by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 21, 2026
Things did not start well Saturday night for the USA, the defending champion country from a resounding 2025 Longines League of Nations victory at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
The only LLN leg in the U.S., the competition thus carries special weight for the home nation. Having Lillie Keenan as the pathfinder boded positively for the squad; she has had a series of double-clears in team competition and being mounted on her usually reliable Argan de Belliard seemed a huge plus.
But after a rail down at a vertical to dim hopes a bit, they got completely shattered when the gray gelding ducked out to the left at the final fence, the Longines oxer standing 1.5 meters high by 1.7 meters wide, and Lillie flew off. Both horse and rider were unhurt.
Hopes rose when Natalie Dean, a late replacement for McLain Ward (out with a hand injury) went fault free on Pedro van de Barlebuis as the second to go. But after that, it was all downhill.
Natalie Dean put in a clear round for the U.S.
Laura Kraut, one of the most successful riders in history, had a shocking refusal at the water jump with Tres Bien. It took expert urging from Laura to get him over the water on a second try, but he had a splash there. A rail at the double and another at that last oxer left her with a total of 33 faults, including time penalties.
There wasn’t much anchor rider Aaron Vale could do to recoup with Carissimo 25. A hometown campaigner from Ocala, he had a legion of fans but they couldn’t help him keep the poles in place. He had a rail the seventh fence, a vertical; a knockdown at the C element of the triple, then toppled a pole at A of the double and at the last oxer as well for 16 penalties. Aaron’s trip was adversely affected by his horse’s memory of a less-than-ideal experience at the water jump earlier in the week, which meant he wasn’t handling the fences in his usual style.
With only eight of the 10 teams coming back for the second round, the U.S. finished its evening early, tenth and last on 49 penalties. A different U.S. team, again with the exception of Natalie Dean who was clear, did not complete the second round of the League opener in Abu Dhabi last month.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland commented on the obvious, saying “it was a disaster night. It’s good to get all your bad done in one class.”
He observed it was “a bunch of surprises; on paper we had a really strong team,” adding all three of the horses who had problems were “out of their comfort zone. Good to know.”
Robert pointed out that assessing problems earlier in the season and figuring out how to solve them is the way to go with the World Championships looming this summer.
“Every time things go well, that’s great; when things don’t go well, you learn from it,” he pointed out.
He promised, “We can fix these things. By Monday morning, we’ll know exactly what needs to be done. It’s the long game we’re playing this year because it’s the year of the championships. I want things to go wrong now, not in August.”
He praised Natalie, noting how important it is to have riders of her caliber moving up to fill in as necessary for longtime team stalwarts, such as McLain.
“I’m very excited to see Natalie step up,” he said.
The Irish, winners of the Ocala leg of the LLN in 2024, led after the first round on zero penalties, but the Dutch were right behind with only a single time fault. Germany and Belgium were tied on 4 penalties.
In the end, however, three clean trips in the second round from Germany took the trophy on 4 penalties, with Ireland second on 8 after Bertram Allen had two rails in the second round before Cian O’Connor and Shane Sweetnam went fault-free. (Only three riders from each team compete in the second round).
Christian Kukuk of Germany and Checker. (FEI Photo)
Looking at the German line-up, how could you bet against it? The roster included the European Champion (Richard Vogel with Cloudio), the Olympic individual gold medalist Christian Kukuk (Checker 47) and the consistent Andre Thieme with his top horse, DSP Chakaria. Christian and Richie were among the six riders in the class who achieved double clears over the course designed by Alan Wade, who also will lay out the routes for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
An overjoyed Christian said, “I think in general, it was really great sport. Again, it proved that this format is so exciting. I think it’s the most exciting one we have actually.
“When we talk about nations cups, everything can happen in the second round. Also today, it happened. So I think it’s a great format for our sport and especially this show here, Ocala, I said that already two days ago it’s a very special venue for our sport, and I really, really hope that we will have the championship here one day, because it feels like a championship also tonight, especially when you go under the lights in the second round. It’s such an incredible atmosphere.”
