The Sound of Silence

Hello, silence, our old friend… 

The summer stillness drags on as we head into late-August, with the leaderboard dormant and the Series on pause.

Eight of the top ten riders haven’t competed in an international competition since May. That means current No. 1 Anna Marek, No. 2 Kristina Harrison-Antell, co-No. 2 Eline Eckroth, No. 5 Genay Vaughn, and others through the top ten haven’t stepped foot into a CDI arena. Where have you gone, Anna Marek?

In fairness, FEI competitions on US soil all but vanish in the summer months. This leaves riders the option to stay home and train in their own arenas, travel locally for USEF shows, or fly abroad to test their mettle against international opponents.

Of course, downtime has its value: conditioning, fine-tuning, schooling, and perhaps most importantly, giving horses (and riders) a mental and physical break. Showing is exhausting, with its constant travel, early mornings, disrupted routines, and new atmospheres taxing both horse and human alike. So, save for a few restless travelers, most seem to be sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon this summer. 

But, not everyone has been on pause. Two of the top ten have kept themselves sharp abroad: Evelyn Eger and Denielle Gallagher.

Eger — you’ll remember she led the Series through much of the spring — has returned to Europe and competed in 14 FEI classes since her last Wellington appearance in March. Her summer string has included younger horses, but most notably her freestyle mount, Tabledance 3. The pair came first in a CDI5* in Munich, where they earned a 76.855% — a score just shy of their PB (77.235%) and two and a half points above their career average of 74%. A month later, the pair again earned first with an above-average score, this time at a CDIO4* Nations Cup in Sweden, earning 75.335%.

It remains a mystery whether Eger and the 12-year-old mare will return to the US in the fall for the Equestrian Open Final, but if they do, it’s clear they will pose a threat to the riders competing on home soil.

Gallagher has not been able to capitalize on the same summer success as Eger. She has competed in France twice since we last saw her in Ocala with her 13-year-old Lusitano gelding, Come Back De Massa. Both outings fell below her average of 71.290%. Still, international arena experience is international arena experience. So while her results may not sparkle on paper, every unfamiliar arena adds mileage. That mileage may pay off in November, when the Florida-based pair make their first trip to Thermal, CA, for the Finals.

Outside of the top ten, only a few competitors have ventured quietly into summer competition. Felicitas Hendricks (No. 11) has one freestyle under her belt — a very strong 79.340% — in an under-25 competition in Kronberg. A strong result, yes, but an age-restricted junior division. Devon Kane (No. 13) competed at Hagen’s CDI3* in June, but scored well below her average due to an unfortunate floor plan issue that omitted a required element and resulted in zeroes for the movement.

The rest of the leaderboard has remained muted… with one inevitable outlier (because of course there’s an outlier — would sport be any fun without one?).

The one outlying pair, singing in an otherwise quiet field, is Ben Ebeling and Bellena. Our nation turns its lonely eyes to him.

Since we last saw them in May, Ebeling and Bellena have competed in seven FEI classes, including three at the World Cup Finals in June. And while their freestyle score in Aachen was below their average, the pair scored a new combination best of 76.615% at the prestigious Achleiten CDI in Austria this July. It was also a new career-best score for Bellena. Their time has come to shine.

Ebeling and Bellena have a freestyle average of 75.310%, a number that has grown steadily throughout their season. They debuted as a freestyle pair back in April and have impressed from the very first halt salute. Their recent win in Austria, topping a field of 12, only reinforced their status as a threat abroad — and soon, back home, too. At 14th on the leaderboard, Ebeling currently holds a Finals ticket. If he stays above the cutoff for the last three qualifiers, he could walk out of Thermal with a very large check in hand. 

The Final is still nearly three months away, with qualifiers on hold until the famed Dressage at Devon in late September. But when the Pennsylvania moon rises over an open field, the silence of summer will finally break.

Follow the US Equestrian Open of Dressage

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.