by Nancy Jaffer | May 27, 2026
There’s an old British saying about “horses for courses,” meaning certain situations suit certain horses well.
That could well be applied to Lafitte de Muze at the Devon Horse Show, where he put his name on the George S. Hasbrouk Jr. Memorial High Performance Working Hunter trophy for four of the last five years, including three times in a row, as of Tuesday.
Since it’s a perpetual trophy, the silver cup can’t take up residence at the home of Lafite’s owner, Cheryl Olsten, or his rider, Amanda Steege.
But that’s okay.
“He’s been champion at every show in the country,” said Amanda.
Lafitte already has amassed quite a collection of sterling. He even added to it on Wednesday, winning the William C. Hunneman Jr. perpetual trophy for the High Performance Working Hunter Stake, also for the third time in four years. With a heady score of 95, no less.
After that, it was time for more awards – the High Performance Working Hunter Championship, which he also won last year, and for the third time in five years, the Leading Lady Rider in the Working Hunter division for his rider. At the Show Hunter Hall of Fame dinner Wednesday night, Cheryl and Amanda accepted Lafitte’s Regular Working Hunter “Trainers Choice” Horse of the Year award.
Cheryl and Amanda with more prizes for Lafitte at the awards dinner.
The haul at Devon isn’t really unusual for Lafite, whose prize money — more than $400,000 worth — under a unique arrangement went to the EQUUS Foundation, which helps horses who have suffered abuse or neglect.
“He’s been champion at every show in the country,” said Amanda of her partner of nine years, noting “he performs well at most of the shows.”
Lafitte de Muze and Amanda Steege.
However, she added, “He does really love Devon. From the second he gets off the truck at Devon, he’s very excited. Our preparation has to be a little different here because he can get a little overly excited.”
It’s easy to understand why, since he has fans at the show on Philadelphia’s Main Line.
“He loves a crowd, all the kids on the rail and talking to everybody. People go to Devon just to see him, so here we are,” said Amanda, based in Ocala, Fla., with summers in Hunterdon County, N.J.
The 15-year-old Belgian warmblood, a son of Darco, was born with that. charisma, according to Amanda, who said, “People always ask me, `What is it about him that makes him so special?’ ”
That’s not so easy to quantify.
“Certainly, his jumping technique is amazing and exuberant and dynamic. There’s not enough words for how he jumps. But the fact that he jumps like that over and over…I think he’s extremely intelligent. He understands the whole thing that we’re doing.”
That’s a rare quality.
While Amanda notes, “It’s fairly easy to pick out conformationally correct hoses who are good movers and good jumpers, you can’t predict which of those youngsters are going to have that star quality or X factor when they walk into the ring., where it feels like they grow a little bit. “
Lafitte “understands that when he goes out there, he is performing and doing something. He takes a lot of pride in his work. He’s a perfectionist, he likes to win the blue.”
Meanwhile, the next generation of Devon stars is coming along. Two Oldenburgs, both ridden by Victoria Colvin, (the Show Hunter Hall of Fame’s Lady Rider of the Year) tied on 46 points each for the Grand Hunter Championship.
John and Stephanie Ingram’s Odette, a 10-year-old mare, earned her points winning Devon’s High Performance Conformation Hunter title, and Lynn Olson’s In the End, a seven-year-old gelding, took the Green Conformation honors on the way to the Grand tri-color.
Devon Leading Hunter Rider Tori Colvin with co-Grand Champion Hunters Odette and In the End.
It was only Tori’s second show on In the End, but he was unfazed by the Devon excitement, and advice from trainer Shelley Campf also helped the acclimation process.
“I didn’t know him very well, he’s young but didn’t seem to care about anything and really was foot perfect,” said Tori.
“Same for Odette. I’ve been riding her for about a year now. She’s the coolest mare. She wants to win and tries to win every time. They both have big strides, they’re both very scopey, they both kind of go in a similar way, kind of like a nice rhythm.”
She added about Odette, “When you have a good mare, they mainly always try to win for you, which is nice. They really try for you.”