Mentioning that for three months, he basically hadn’t ridden Checker, his 2024 Olympic gold medal horse, Christian commented, “I really have to say, he’s 16, but I can’t feel any difference to like, two, three years ago. He feels so fresh, he feels so excited for the sport, and I think, especially the second round, he showed all of us how much he enjoys the sport.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 19, 2026
After five years of losing to Germany at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, the USA claimed a very narrow victory over the Europeans in the Modon FEI Dressage Nations Cup on Thursday.
Led by Christine Traurig, the Dutta Corp. U.S. dressage team of Ashley Holzer on Hawtins San Floriana, Jordan LaPlaca (Gold Play), Meagan Davis (Toronto Lightfoot) and Anna Marek (Fayvel) earned 205.631 percent, just nipping its rivals, who scored 205.043. Canada was third on 204.196.
The winning U.S. team: Anna Marek, Meagan Davis, Jordan LaPlaca, Ashley Holzer, Christine Traurig (U.S. Equestrian Photo)
No one in the class broke 70 percent. The highest score belonged to Germany’s Frederic Wandres, who earned 69.913 percent on Verrenberg. Canadian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu was second on Jaccardo with 69.826 percent. The top American, Anna, was third with 69.435 percent on Fayvel. She was a replacement for a rider who had dropped out.
“Christine chose me to go last, which is always a big honor,” said Anna. “
“In a team competition, there’s even more added pressure because I want to have a good ride for my team. I didn’t know what score I needed for gold and, honestly, it wouldn’t have really mattered. I just went in there wanting to ride the best test I could.
“This gold medal is huge, though, because it was important to Cynthia (Davila, Fayvel’s owner) for Fayvel to be on a team, so it’s special to share this with her. He’s a very special horse. He was hers to ride, and then I started riding him, and (my coach) Anne Gribbons always loved him, so Cynthia let me carry on, and we’ve been enjoying every second of it.”
The victory in the 3-star earned the U.S. 10 points to take the early lead as the series got under way, two points ahead of Germany and three ahead of Canada.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 11, 2026
The fate of the Maryland 5-Star event really wasn’t in doubt since word surfaced late last year that financial issues were affecting the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, which presented it.
But on Tuesday, the U.S. Equestrian Federation made it official, announcing that the facility at Fair Hill would not stage either the October 5-Star or the 3-Star that was also a part of its program for the last five years.
USEF “has been in regular communication with the Maryland Stadium Authority to support their ongoing discussions surrounding the future viability of the Maryland 5-Star. The current licensee, the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, due to apparent financial concerns, will not host the CCI3*-L or CCI5*-L in 2026.”
USEF’s statement said it “is working with a new potential licensee for the CCI3*-L for 2026 and will share updates about the future possibilities for the CCI5*-L as soon as possible. The timeline and FEI requirements to host an event of this stature are published to support any efforts to pursue an application in the future.”
Yet on Wednesday, the Fair Hill Foundation called the decision not to hold the 5-Star this year a pause that “reflects confidence — not uncertainty. It is a proactive step grounded in responsible stewardship and a shared belief that the Maryland 5-Star deserves the time, leadership, and operational depth required to thrive for decades to come. The Foundation is confident in this direction and will continue to provide support through various means to ensure a strong return in 2027.”
Having the event skip a year and come back in 2027 could be a difficult strategy, since momentum would be lost and competitors likely would wonder about the viability of the 5-Star when they plan their schedules.
The foundation, however, states that the 2026 3-Star “will take place as planned, supported by members of a well‑resourced organizing group, including the very experienced Fair Hill International team, many (of whom) will be engaged in the next chapter of the Maryland 5-Star. This team ensures continuity for athletes, owners, and fans, while allowing thoughtful preparation for the 5-Star’s return. In coming days, there will be updates related to the CCI3-L plans for 2026.”
Entries for the 5-star have been relatively light for the last few years after a strong debut for the event. By the time autumn rolls around each year, some top event horses have wrapped up their season, whether because they have done enough for the year or are recovering from physical setbacks.
The calendar also hasn’t been the event’s friend, with France’s Pau 5-star scheduled for the week after Maryland, an easier trip for Europeans than crossing the Atlantic. Maryland also conflicts with another French fixture, Le Lion de Angiers, the Young Horse eventing world championships. And some have cited the debut of the U.S. Open of eventing, a lucrative 4-Star the week before Maryland, as another issue in the viability of the 5-Star on a crowded roster of dates.
