Vying for the Final at #MADFest

Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival this weekend hosts Qualifier 18 of the US Equestrian Open of Dressage. Our entries for Saturday’s Qualifier – the Grand Prix Freestyle – bring a few new faces to the Series and one key contender who could earn Final qualification this weekend.

Laine Ashker and Zeppelin made their Grand Prix (GP) Freestyle debut at last year’s Dressage at Devon and have yet to contest another one…until now. Though among this field’s least-experienced pairs, their sole GP Freestyle score (70.845%) is among this Qualifier’s highest personal bests, showing potential for an impactful Series debut.

Though making her first Series appearance, a spot in the $200,000 Final is within reach for Ashker if she can produce three strong results. The current cutoff for the top 18 – who qualify for the Final –  is 49 points. Getting to 49 is still a big ask for a Series debutant, but it’s not impossible.

Meanwhile, Adriane Alvord and Selfmade are the most-experienced pair in the field and they come into the weekend with the best proven scoring potential, having scored a personal best GP Freestyle score of 76.750% at Dressage at Rose Mount 2023. In their several GP Freestyles since that winning performance, most of Alvord and Selfmade’s scores have been in the high 60s, leaving the door open for their #MADFest2025 competitors. But, if Alvord & Selfmade do secure the win on Saturday, Alvord will have 40 total series points and a Final qualification will be within touching distance.

Ticket to the Final?

Of our entries for Qualifier 18, Micaela Mabragaña is the highest-placed rider in the series, sitting 24^th with 32 Series points. This is key because if Mabragaña and Belatrix RH place 2^nd or 3^rd on Saturday (earning 17 points), they will be right on the bubble for Final qualification with the necessary 49 points. With five more qualifiers after MAD, they could be knocked out but, for now, 49 points earns a critical top-18 spot (P.S. everyone tied for 18th at the end of the Series does qualify for the Final). Of course, the 20 points earned for a win would place Mabragaña more-securely in the top 18 with a bit more wiggle room.

How to Follow

The Grand Prix Freestyle (Qualifier 18) is this Saturday at MADFest:

• Website: https://www.midatlanticdressagefestival.com/
• Live Scores: https://usef.equestrian-hub.com/show/254865/competition/dressage/7241700

And Friday's classes at MADFest can be livestreamed on the USEF Network powered by ClipMyHorse.TV. Watch for free with a free USEF Fan Membership. 

Series Leaders Heading into Qualifier 18 at MADFest

See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier, here.

Stay updated on news and standings for the US Equestrian Open Series on Facebook and Instagram. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at USEquestrianOpen@usef.org.

For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at cweilminster@usef.org. 

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at lgriffin@usef.org.