Tori has been a Devon regular since she was eight, for 20 years, and started off winning championships in the pony ranks, then went on to honors in the junior hunters and finally, the open ranks.
Even with that long timeline, the Devon mystique never grows old.
“Every show is special, but Devon is a very special horse show. I think it’s one of the main horse shows and big focuses of the year,” said Tori, adding that with the impressive jumps and flowers “a lot of horses shine here. It’s great experience.”
Unless, of course, they spook at the carousel in the little carnival on the grounds.
She also rides jumpers but doesn’t have any at the show this time. Maybe next year; she has a homebred seven-year-old who might be a candidate.
In the meantime, she’ll be doing the $50,000 USHJA Hunter Derby on Thursday with Golden Road, a 10-year-old Selle Francais who didn’t compete on Wednesday, saving him for the big class.
Tori noted this year Devon has “been a little on the wetter side. When the umbrellas come out, that’s a little bit of an issue.”
Indeed, weather complicated things at Devon; there was a little flooding, while some classes were canceled last Wednesday and Friday. Then it started to drizzle again as the hunter divisions wrapped up, with the ringmaster appropriately playing a few notes of the song “Stormy Weather” on his horn.
It couldn’t put a damper on the Ladies Day Hat Contest, though, a fixture that seems wonderfully anachronistic, like so much of Devon, from the crustless tea sandwiches to the massive program listing every horse with a description, and showing photos of all the treasured trophies that have been donated by generations of avid show-goers. If the ringmaster is looking for another song to play, “Tradition” might fill the bill.
The jumpers got under way with the $32,000 Jet Run Welcome Stake, but not everyone was trying to win. Horses needed to compete in a class before the show’s feature, the $210,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, so some riders used the one-round speed competition as a way to introduce their mounts to the Dixon Oval.
McKayla Langmeier and Pepita VD Rollebeek.
One who did try to win – and succeeded – was McKayla Langmeier, who rode Pepita VD Rollebeek to victory in 57.34 seconds, ahead of a Devon regular, Daniel Bluman on the reliable Gemma W (58.430).
McKayla hadn’t been back to the show for eight years, since she was a junior equitation star.
“It was really cool to have the (Devon) blue cooler on my horse,” said the 26-year-old rider. (NOTE: Devon blue is a particular shade; you’ll see it everywhere on the showgrounds, and many people – include me – glaze their fingernails with Devon blue polish for the occasion.)
McKayla will be riding her other horse, Riesling van de Gaathoeve, “a horse with a championships mindset” in the grand prix. Her objective with Pepita is simply to get ranking points for the international standings in the show’s 1.45-meter classes. She succeeded again with that goal on Wednesday, as Pepita triumphed again in the two-phase competition.
Click here for Devon results, then click on the day you want to see
by Nancy Jaffer | May 24, 2026
There hasn’t been a Rolex Grand Slam winner since Great Britain’s Scott Brash accomplished the mission in 2015. But as of Sunday, German rider Richie Vogel could be on his way with a victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen, a follow-up to taking the Rolex competition at the Dutch Masters in March. Now he’s pointing toward the Rolex class in September at Spruce Meadows and a 1 million Euro bonus if he makes that his third conquest in a row.
Riding the magnificent United Touch S, Richie was among only three riders from a starting field of 40 who were clear in two rounds and the jump-off of the class worth 1.5 million Euros ($1,740,000).
“We’re still breathless, still out of words. It’s a real childhood dream coming through,” a delighted Richie said after dismounting following his brilliant performance.
“Achieving it with such a special horse and such a special story behind the horse, the breeder and owner Julius-Peter Sinnack is here today, the whole team behind United Touch that takes care of him at home and at the shows and ride him at home when I’m not there. It’s a very special story behind the horse.”
The final act, played out before a packed house on the green lawn of a show that is both respected and revered, pitted Richie against his partner, Sophie Hinners, on the Swedish warmblood gelding Iron Dames Singclair and unexpectedly, an Argentine competitor, the well-respected José Maria Larocca Jr. with the Dutchbred gelding Finn Lente.
