The Open Weekly: Greya & Kent are Champions and two new names join the eventing standings
A weekly update across eventing, jumping, and dressage covering results, early leaderboard shifts, and the next Open qualifiers. This week is a special edition covering one of three Open Finals!
Jumping: Greya & Kent Farrington top the strongest WEF Grand Prix field on record to become the 2026 US Equestrian Open Champions
It looked set to happen and it did - this weekend’s $1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix attracted the strongest field of horses we’ve seen at a WEF Grand Prix.
With such a strong group of horses from around the world packed into a 40-horse field, it’s no wonder the pre-show predictions were tightly packed; three combinations entered as joint-favorites to win:
- Greya & Kent Farrington (USA) - 9% win chance
- Eddy Blue & Darragh Kenny (IRL) - 9% win chance
- James Kann Cruz & Shane Sweetnam (IRL) - 9% win chance
Double-defending Champions, Checker 47 & Christian Kukuk, entered on a 6% chance of victory which ranked among the top 10 win chances. When they crashed through a wall on a night of drama which saw only 5 proceed to the jump-off, it felt like a magic night for the US might be on.
The 2026 US Equestrian Open Final podium (L to R): Ben Maher (GBR), Kent Farrington (USA), Richard Vogel (GER)
Magic it was as home favorites Greya & Kent took glory. They and Enjeu de Grisien with Ben Maher (GBR) were sitting 1-2 as the only combinations to jump clear in the jump-off. Greya had gone 0.73 seconds faster than the British combination, but there was one more pair to go: Gangster Montdesir & Richard Vogel (GER). Gangster & Richie were the fastest of all…but added a stride at the final fence and had a rail. So Greya & Kent brought the victory home to the US for the first time since HH Azur & McLain Ward won the class in 2019.
“She thrives in that environment of great atmosphere and tough competition.” Kent on Greya. Full interview is below:
Leading up to last year’s Open Final, Greya & Kent entered as strong favorites (12% win chance). Earlier in the 2025 WEF season, Greya had become the first horse on record to win two 5* Grand Prix classes in a single WEF season. But on the big night last year, a first-round rail knocked them out of contention. So this year’s victory, among a record-breakingly strong field, with a formidable reputation preceding them, and with disappointment behind and pressure ahead, Greya & Kent’s win was perfect redemption.
The 2026 US Equestrian Open Final Champions Greya & Kent Farrington (USA)
Saturday's victory marked Greya's 10th CSI5* Grand Prix win. Farrington has described her as a once-in-a-career horse, and he didn't shy away from it after the win:
"You do this for a long time, and you have some good horses, maybe some great horses, and then you have horses that are an outlier athlete like I believe Greya is. She can do everything. She's fast, she's careful, she's scopey, and she's rideable."
"Three words, though? 'My favorite horse.'"
Dressage: Wandres & Verrenberg lead at halfway, but with nine qualifiers to go, the chase pack is closing in
Sixteen qualifiers down, nine to go. Frederic Wandres and Verrenberg lead the Series at 49 points, with three of their four qualifying slots used. They’ve built a strong lead on the back of three consecutive freestyle improvements during their AGDF run this year.
With Wandres heading back to Europe, that lead is unlikely to hold. Caroline Darcourt, who sits tied for fourth at 40 points with all four of her qualifying slots filled, is also headed back to Europe for the summer season. For both riders, the second half of the Series plays out without them. They'll need the points they've already banked to hold their positions as US-based riders keep accumulating. Given that the top 18 qualify for the $200,000 CDI5* Final in November, anyone currently in the top five is in a reasonable position - but reasonable isn't guaranteed, and nine qualifiers is a lot of ground for the riders behind them to cover.
Gino & Geñay Vaughn (USA). Photo: Centre Line Media
Geñay Vaughn is the clearest immediate threat to the standings. She sits second at 45 points with one qualifier slot remaining, and she's one of the west coast riders who still has accessible events in the back half. A win in her next outing - the kind of result she's been delivering - puts her past Wandres. Christian Simonson sits tied with Darcourt at 40 points but has used only two of his four slots. Ashley Holzer, fourth overall at 44 with four out of four qualifiers, has been on an ascending trajectory too - consecutive personal bests with Hawtins San Floriana - and is well-positioned to make the second half count.
