The Open Weekly: Wandres and Vogel Win Big, Carolina International on Deck

A weekly update across eventing, jumping, and dressage covering results, early leaderboard shifts, and the next Open qualifiers.

By USEF Media

March 17, 2026

Dressage: Wandres Wins AGDF 10, Darcourt Holds On

Germany’s Frederic Wandres and Verrenberg won Friday night's Grand Prix Freestyle at AGDF 10 with a new combination best of 76.240%. Verrenberg, the youngest horse in the field at ten years old, looked every bit the emerging force the data hinted at. Wandres rode to a freestyle soundtrack originally built for Bluetooth, his Olympic gold medal partner, and the fit was close enough.

"He's a really promising horse," Wandres said.

"He's very consistent in the arena to bring these good results already at this young age, which is not so normal."

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The win vaults Wandres from outside the top 25 into a tie for eighth at 29 points. With the AGDF season wrapping up next week, Wandres and Verrenberg will likely head back to Europe, which probably ends their Open Series run for now. But keep an eye on this horse regardless. He's shaping up to peak right in time for an LA 2028 appearance.

Kevin Kohmann and Duenensee took second with 75.715%. The high-70s rides are a possibility, but increasingly the exception. A 75 of some flavor is where this pair lives right now, and clearly it’s working. The result secured Kohmann's place in April's FEI World Cup Final in Texas—the third consecutive Finals appearance for this combination.

"This horse made my career; he changed everything," Kohmann said.

"If you'd told me four years ago that we'd make it to the World Cup Finals three times in a row, I'd have told you you were crazy."

Pablo Gómez Molina and Ulises de Ymas took third with 73.715%, moving to 27 points and 13th overall. Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana finished fourth with 73.555%, and now sit in a crowded eighth on 29 points, alongside four other combinations. Caroline Darcourt and Lord Django finished fifth at 72.570%, leaving her in a tie with Christian Simonson for second on the season at 40 points.

P.J. Rizvi and Vanilla Ice finished sixth on 72.325%, which frankly undersells the energy in the arena. Vanilla Ice is a piaffe machine when he locks in, and he locked in Friday. Rizvi left the arena smiling, still humming the music. By the metric of putting on a show, she wins every time.

Eventing: Carolina International Approaches

Next Qualifier: Carolina International, North Carolina | The Final: Morven Park, Virginia (October)

With 41 entries confirmed in the CCI4*-S, Carolina International is the largest qualifier of the 2026 series to date and the points on offer reflect that. Cross the 25-starter threshold and the win is worth 50 points rather than 40. Boyd Martin built his 2025 Series title on weekends exactly like this one. The combinations who arrive in form and leave with a result could reshape the leaderboard significantly.

A full form guide, preview article, and episode of the US Equestrian Open Podcast discussing entries will be available later this week but before that, here are some of the big names to watch.

The Contenders

Phillip Dutton and Denim arrive in winning form after their victory at the Grand Prix Eventing Showcase in Aiken. They won outright, going inside the time on cross-country - one of only two combinations in the field to do so. Denim finished sixth at last year’s US Equestrian Open Final and placed in the top ten in all three qualifiers he contested. They arrive at Carolina as serious contenders.

Will Coleman and Diabolo return carrying momentum of a different kind. Their last four-star outing was a win at the TerraNova qualifier in November, marking their return from a break. It was Diabolo’s third four-star victory in a row, following earlier wins at Kentucky and Plantation in 2024. A 26.1 dressage and a double clear last time out is the kind of form that travels well into a new qualifier.

Kim Severson and Cooley Corraghy Diamond are back and that alone is worth talking about. Cooley Corraghy Diamond has not completed an event since May (withdrawing before cross-country on two occasion) when he placed second in a CCI4*-S in just his second start at the level. The talent has never been in question. With an EquiRatings Elo rating of 555, he is the highest-rated nine-year-old in the US and 13th in the world for his age. This weekend will offer an intriguing first look at where he is now.

Caroline Pamukcu arrives with three entries in the four-star short — HSH Blake, HSH Tolan King, and She’s The One — giving her three separate shots at the expanded points on offer. She currently sits joint first in the Series on 80 points, level with Lucienne Bellissimo, who also makes the trip with Kitsch Couture HPK. Pamukcu earned all 80 of her points at Bouckaert a fortnight ago and Bellissimo will be looking to respond.

Boyd Martin returns with Miks Master C and Shanroe Cooley, the two horses he took to the Final last year, finishing first and fourth. As the reigning Series and Final winner, and currently sitting third on 65 points, a strong weekend here could put him straight into the lead.

The leaderboard is tight. The points are big. The field is the deepest of the 2026 Series so far. Carolina matters.

Jumping: Eleven Days to Go

The US Equestrian Open Final: Wellington, Week 12 | Countdown: 11 Days

The Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix is on March 28th. There is one more weekend of competition before the final, yet most of the serious contenders will be saving their horses for the Final. After weeks of tracking form, watching jump-offs, and reporting on five-big star results from Florida to Doha, the picture is nearly complete. $1,000,000 is on the line, and it is shaping up to be exactly the kind of US versus the rest contest the buildup has promised.

Richard Vogel: Winning Elsewhere, Arriving Confident

The result worth noting from this weekend came not from Wellington but from 's-Hertogenbosch, where the Rolex Grand Prix at the Dutch Masters — the first Rolex Grand Slam event of 2026 — went to Richard Vogel and United Touch S. It was their seventh Grand Prix/World Cup win together and their second Rolex Major, following Geneva 2023. Eleven combinations made the jump-off. None came close to Vogel's time.

While Vogel has confirmed he will be there for the Final (likely riding WEF Weeks 5 Winner Gangster Montdesir), whether United Touch S makes the trip to Wellington remains to be seen. In many ways, that may be beside the point. Winning a class like this just two weeks before a $750,000 Rolex Grand Prix is the kind of form that travels with a rider.

US Contenders on the Road

Two major US Open contenders made the trip to the Dutch Masters and both will take useful information back to Wellington. Lillie Keenan and Kick On jumped clear in Round 1 and posted the fastest four-fault jump-off round to finish sixth. Competitive, if not quite a podium.

Kent Farrington and Toulayna had the second-fastest jump-off time behind Vogel but had two fences down to finish tenth. Not their day but Farrington will arrive at Week 12 as one of the most dangerous riders in the field regardless. He will be hungry.