Though José has Olympic mileage and at 57 is a true veteran of the sport, it was unexpected to see him on the podium when such big names as Scott Brash and his countryman, Olympic multi-gold medalist Ben Maher, as well as defending champion Marcus Fuchs of Switzerland, didn’t even make it into the tie-breaker.
Sophie set a conservative pace of 51.62 seconds over the jump-off route set by Frank Rothenberger, the house course designer at Aachen. Richie went on to blow the doors off aboard his Westfalen stallion with a time of 45.57. It was left to Jose to try to beat that, and his game effort got him close in 47.36 seconds. The last Argentine to win the class at Aachen, Dr. Miguel Arrambide, did it in 1965, and Jose gave a valiant try to have his country take the honors again.
There was a moment of confusion before Richie started his final round, when he asked if a certain jump was part of the route. It wasn’t, so he refocused and got under way with determination.
“I really tried to lay down a good jump-off going in there as a Rolex live contender I really wanted to make sure I had the best time. I would rather risk a rail than being too slow, and I’m just very happy at how amazing United performed,” he said.
Discussing the pressure he faced with a potential Grand Slam on the line, he remarked “It’s a nice pressure to have. The luck was on our side for sure.” But as he pointed out, “My grandpa said, `No one ever won with bad luck,’ so we’ll take it.”
His performance was also praised by the other two riders on the podium.
“I couldn’t be happier,” said José.
“Finishing second behind Richie is an honor.”
And Sophie noted that for her part, “To complete three clear rounds in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen on that hallowed turf – as a rider, one couldn’t dream for more. “My horse fought so hard for me. Standing here on the podium is a lifelong dream come true,” she said.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to beat Richie.”
It certainly was the truth, but also tactful when talking about her partner.
Richie Vogel and United Touch played to a packed stadium.
United Touch, restive during the awards ceremony, dissed the magnificent Rolex trophy by knocking into the pedestal on which it rested and sending it to the ground. The silver cup was rescued with no harm done.
Two U.S. riders made it into the top 10, but a rail down with Greya in the second round put an end to the incredible winning streak enjoyed by FEI World Cup champion Kent Farrington, who finished eighth, two ahead of Laura Kraut and Bisquetta. Lillie Keenan, winner of Saturday’s class with Kick on, wound up eleventh with a rail and a slower time than her compatriots.
McLain Ward’s mount, High Star Hero, faulted with a mark on the tape at the water jump in the first round to finish twenty-first. But he was quickly on hand to offer a heart-felt hug to his friend, Richie, after the latter left the ring triumphant. The other two Americans competing at the show, Karl Cook and Aaron Vale, did not qualify for the grand prix. Click here for results.
The May Aachen show was a one-off, since the usual Aachen multi-discipline action will be held in a wider forum during August, when the storied facility hosts the world championships for the first time since 2006. At that time, they were called the World Equestrian Games.
In addition to the Rolex competition, a highlight of this weekend was the pas de deux performed by German dressage pillar Isabel Werth and Moritz Treffinger as the Aachen symphony played for 50,000 fans. Where else but Aachen could anyone ever expect to see a performance like that?
by Nancy Jaffer | May 23, 2026
A field of 48 at Aachen Saturday was headed by Lillie Keenan and her special partner, Kick On, finishing in 38.21 seconds to capture the 12-horse tie-breaker in the second qualifier for Sunday’s featured Rolex Grand Prix. The competitors in the 75,000 Euros class included the world’s top 25 show jumpers.
As always, Lillie didn’t set off on her round until she kissed her horse on the neck. It’s a good luck ritual, and it obviously works.
“I really enjoyed the moment,” said Lillie after her victory.
“Now it is time to reset; tomorrow is a new day and I want to give my absolute best once again,” she noted, setting her sights on the Rolex Grand Prix. She will be riding the Dutch-bred gelding, Fasther, fhe horse who took her to a sixth-place finish in last year’s CHIO Aachen highlight event.
“He is a very experienced horse. In my opinion, one of the best in the world. I think we have a very good chance, provided I do my job as well as I did today.”