The Series returns Friday night with a CDI3* freestyle at Terranova - eight horses entered. We'll have a preview later this week.
Current Dressage Series Leaders:
Next Qualifier: TerraNova Dressage I - CDI3* | The Final: Desert Dressage, Thermal CA (November)
Eventing: West Coast represents & Colleen Loach wins on her first ever Open appearance
This weekend's eventing double-header saw a West Coast Qualifier at Galway Downs and an East Coast Qualifier at TerraNova.
At Galway Downs, Tommy Greengard entered as the favorite to take 1st and 2nd place and earn 75 Series points. That is in fact what happened, but not exactly.
Tommy was favored to win on That’s Me Z, the horse who entered the weekend with three 4*-S podiums, including 2nd place at Galway Downs last year. But it was a repeat result for That’s Me Z who was Tommy’s second-place finisher after activating a pin on XC day. That’s Me Z would otherwise have won after a 30.1 dressage score, adding just 0.4 time penalties in the showjumping, and producing the fastest XC round with just 4.0 time penalties.
That's Me Z and Tommy Greengard (USA)
Instead, Tommy won with Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad. The four-star debutant added nothing but 9.2 XC time penalties to his 34.0 dressage score. A very steady three-phase performance, particularly for his first time at the level.
Last season, Tommy didn’t reach 75 points until June (Aspen Farms) and he still finished in the Series top 10 with a final total of 105 points. This weekend, Tommy earned 75 points right off the bat, in his first Open Qualifier of the new season. With a top 10 finish at Kentucky 4*-S, where he had two entries last year, and repeat consistency across the remaining West Coast qualifiers, Tommy could be in a strong position to one-up his inaugural standing.
On the East Coast, after a year away from international competition, FE Golden Eye returned this season with a 2 for 2 winning record, taking the Bouckaert 3*-S win and now TerraNova 4*-S victory. Both times adding nothing but a few XC time penalties to his dressage score.
FE Golden Eye & Colleen Loach (CAN)
The 50-point result is Colleen Loach’s first time on Open leaderboard as she didn’t contest any of last year’s Qualifiers. And for a very first Open result, it couldn’t have gone any better for the Canadian. Firstly, it was a field of 26 entries, meaning there were more points up for grabs. One less starter and Colleen would have earned 40 points for her win instead of 50. Secondly, well…she won. Last year, 10 points was the difference between $10,000 for third place in the Series and $0 for fourth. So those extra 10 points might come in handy.
Next Qualifier: Stable View, April 3rd | The Final: Morven Park 4*-L, October 8th
The Fantasy Cards are Released:
The US Equestrian Open Fantasy Card Collection celebrates the winning partnerships of the first-ever US Equestrian Open. Inspired by classic sports trading cards, each set profiles Open Champions from eventing, dressage, and jumping. Explore the collection and discover the stories behind the sport’s top competitors. You can find out more here.
The first packs were released at Wellington and can next be found in Fort Worth at the FEI World Cup Finals (at the US Equestrian booth). A special pack will also be placed inside every US Open merchandise sale via Shop USEF.
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The Mission of the Open
The US Equestrian Open was born from a strategic Board of Directors decision in 2023 to build a permanent legacy for US Equestrian sport. Its mission is to grow and foster a deeper connection to equestrianism by delivering a premier, unified championship series in the Olympic disciplines. With top-level competition, storytelling, and a dynamic, entertaining experience, the vision is to transform disparate events into a cohesive, narrative-driven season. The series is anchored by core values which include fan-first accessibility, competitive integrity, storytelling, and a dynamic entertaining experience onsite .
The US Equestrian Open spans the three Olympic disciplines—Jumping, Eventing, and Dressage—with USEF contributing $200,000 in prize money to each final to ensure high-stakes competitive integrity. The Jumping Final took place at Wellington International from March 24–29, 2026. Next stop will be the Eventing Final at Morven Park from October 8–11, 2026. The season concludes with the Dressage Final at the Desert International Horse Park from November 11–15, 2026. You can follow along with the qualifiers, the unfolding stories and sport updates at www.
