The Open Weekly: Werth Breaks Records While Ward Wins at WEF

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

By USEF Media

February 24, 2026

Dressage: Werth Rewrites the Record Books in Wellington

Next Qualifier: Palm Beach Derby 2/25 + Del Mar Dressage Opener 2/26 | The Final: Desert Dressage, Thermal CA (November)

Isabell Werth returned to Wellington for the first time in 16 years and immediately rewrote the record books. The World No. 2 and Special Blend 3 scored 82.660% — the highest mark in US Equestrian Open of Dressage history — on the partnership's FEI Grand Prix Freestyle debut, backed by a 90.120% artistic score and 10s from three judges for music.

Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu and Jaccardo earned second on 79.250% in the 12-year-old's first Friday night, and Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel's Goldstrike rounded out the podium at 78.165%.

"This freestyle is really, really difficult and I was not sure what Special would do because he's not experienced in these kinds of atmospheres, but he was very focused," said Werth. "This crowd was so supportive and started to clap, which is something special. That end to a test is a feeling I really enjoy, and it's how you know why you're still in the saddle in a competition."

Read the full AGDF 7 recap → https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/isabell-werth-sets-new-us-equestrian-open-of-dressage-record-in-wellington

Show Jumping: McLain Ward and High Star Hero Light Up WEF Week 7

The US Equestrian Open Final: Wellington, Week 12 | Countdown: 4 Weeks

The Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) has passed its halfway point, and the picture at the top of the sport is coming into sharper focus. Saturday night's CSI5* $500,000 Modon Grand Prix produced a winner who needs no introduction on home soil and results that will echo all the way to Week 12.

McLain Ward & High Star Hero

McLain Ward claimed the Week 7 Grand Prix aboard High Star Hero, a result that lands him in rare company even by his own exceptional standards. This is the fourth time Ward has won this exact Grand Prix with his previous three victories all coming with the iconic HH Azur (2016, 2017, and 2020). As a combination, this was Ward and High Star Hero’s fourth CSI5* 1.60m win together, following previous victories at the World Cup of Arcada and two Grand Prix Qualifiers in the Hamptons.

Img L7339

With just over four weeks until the Rolex US Equestrian Open Final, Ward will be defending momentum and arriving with a horse in form. Home advantage, a proven track record at this event, and a clear jump-off performance on Friday night: this combination are going to be major contenders for a home win.

Mark Bluman & Landon de Nyze

Second place went to Mark Bluman and Landon de Nyze and the story behind it makes the podium even more impressive. Bluman and Landon only became a combination in December, less than two months ago. They have already won two 1.55m classes together. Friday night was their first 5* Grand Prix together, and they walked away with a podium finish.

New partnerships at the 5* level rarely produce results this quickly. The jump from building a partnership to landing a top-two finish in a Grand Prix of this calibre in under two months warrants close attention heading into the back half of the WEF season.

Shane Sweetnam & James Kann Cruz

The bronze position went to Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz. Friday’s result was their 20th individual 5* 1.60m podium finish together, with eight of those arriving in the past twelve months alone.

Their jump-off record borders on the extraordinary: 18 clears from 21 rounds at the 5* 1.60m level (86%), translating to 19 podium finishes from those jump-off appearances. When Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz make it to a jump-off at this level, a top-three finish has become the expectation rather than the exception.

The Bigger Picture

There are four CSI5* Grand Prix during the WEF season: Weeks 5, 7, 9, and 12. With Weeks 5 and 7 now complete, there are just two more chances to win big before the Final. Saturday night marked another pit stop but Week 12 remains the ultimate destination.

Eventing: The Countdown to Bouckaert Begins

Next Qualifier: Bouckaert Equestrian | Countdown: 1 Week

The first qualifier of the 2026 US Equestrian Open of Eventing is one week away, and the anticipation building around the CCI4*-S at Bouckaert Farm is well earned. The entry list has been confirmed, and with 28 combinations set to line up in Georgia, this is already shaping up to be one of the stronger editions of this event.

Bouckaert Farm has been hosting the CCI4*-S since 2013. Across 15 previous runnings of the class, exactly 280 horses have started. That means the venue is set to welcome its 300th (and beyond) CCI4*-S starter in the coming days. For an event that describes horses as being at its heart, it is a milestone worth marking.

The 28-entry field clears the 25-combination threshold required for a high-scoring qualifier and provides some cushion against the inevitable pre-event withdrawals. Last year’s running of this event drew 19 starters, which means this year the field is deeper and the stakes are correspondingly higher.

No name carries more significance into this weekend than Lucienne Bellissimo. The Series leader arrives at Bouckaert with two horses and a lead to defend. Bellissimo brings Kitsch Couture HPK and four-star debutant Qatar M. It is a debut that Bellissimo herself has been building toward, and her excitement ahead of the run has been visible.

@lucienne_bellissimo 'Qatar M' gearing up for his first run of the season this week, looking forward to trying to get him to his first @usequestrianopen this April.

Just over one week out, and the road to the 2026 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series title picks up speed from here.