finish puts her at 50 points, which is enough to bump her past current leader, Frederic Wandres of Germany. She has three qualifiers completed and one to go, which means a strong result here fills out her scoring slots and puts her safely within the top 18 qualifying line for the Final.
Darnell and Harrold S have seven FEI freestyle starts together, averaging 73.229% with a personal best of 77.015%. This season may have started slow with a 70.560%, but they quickly followed it up with a 73.450% and 74.315% in subsequent outings. They’ve yet to touch that 77% PB, but the trajectory is pointed in the right direction, and in a six-horse field, a podium is all but expected.
The Two Riders Who Won't Make It Easy
Devon Kane and Vamos arrive with a PB of 75.305 and a 12-start average of 72.35% — both trailing Darnell's marks, but close enough that a strong Kane performance and a routine Darnell performance produce the same result. Kane's recent form has been variable: 74.235% in February, then 71.900% and 72.120% in her two March starts. She has 26 points on the leaderboard with one qualifier remaining, and even a last-place finish this weekend adds seven points and moves her into the top ten. A podium finish does considerably more. She's currently 15th, and a top-three result this weekend puts her into the top five. Kane has every reason to ride for a placing this weekend, not just a score.
Camille Carier Bergeron and Finnlanderin are the class favorite with an average of 73.485%, and a personal best of 77.280% set at Devon in September 2024. Her average and PB are the highest in the field, albeit only marginally above Darnell’s. Perhaps the largest caveat to Carier Bergeron’s first place prediction this week is timing. Her last freestyle start was in November 2025. A strong 75.275% showing, but more than four months ago. That's not automatically a problem, but it's the kind of thing that could manifest in a lower showing in a first outing back. If she's sharp, she wins this class. If there's any rust, Darnell is positioned to make her pay for it.
Watch Darnell, Carier Bergeron, Kane, and the rest of the field Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET from one of the most picturesque venues on the dressage calendar. Stream TerraNova Dressage I live on the USEF Network. Sign up for free as a fan to stream the action.