Lillie Keenan and Kick On. (Photo Jasmin Metzner/CHIO Aachen)
Fellow American McLain Ward, Lillie’s mentor, was tenth on a newer mount, Lestro VD Valckenborg, over the serpentine route laid out at the German show by Aachen’s resident course designer, Frank Rothenberger.
Lillie was more than a second faster than runner-up Abdel Said of Belgium with Wathnan Bonne Amie in 39.59, while Jose Maria Larocca of Argentine was third on Chris (I love a simple horse name), who was timed in 40.10 seconds on the stallion.
The other U.S. riders didn’t fare as well. as Lillie and McLain. Laura Kraut had a rail in the first round and a slow time to finish thirty-second with Una Mariposa, while Aaron Vale was two notches behind her on Gray’s Inn. Karl Cook, who had uncharacteristic rails on Friday with his beloved mare, Caracole de la Roque, wound up fortieth on Foxy de la Roque, who toppled two poles.
Most surprising was the forty-fourth-place finish of world number one, Kent Farrington, on his new star, Descartes SR, who also had two rails, but was slower than Karl.
Click here to read the Day 1 story.
Aachen is having a May show for the Rolex Grand Prix because the August show will be the World Championships in all FEI disciplines.
Click here for Saturday’s results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 19, 2026
In the wake of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s National Grand Prix Dressage Championship that wrapped up over the weekend, a group of seven riders and eight horses was named to the short list for August’s world championships at Aachen.
They will travel to Germany to prepare for selection of the U.S. team that is going to ride in the global title meet. Not included in the group was the winner of the championship, Ellesse Gundersen and her homebred Quintessential 4. Ellesse, feeling her horse needed more experience, did not apply for the championships and therefore could not be considered, for the tour, according to the chef d’equipe Christine Traurig.
Some of those selected were no surprise, such as the 2025 national Grand Prix champion, Christian Simonson, with both his freestyle winner Fleau de Baian and Indian Rock, the horse on which he was second in the World Cup finals last month, but who was scratched from the Freestyle at the championships. Christian is the highest-ranked U.S. rider on the international dressage standings, in seventh place. He was fourth overall in the title meet at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla.
Also selected were Olympic medalist Ashley Holzer, second in the championship with Hawtins San Floriana, and Meagan Davis, third in the championship with Toronto Lightfoot. Ashley and Meagan were the only riders selected for the tour who had an average score over 70 percent. Fifth-place Jordan LaPlaca and Gold Play, who were on the winning Nations Cup team in Wellington, also got a nod.
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana.
Then came the surprises. Kasey Perry-Glass , an Olympic and world championships medalist, was named with Heartbeat WP, who scratched from the Freestyle at the championships, was thirteenth in both the Grand Prix and the Special.
Anna Marek, who did not appear at the championship, was selected with Fayvel. Also going to Europe are Geñay Vaughn and Gino, whose best finish in Ocala was tenth in the Grand Prix. That combination was fourteenth in the Special and scratched the Freestyle, but was the top qualifier on the list of those eligible to enter the championship.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 14, 2026
Horse-related organizations in Great Britain are collaborating on a free digital resource to support equestrians navigating environmental sustainability issues. Perhaps it’s a concept that should spread elsewhere
Launching this autumn, thehoofprint.com is designed to provide not only equestrian organizations, but also venues and individuals, with the information, training and inspiration for transforming their businesses, stables and events into “resilient and sustainable hives of activity.”
Concepts include everything from rainwater harvesting to paddock care, renewable energy and manure management, among other activities in “every corner of the industry.” That’s also of particular interest in terms of the financial challenges faced by those in the industry.
Website creator Ruth Dancer of White Griffin said, “In order to have a healthy sport, we need everyone to be able to survive and thrive in the changes that lie ahead. This collaboration is a recognition that together, we can support one another in quickly adapting to both protect our industry and the natural world.”
The working group driving the website forward includes Agria, NAF, British Equestrian, British Showjumping, British Dressage, British Eventing, The Pony Club and World Horse Welfare, among others.
