The Story So Far of the US Equestrian Open of Eventing

There wasn’t much time to catch a breath after Boyd Martin lifted the trophy at Morven Park. Just two weeks later, the 2026 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series was already underway, with two qualifiers completed before the winter break. 

As the Series resumes at Bouckaert International on March 5, now is the perfect moment to catch up on the story so far.

Qualifier 1: Bouckaert International (October 24, 2025)

The 2026 Series opened at Bouckaert Farm in Fairburn, Georgia, with nine combinations chasing a maximum 40 points. This venue is one of the toughest time tracks on the calendar. In 13 years of the CCI4*, only four combinations had ever made the cross-country time (just 2% of all starters).

After a difficult start to 2025 for Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri, with two unlucky runs prompting a tactical step back, Bellissimo rebuilt Dyri’s confidence at lower levels. Four consecutive wins at 2* and 3* followed. Bouckaert marked their return to 4*, and they delivered.

• A 33.0 put them in the dressage lead
• A clear show jumping round kept them there
• A clear cross country round to add 8.0 time penalties - the fastest of the day

It was their fifth consecutive international victory and Bellissimo’s eighth win of 2025. That win made her the British rider with the most international wins this year, ahead of Paris Olympian's Laura Collett, Ros Canter, and Tom McEwen (more on Bellissimo’s British flag later!)

Kate Sand and Top Shelf finished second with a double clear while Bruce Davidson Jr. and Cerafino D completed the podium in third.

Qualifier 2: The Event at TerraNova (November 14, 2025)

TerraNova served as both the second qualifier of the series and final FEI eventing competition in the US for 2025. The headline arrival was Will Coleman and Diabolo -  the star combination returning to 4* competition after injury had kept them out of the Paris Olympics and most of the 2025 season.

Diabolo returned to the level with a dressage score of 26.1 which tied the second-best test ever recorded at the venue - beaten only by Coleman's own Chin Tonic HS in 2023. A double clear across the remaining two phases maintained their lead from start to finish. It was Diabolo's third 4* win in a row, following victories at Cosequin Kentucky and Plantation Field (both in 2024). Coleman finished the event with 60 series points thanks to an additional fifth place with Fahrenheit Addict.

Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri came second and Kitsch Couture HPK finished 8th to add an additional 40 points to her score to maintain the lead.

Waylon Roberts and Fernhill Salt Lake completed the podium in third. Roberts had entered with the highest EquiRatings Top Speed Percentage (TSP) in the field, and Fernhill Salt Lake proved the stats right. He produced the fastest cross-country round of the weekend and he was the only horse to make the time. It was also the first completion at four-star level for the pair after two previous starts at the level.

The other standout story of the weekend was Meg Pellegrini, who made her four-star debut with three horses. Dondante finished 7th with a double clear, Falcon Crown Z delivered the second-best dressage test in the field (26.9) before finishing 9th, and Cooley Wish Upon a Star added a 12th. Pellegrini and her string of horses will almost certainly be a story to follow as the season unfolds.

A New Flag at the Top

After TerraNova, the Series paused for the winter break. While competition was quiet, the leaderboard still saw a significant change at the top of the standings.

After officially becoming a United States citizen in late 2025, Lucienne Bellissimo now represents Team USA. Bellissimo had opened the Series as a British rider. She will resume it in 2026 as an American: still leading the standings, but under a new flag.

What's Next: Bouckaert International (March 5, 2026)

The Series resumes at Bouckaert Farm next week for Qualifier 3, and the field is shaping up to be one of the venue’s strongest so far. Bellissimo leads the standings, but several big names are set to line up. The added twist? This will be the first qualifier of the 2026 Series to attract 25 or more combinations, unlocking the higher points allocation. 

Read more about the key contenders in last week’s edition of The Open Weekly → https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-werth-breaks-records-while-ward-wins-at-wef

With 18 qualifiers to go and the final at Morven Park on October 8-11, 2026, there is still everything to play for. 

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