Your US Open Champions are at the World Cup Final
Two of the three current US Equestrian Open champions are competing at the World Cup Final in Fort Worth this week. Both Kent Farrington & Greya (jumping) and Ben Ebeling & Bellena (dressage) are in Texas. Here is what to watch for.
In November, Benjamin Ebeling and Bellena closed out the dressage season with a career-best 79.930% freestyle to become the inaugural US Equestrian Open champions. Just two weeks ago, Kent Farrington delivered a statement win in Wellington, taking the $1M Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix to become the first winner of the 2026 series.
This weekend, both champions arrive at the World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas with the chance at another huge title in their respective disciplines.
Jumping: Farrington Has Never Won This
Across his two horses — Greya and Toulayna — Kent Farrington carries a 22% win chance, the highest in the field by a distance. In a sport where 10% is considered strong, 22% with the two entries is a statement.
The format sees the competition spread across Thursday, Friday and Sunday and rewards tactical thinking. Being able to campaign two horses across three days is a weapon in the right hands, and Day 1 (Thursday) matters more than people expect. Day 1 matters more than you think - the last seven World Cup Final winners all led after the opening day.
One storyline sharpens all of this: Farrington has never won the World Cup Final. Wellington was his. Is Fort Worth next?
A horse that could stop him? Gangster Montdesir - ten years old, six starts at CSI5* 1.60m, six clears. The only horse in the entries with a perfect record at this level. Richard Vogel rode him faster than Greya in the Wellington jump-off before a single rail at the final fence handed Farrington the title. He will not need reminding. The rivalry from Wellington is not finished.
Dressage: Bellena's First World Cup Final
Four horses competing in Fort Worth's Grand Prix have ridden down a US Equestrian Open centreline. One of them is the champion.
Benjamin Ebeling & Bellena arrive as the Open's defining partnership. From their freestyle debut in April through to the inaugural final in November, they broke their personal best four times in a row. That final score — 79.930% — is still their peak. And there is a pattern worth noting: their three best scores have all come on the Open circuit. Bellena raises her game when the occasion demands it.
Fort Worth is a step up from anything they have faced together. Three combinations in this field average above 80% in the Grand Prix Freestyle including early 2026 Series leader Christian Simonson with Indian Rock. Bellena's average of 75.779% puts her in the chasing pack. But the Open final showed what she can produce when it counts, and Ebeling — who competed at the Riyadh final in 2024 — already has World Cup Final experience.
The Grand Prix is tonight. The freestyle is Saturday - the format the US Equestrian Open is built around. If you want to watch your champions on the world stage, Saturday night is the moment.
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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.