Looking ahead to 2027, the Fair Hill Foundation said a leadership and organizational structure is “being assembled to guide the Maryland 5-Star forward. A highly capable, cross‑disciplinary team has been identified, and work is underway to finalize the framework that will support the event’s long‑term success. This approach allows future partners and sponsors to engage with clarity and confidence, understanding both the vision and the commitment behind the investment.”
In the view of the foundation, “The Maryland 5-Star was always intended to be more than a moment — it was meant to be a legacy. The Foundation views this period as an opportunity to honor what has been built while ensuring that the event becomes a world‑class 5-Star competition worthy of Fair Hill, Maryland, and the global sport of eventing.”
The spring Kentucky 5-star also has been running in one form or another since the late 1970s and is a solid fixture at the Kentucky Horse Park. But questions arose when a U.S. autumn 5-star was proposed, as to whether it could get sufficient support from competitors both in the U.S. and abroad so close to the end of a long season.
Also, since competitors can qualify for championships by their record in 4-star events, 5-stars may not feel as relevant as they once did. Not everyone is interested in taking on the sport’s ultimate challenge category. They are still a goal for some, however.
Caroline Pamukcu, who finished fourth in the 2025 Fair Hill 5-star with her 2024 Olympic horse, HSH Blake (and eleventh with HSH Tolan King), was a “huge fan”of the (Maryland) event.
“I think the 5-star is a really important part of our sport. Going 5-star really helps prep me and my horses for big championships,” she said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Eventing Association has pledged support for the 5-Star and its future, stating it “has made the MARS Maryland 5- Star a focal point of our fall media coverage and has supported it both publicly and privately with the regulatory bodies of our sport, as well as with others in positions to positively influence the event’s long-term success.”
The USEA has further supported the Maryland 5-Star by allocating the USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships to the event while helping fund the development of the YEH cross-country course through various terrain builds. The organization confirmed the those East Coast Championships will continue in the fall this year.
“We are committed to running the YEH Championships at Fair Hill if the CCI3*-L takes place on that weekend, subject to the USEF’s negotiation with the new licensee, and approval of the USEA Board of Governors,” said USEA CEO Rob Burk.
“However, we know there are a couple of other venues who would be eager and willing to host the YEH Championships, and we would be willing to relocate. But for the time being, we are committed to holding it on the same dates at the same venue, if that is possible.
“This championship is a premier showcase for the nation’s top young horses and consistently draws more than 75 horses (along with wait-listed horses due to the limited number of competition spots), as well as their riders and owners each year, drawing additional international attention to the event and making it a significant and highly visible feature of the Maryland 5-Star,” the USEA statement continued.
The organization has been a sponsor of the Maryland 5-Star by securing and funding multi-million-dollar competition liability insurance. It also has worked to bring new sponsors and partners to the event.
“We know that the Maryland 5-Star also generates substantial economic impact for surrounding jurisdictions. The state of Maryland can be incredibly proud of this event, and the work that all those involved have put in to make this a globally recognized competition in the Olympic sport of eventing.”
Attendance last year was 32,000, an 11 percent increase over 2024.
The future of the Maryland 5-Star, which was looking dicey after all the principals of the Sport & Entertainment entity departed late last year, became even more of a question in February, after the Maryland Division of Legislative Services discussed 2027 budget proposals before the state Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
To insure that “new grants are not crowded out by large ongoing grants,” the department recommended that grants for the 5-star should be deleted for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1.
In November, it was projected that the state could have nearly a $1.5 billion shortfall for fiscal 2027. Maryland’s numerous financial issues include work involved with Pimlico and Laurel racetracks. The lottery fund backing stadium authority bonds is approaching its debt limit, and there is concern that the rebuild of Pimlico, home of the Preakness Stakes, could push it over the line.
Maryland Sports Authority Chairman Craig Thompson had said this year that “the plan is to move forward in October” with the 5-star. But neither he nor MSA Executive Director Michael Frenz, who is retiring in April, responded to requests for interviews. There was no information about who could organize a 2026 5-Star, who would be on their team and where the money would come from to fund it.