The CEO of British Equestrian, Jim Eyre commented; “It’s a core part of our federation-wide strategy to provide our members and the wider industry with the tools, knowledge and support needed to become resilient and sustainable.”
The idea involves showcasing what can be achieved, helping enable equestrians to take on a range of different measures that can save money, drive efficiencies and build resilience, while caring for our horses and protecting the environment.
The team is hoping to track the changes that are taking place in the industry, as well as finding out the information that equestrians want from the website as it is developed “to support the growth and future prosperity of the equestrian way of life.”
by Nancy Jaffer | May 22, 2026
One Aachen horse show is never enough. So there are two this year.
Strictly speaking, the second show in Germany is actually the multi-discipline FEI world championships in August, but this weekend, Aachen is hosting an all-jumper competition with the Rolex Grand Prix as the highlight. The first qualifier for Sunday’s finale began Friday, with 49 riders entered in a one-round, 1.55-meter competition against the clock. The top placing belonged to Ireland’s Danie Coyle and the speedy Farrel.
They were timed in 70.99 seconds for a fault-free trip over the 1.55-meter test set by the venue’s course designer, Frank Rothenburger. Luciana Diniz of Brazil was second with Vertigo du Desert in 71.47.
“This is a really nice way to start the weekend,” said Daniel after his victory.
“To win the first qualification class is not something that always happens. In speed classes, you often need a little bit of luck – which I had – and that is very normal. The best riders in the world are here, and today I was fortunate to come out on top. Farrel, is now 16 years, and I have had him since he was seven. He has gone through every level with me and been incredible. He is like a best friend. When I need help, he is always there, and today we needed to qualify, so he really stepped up.”
The highest-placed U.S. rider was McLain Ward on a newer mount, Lestro VD Valckenborg, tenth with a time of 73.15. Next best from the U.S. was Lillie Keenan aboard Kick On in twentieth place (75.99)
With two more days of jumping to come, World Cup champion Kent Farrington on the incredible Greya didn’t pull out all the stops, so he wound up twenty-fifth in 78.30. Laura Kraut had a rail with Bisquetta to be thirty-first, while Aaron Vale was slower with a rail on Carissimo 25 to stand thirty-fourth.
Karl Cook had an uncharacteristic three rails with his star, Caraole de la Roque, and finished forty-seventh.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 16, 2026
The footing is perfect and the courses are intriguing. So take advantage of the extended entry deadline of May 25 and enter the historic Essex Horse Trials, to be held May 31 at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, N.J. Those entering now will not have to pay a late fee.
After its successful reinvention as a one-day competition last year, Essex took steps toward innovation by offering a Modified division, as well as an intercollegiate team challenge. The event, which offers divisions ranging from Starter through Preliminary, is held at a scenic venue best known as the home of the Far Hills Race Meeting.
The water obstacle on cross-country is always a popular tailgating spot at Essex.
The Modified division bridges the gap in fence height between Training and Preliminary, offering a more gradual increase in the challenge offered. Modified fences have the same dimensions as FEI 1-Star.
The event, which also features more than 20 vendors and five food trucks, is sponsored by Purina, Land Rover and Running S Equine Veterinary Services. Running S sponsors a riders’ lounge with breakfast and lunch provided.
There are lots of wonderful prizes. For the first time, the adult amateur rider with the lowest score in any division will receive the Jean and Elliot Haller award, named after the owners of Hoopstick Farm, site of the first Essex Horse Trials. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a 9” x 12” pastel custom commission portrait of their horse by local artist Andrea Gianchiglia.
The Gladstone Equestrian Association is sponsoring prizes that will go to the rider closet to the optimal time for each division.
Purina will give riders the opportunity to weigh their horse and get an exact number of his or her poundage. But those who can guess the horse’s weight most accurately are in line for a variety of prizes, including a saddle pad, a gift bag and coupons, among other goodies.
Want to be in the midst of the action? Get a tailgate sport and bring your friends to share the excitement.
Go to essexhorsetrials.net to obtain for more information about the competition.
