New dressage champion will be crowned on Saturday and we could have a new eventing leader
A new dressage champion will be crowned this weekend, Alexa Thompson could become the new eventing leader, and a member of the Jumping Final podium wins in Verona.
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Dressage
Final Week: A New Name on the Trophy |
Ten pairs head to Thermal this week for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage Final. Friday's FEI Grand Prix CDI5* sets the field, and Saturday's FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* decides the champion and $200,000 in prize money.
Ben Ebeling with the 2025 US Equestrian Open trophy. L: Felicitas Hendricks. R: Anna Marek. © 2025 Devyn Ivy Media
Inaugural champion Ben Ebeling (Bellena) isn't in the field. Whoever wins on Saturday will be a first-time champion.
How to Watch
Both nights stream live on USEF Network with a free fan account, with Steffen Peters and Steven Wilde on commentary. Live scores are on Equestrian Hub.
Four to Follow
Four finalists, profiled ahead of the weekend. All four come in averaging above the Series Freestyle average of 71.902 over the last 12 months.
Eventing
Thompson Could Leave TerraNova in the Lead
One rider in the field already has Series points. A top-three finish puts her in front.
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Eventing Thompson Could Take Series Lead Qualifier 3 of 22 · TerraNova · 13 entries |
Alexa Thompson could leave TerraNova at the top of the Series. She is the only rider entered in this week’s CCI4*-S who has already contested a qualifier this season. She finished sixth at Bouckaert in October with Api du Libaire for 15 points.
Sharon White and Erin Kellerhouse lead on 40, and neither is entered. With 13 in the field, TerraNova pays 40 points for the win. Fourth puts Thompson level with the leaders. A top-three finish puts her in the lead on her own.
Ones to Watch
Tim Bourke & DHI Kevin G have won three of their four starts together, at CCI2* and CCI3* level, without a cross country jumping penalty. TerraNova is their first four-star as a pair.
With Allison Springer, No May Moon is the highest-rated horse in the field, on an Elo of 586. No May Moon is also the fastest horse in the field, outpacing 94% of her opponents on her best days. Every four-star they have completed has ended in the top five but their most recent start was an elimination at Morven Park CCI4*-S last month.
Allison Springer & No May Moon finishing 5th at the 2025 Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S. © Leslie Potter/US Equestrian
Six Four-Star Debuts
Almost half the field is stepping up to the level for the first time.
- Emily Mastervich & Posh Quality
- Kiersten Miller & Mama Mia
- Ema Klugman & FVF Wildflower
- Nicholas Beshear & Rollo
- Megan Loughnane & Lynton
- Skyler Norris & Anderboch Flier
After this week, 19 qualifiers remain before the Final at Morven Park.
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Jumping World Number One Delivers in Verona Richard Vogel & Gangster Montdesir · World Cup winners in Verona by 3.85 seconds |
Richard Vogel & Gangster Montdesir won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ of Verona on Sunday. Nine of the 40 starters reached the jump-off and five came home clear. Vogel stopped the clock in 33.02 seconds, 3.85 seconds ahead of Tom Schewe & Congress Blue PS. Simon Delestre & Gatsby du Tillard took third in 39.83.
The pattern is a familiar one. At the Final of the US Equestrian Open of Jumping in Wellington in March, the same pair set the fastest jump-off time of the day, 42.87 seconds, 0.12 quicker than eventual winners Kent Farrington & Greya. One fence fell and they finished third. In Verona the 10-year-old stallion was quickest again, and this time every fence stayed up.
Gangster Montdesir & Richard Vogel at the 2026 $1,000,000 Rolex U.S. Equestrian Open Grand Prix
Only two other jump-off rounds came inside 35 seconds, both with four faults: Daniel Deusser & Otello de Guldenboom in 34.85 and Ben Maher & Enjeu de Grisien in 34.97. Maher and Enjeu de Grisien, runners-up in the March Final, finished seventh.
Vogel came to Verona as world number one. He leaves it leading the Western European League standings on the road to the World Cup Final.
Gangster Montdesir’s 10-year-old season has taken him across two continents. He opened the five-star Grand Prix calendar at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington in February, won the Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters, the first Major of the year, and added the Grand Prix at the Stephex Masters in Brussels in August.
Verona puts him level with Explosion W for the most five-star Grand Prix wins by a 10-year-old since 2010. Ben Maher’s gelding set that mark before going on to win individual Olympic gold in Tokyo. With seven weeks left in the year, Gangster Montdesir still has time to make the record his own.
Six of the World’s Top 10 Rode the Final
The November Longines Rankings, published on 31 October, read like a Wellington start list. Six of the top 10 jumped in the Final of the US Equestrian Open of Jumping, and the whole March podium is among them: Farrington at two, Maher at seven and Vogel at one. Shane Sweetnam, Nina Mallevaey and Daniel Bluman complete the six.
Longines Rankings points as of 31 October 2026. Final placings from the Final of the US Equestrian Open of Jumping, Wellington, 28 March 2026.
The USA is the only nation with two riders in the top five. Farrington holds second on 3,177 points, and McLain Ward climbs two places to fifth on 3,015. Germany and Great Britain also have a pair in the top 10, with Vogel and Deusser, and Maher and Scott Brash.
Dressage Final week, Thompson could take the eventing lead, this year's jumping podium all rank in the World top 10.