The five-year-old Maryland 5-Star had received approximately $3 million annually from the state. This event also got money for capital improvements on the under-utilized state-owned Fair Hill property. A tax filing from 2023 shows the event reported $7.6 million in expenses and $1.4 million in sponsorship revenue.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 10, 2026
TSF Dalera BB delivered Olympic, World Equestrian Games and European Championships dressage gold medals, as well as two World Cup titles under the guidance of Germany’s Jessica von Bredow Werndl. Now she has delivered something else this week, a filly named Dolce Vita BB.
Jessica called the filly “this little magic creature.” The dark bay filly, marked with a star on her forehead that may well predict her role in the future, is by the stallion Vitalis.
Jessica von Bredow Werndl with Dalera and filly. (Photo courtesy Jessica von Bredow Werndl.
It is interesting that Dalera carried her foal throughout the pregnancy and that no surrogate was involved, as is often the case with top-level mares. She will have a lot to teach her beautiful baby.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 4, 2026
Endo the Blind, an amazing sightless Appaloosa, has died at 26 after dealing with edema and other issues.
He had his eyes removed years ago after being diagnosed with recurrent uveitis, glaucoma and cataracts, but that never stopped him or his owner, Morgan Wagner. They had a special type of communication.
Though Endo could not see the world with his eyes, you could see everything you needed to know through his heart — and through the incredible love his owner had for him.
Some horses are more than horses. They are our partners, our teachers, and sometimes our heart horses.
Endo was deeply loved, and it showed in every step he took. His heart was big enough for three, and the impression he left on those around him will not be forgotten. And now he can see…
Read more about him at this
link
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 20, 2026
With the international number one- and two- ranked riders, as well as the defending champion, declining to make the trip across the Atlantic for the FEI Dressage World Cup, the competition presents an opportunity for less high-profile athletes and their horses to shine.
Those who decided not to participate are focusing on this summer’s world championships in Germany with their top mounts. World Number One Justin Verboomen of Germany had a nice back-up to his top horse, Zonik Plus, but that understudy was sold. So no Justin.
In the days when Las Vegas regularly hosted the Cup finals in dressage and jumping, it always (except for its first presentation) sought a year without a world championship or Olympics. That assured the best competitors would have no other goals to distract them from participating in the Cup.
But even without the high-profile combinations, eight of the top 20 will be there, a group that includes exciting prospects to watch at the event April 8-11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
One will be the USA’s Christian Simonson. He is the top-ranked U.S. rider, ninth in the global standings, even though at age 23, he also still would be eligible to compete in the U25 ranks. He’s a student of three-time Olympian Adrienne Lyle, who in turn was a student of former U.S. chef d’equipe and Olympic, world championships and World Cup veteran Debbie McDonald.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock.
Christian is sponsored by Florida-based Zen Elite Equestrian, which also is the sponsor of the Dressage World Cup organized by the Split Rock Show Jumping Tour. His mount, Indian Rock, formerly of the Dutch Olympic team, performs an inspirational freestyle to the musical themes from the Rocky movies. Because the horse’s nickname is Rocky, naturally.
Kevin Kohmann is the only other U.S. rider competing. He will be riding Dünensee. Although Ecuador’s Julio Mendoza Loor is not a U.S. citizen, he is a resident of North Carolina, so the Pan American Games individual gold medalist and Jewel’s Goldstrike will definitely get audience support from the home side.
The highest-ranked rider who will be coming from abroad is Great Britain’s Olympic team medalist Becky Moody with her homebred Jagerbomb. She’s number four in the world. Number five, Sweden’s Patrick Kittel — the 2024 Cup titleholder — will be on hand with Touchdown.
Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee.
What could be very interesting for the U.S. audience is a chance to watch Poland’s Sandra Sysojeva and the graceful Maxima Bella, only a 10-year-old and already an Olympic veteran. And doubtless even more interesting from a curiosity standpoint would have been Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, once the queen of dressage, until she was suspended in 2024 for using a whip to repeatedly urge a student’s horse forward in a videotaped lesson several years before that.
But Charlotte, slated to ride the aptly named Alive and Kicking, dropped out a week before she was set to travel to Texas. Her countrywoman, Cup defending champion Lottie Fry, did not plan to compete.
Want to see the Cup in person?
Single-session tickets are available starting at $35, but there are special pricing and package opportunities available for groups of nine or more. To buy, contact Sydney at GroupSales@DickiesArena.com. Full ticket information is available online at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets, For more information, click here.