The event is a benefit for the Greater Newark Life Camp that gives city kids an opportunity to get out in the country.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 17, 2026
Dominating the 3-star dressage competition at the World Equestrian Center, Adrienne Lyle and Helix added victory in the Grand Prix Special on Sunday to their 73.213 percent win from the Grand Prix on Friday.
Adrienne and Helix all ribboned-up after their win in the Special.
Adrienne hadn’t done a Special in a CDI (international) show with him since before the Paris Olympics, where the pair was on the U.S. team. Since then, he has changed greatly, and it’s more than the beautiful dapples Helix is sporting in his chestnut coat.
“He’s developed a lot, I think, since Paris. When I go back and watch my videos from Paris, he does not look as strong or as powerful as he is. And obviously, we were a very new combination to each other then. He’s two years older, and he’s got two years more of Grand Prix under his belt (girth?)
“I figured out what works, what doesn’t. You know, like you do with all the horses, it works for a bit, then it doesn’t. You go back, you change your plan, and then you come back out. It’s definitely not, like I said, not a linear process, but I’m happy with where he is right now.
“I’m super proud of him” added Adrienne, noting the 14-year-old Dutchbred son of Apache was kind of a last-minute entry at the show in Ocala, Fla.
“I’m just totally thrilled with him. It’s hot and it’s the end of a long week, so I had to support him a little bit more to help him through the test today. He was just really accepting of that and let me ride him and put in, I think, the best effort that he could. So that’s all you can ask for. I was really happy.”
Adrienne and Helix with their supporters from Zen Elite.
For Adrienne, no matter how well things go, there’s always something else to do.
She has been working on her position, explaining, “It’s how I can sit differently to balance him differently, get more on my seat, and be able to open the frame and lift, and find a more uphill balance. I think we’re starting to click into that.”
Helix went to Europe to be sold last year, but no buyer was found, so he came back to the Zen Elite stables in Florida and Adrienne’s happy about that.
“He is super sweet. He’s very personable. He’s very much a ‘person’ horse. He’s not attached to other horses, but he wants to be out of a stall all day and investigating. You’ll see me wandering around the grounds. I just kind of let him lead me wherever he wants to go. You know, he wants to look in the restaurant window.”
She noted, “There’s not a `no’ in his body. You know, there’s not a negative thought in there, so I really appreciate that.”
While she’s headed to Europe with several horses and her student, Christian Simonson, she doesn’t know what Helix will be doing there yet, though they will be based in Holland, close to Germany. They also will be involved with the U.S. contingent, since Christian likely will be named for the team that competes in August’s world championships in Aachen.
Adrienne will be in touch with the U.S. technical advisor, Christine Traurig.
“Christine is wonderful, and she has got her eyes on everything,” said Adrienne, who started as a working student with Debbie McDonald, so she’s always ready for some pointers.
Adrienne said of Christine, “I can always go to her for advice, and she can come to me. It’s really helpful to have her eyes kind of overseeing the whole program and guiding us.”
Adrienne and daughter Bailey.
Also going to Europe will be Adrienne’s two-year-old baby, Bailey. Yes, of course, she rides her mini. She’s well-traveled and speaks Portugese (her father is from Portugal), Spanish and of course, English. You can bet she also will be learning German while she’s abroad.
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 17, 2026
There was a surprise winner of the U.S. Equestrian Federation Grand Prix Dressage National Championship, and no one was more surprised than Ellesse Gundersen to find herself holding the sterling silver trophy.
An hour after she clinched the honor with her homebred Quintessential 4, she admitted that earning it hadn’t really sunk in yet. But she acknowledged, “I’m really over the moon about it, and he really deserves it, and my entire team the last couple years deserves this more than anything as well, because they’ve been a huge part of it.
“I think we’re going to enjoy it now, and then we are going to make smart decisions and look to the future for this horse.”
Elleesse Gundersen leaves the arena after her freestyle on Quintessential 4.
The title meet was a final test to determine which eight riders will be going to Europe to compete, prior to selection of a team for August’s world championships at Aachen. Ellesse isn’t a candidate for the championships, as she didn’t apply for them, feeling her horse wasn’t quite ready for a test of that magnitude.
I asked if she regretted not applying to ride in the world championships and she was firm in her answer.
“It’s very easy to for me to wish that I could go, but I think I stand behind the decision for my horse that it would have been a lot for him. I 100 percent believe in the athletes and combinations we have that are prepping for it,” she emphasized.
“I think maybe for me, even doing this is going to inspire other riders that thought they were too green, that actually this is how we could take that step towards being part of the team. I hope that I can also be that for the greener combinations coming.”
A Filipina who grew up in Malaysia and became an American three years ago, Ellesse explained why she chose the U.S. for her nationality. The 34-year-old rider said, ” I wanted to be in a team, or in a country, in a sport that really supported the riders, provided opportunities for the riders, and were excited for the riders.
“And, for example, there’s a national championship providing this opportunity and this stage and this atmosphere, it was never provided to me before. I think to become the best rider and the best team and have the best horses, these opportunities have to be part of it and that was a big factor for me when I made the switch. I knew I wanted to be better than I was, and I think the U.S. offers those opportunities.”
The evening was punctuated by thunderstorms that caused delays in the competition. Most affected was Meagan Davis and her Toronto Lightfoot, who had to be warmed up, put away warmed up, put away and finally warmed up to actually compete.
“I was not sure what was going to happen when I tacked him up the third time within a couple hours,” recounted Meagan, who finished third overall.
“But we walked to the warm-up ring, and he was like, ‘Okay, we can do this again.’ For a horse to warm up 20 minutes twice, and then to come out, warm up a third time, 20 minutes, and go in and do a test as well as he did just shows how much heart and stamina he has, and how he loves to perform. I was almost in tears at the end of my ride. It was the first time we’ve done that freestyle, so it was a lot of fun.
Everyone’s choice of music was interesting. Meagan rode to a medley of the Rolling Stones.
Meagan Davis and Toronto Lightfoot.
Ashley Holzer, reserve national champion on Hawtins San Floriana, chose “Coming to America,” thinking of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the fact that she is an immigrant (from Canada). The 62-year-old Olympian was overjoyed with the performance of her mare. And the best part?
“That I’m still here doing it. It’s pretty special to me.”
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana.
Ellesse rode to dramatic music put together by Dressage & Music, who also arranged Meagan’s theme.
“For my music,” she said, “they named it, ‘Never Give Up.’ All the music had something special to myself, my husband, my family, and it really reminds about not giving up, both with the horse, but also my husband’s situation (he has been ill.
“It really reminds that we can’t ever give up and we fight every day, no matter what, and we show up, and we’re here for it. So it’s very special to us.”
Defending national Grand Prix champion Christian Simonson won the freestyle with his number two mount, Fleau de Baian, but it wasn’t enough for him to retain the title. He finished fourth in the championships after scratching Indian Rock, on whom he was second last month in the Zen Elite FEI World Cup Finals.
Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baian, winner of the freestyle
He and Rocky had a few mishaps, including a rider error, in the Grand Prix Special. His trainer, Adrienne Lyle, said the horse already had “done a number of freestyles this year. Our intention was that we needed to do a Special and then look forward to the future. It would have been selfish for us to say he’s got to go again because we had a little bobble here and there. He’s done enough this season.”
Click here for freestyle results Click this link for national championships results
by Nancy Jaffer | May 16, 2026
After the first two competitions, results of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Grand Prix Dressage National Championships didn’t offer much optimism for how the riders would fare at the world championships in August.
In the Grand Prix, only three broke 70 percent in their scoring. In the Special, that was down to one — Ellesse Gundersen with Quintessential 4 — and she’s not even a candidate for the world championships.
But pessimism has no place in the DNA of U.S. Technical Advisor/Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig.
The World Championships this year aren’t the end game — the U.S. is focused on the 2028 Olympics at home in Los Angeles. Happily, as the home team, the U.S. doesn’t have to qualify for those Games, but medals are the goal there. And before that, there are the Pan American Games next year.
Since the competition doesn’t include the likes of Germany, Belgium, Britain, etc., it’s not as tough as the other major goals, but it is a chance for horse/rider combinations to prove themselves on a big stage and show their potential.
In the meantime, Christine is doubling down on her determination.
“I always look at it this way,” she said.
“Roll up your sleeves, tell them to step it up. It comes down to keep at it; good training, good riding leads to good performance.”
When it comes time for riders to discuss their performances with Christine, “There’s explanations, no excuses,” she told me.
I often mention how impressive Christine was in clinching a bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Even before she rode, the Danes already were getting ready to collect the bronze. But her gritty performance clinched the honors for the U.S. and all the Danes could do was untack their horses and go home.
She retains the same brand of determination in preparing the riders.
Christine Traurig was instrumental in the development of Ellesse Gundersen and Quintessential 4, the new U.S. Grand Prix champion combination.
“I think right now with the combinations we choose to go to Europe, they will really say `Okay, we’ve got to train, we’ve got to practice, we’ve got to perform. It’s always like that once the riders go to Europe . They say, `We better straighten up,” Christine observed.
There will be “more of that, I think as we go towards LA, but it also has to happen at home.
“We need to train, we need to produce more horses and not always look to the handful, because things can go wrong.”
A case in point is what happened to defending national champion Christian Simonson and Indian Rock in the Special, where they produced a subpar test that also included a rider error.
“When we only have a few, the ones in that group of the few can also get a little complacent. So within our country, we need to build competition.
I think we have to up our game in the training and develop a bigger group of horses.”
In addition to “the coaching of the riders and training of the riders, we have to look at all aspects of developing horses. We cannot just say, `That’s a good rider, that’s a good horse’ and then see what happens We have to step up our game,” Christine advised.
Christine Traurig
While she expects a great deal from others, she also has a big responsibility.
“I look critically at myself. Do I need to be more clear, do I have to be more firm, does the conversation have to be a little more in depth? For myself, I have to have a strategy, a format, an approach, so the outcome is productive.”
Ellesse and Quintessential 4 are an example of what Christine’s involvement can produce.
“When the horse was nine years old doing the Grand Prix, Christine was a big part in helping me kind of shape the direction to take him,” Ellesse said. “I’ve followed that very carefully for the last three years now, and she wasn’t wrong,” said Gundersen.
“I trust her guidance completely, and like she said, you’re building the team for more than just one event. LA28 is really important. Pan Americans are very important. We need to have a strong presence in all championships.”
While she felt it was too soon for her and her homebred mount to compete at the world championships, she is hoping to gain experience by being among the eight or so riders who will show in Europe before the title meet.
In talking about what needs to happen for U.S. riders to excel on the world stage, Christine mentioned there also is the growing awareness of how to handle social license to operate that must be taken very seriously.
“It’s not only about the movements in the test, it is also that they are very aware of what, nowadays in the sport — after the sport has been under such scrutiny — do the judges want to see?
“The judges are under as much pressure as we as coaches trainers and riders are. We are still in the period of transitioning from what was and what is now, (what) it is going to be and has to be. When the judges are out there, they are being tough. This is what we have look for in order to keep the sport loved and popular.”
Here is Christine’s answer to that: “A horse that is through and gymnasticized. It is adjustable and flexible, uses his body and uses his topline, therefore can create the right amount of energy from the hind quarters. That is not necessarily accomplished by numerous repetitions of exercise for the test. it is the basic work that is just as important.”
Saturday night was the final class of the championship, the Grand Prix Freestyle, but Indian Rock was withdrawn from the start list after his uncharacteristically uneven Special. Christian was still part of the Freestyle, but with his other mount, Fleau de Baian, who won the class. But in the overall standings, he finished fourth, while Ellesse took the title.
Also scratched from the freestyle were Kasey Perry-Glass (Heartbeat WP) and Genay Vaughn (Gino), thirteenth and fourteenth respectively in the Special. Tina Konyot did not break 60 percent in the Special with Grover and thus did not qualify for the Freestyle.
Marcus Orlob, who was the top qualifier for the championships with Jane, was not entered, as the mare was recovering from an injury.
Click here for freestyle results
