<h2 dir="ltr">Dressage: Wandres Wins AGDF 10, Darcourt Holds On</h2>
Germany&rsquo;s Frederic Wandres and Verrenberg won Friday night's Grand Prix Freestyle at AGDF 10 with a new combination best of 76.240%. Verrenberg, the youngest horse in the field at ten years old, looked every bit the emerging force the data hinted at. Wandres rode to a freestyle soundtrack originally built for Bluetooth, his Olympic gold medal partner, and the fit was close enough.
"He's a really promising horse," Wandres said.
<blockquote>
"He's very consistent in the arena to bring these good results already at this young age, which is not so normal."
</blockquote>
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/d551e242-ce1a-4e66-a035-ffee1a411784.png?width=905&amp;height=1098" alt="Screenshot 2026 03 16 143401">
The win vaults Wandres from outside the top 25 into a tie for eighth at 29 points. With the AGDF season wrapping up next week, Wandres and Verrenberg will likely head back to Europe, which probably ends their Open Series run for now. But keep an eye on this horse regardless. He's shaping up to peak right in time for an LA 2028 appearance.
Kevin Kohmann and Duenensee took second with 75.715%. The high-70s rides are a possibility, but increasingly the exception. A 75 of some flavor is where this pair lives right now, and clearly it&rsquo;s working. The result secured Kohmann's place in April's FEI World Cup Final in Texas&mdash;the third consecutive Finals appearance for this combination.
"This horse made my career; he changed everything," Kohmann said.
<blockquote>
"If you'd told me four years ago that we'd make it to the World Cup Finals three times in a row, I'd have told you you were crazy."
</blockquote>
Pablo G&oacute;mez Molina and Ulises de Ymas took third with 73.715%, moving to 27 points and 13th overall. Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana finished fourth with 73.555%, and now sit in a crowded eighth on 29 points, alongside four other combinations. Caroline Darcourt and Lord Django finished fifth at 72.570%, leaving her in a tie with Christian Simonson for second on the season at 40 points.
<a href="https://us.equestrian-hub.com/public/championship/dressage/708" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/18e9bb9f-0b3b-4d31-bf4c-a3c37f0f35b0.png?width=1240&amp;height=714" alt="Pk Xie Current Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage "></a>
P.J. Rizvi and Vanilla Ice finished sixth on 72.325%, which frankly undersells the energy in the arena. Vanilla Ice is a piaffe machine when he locks in, and he locked in Friday. Rizvi left the arena smiling, still humming the music. By the metric of putting on a show, she wins every time.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/dressage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/df3afaab-1f25-4fab-a1dc-c46c608169fb.png?width=1080&amp;height=171" alt="Read More Dressage"></a>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Eventing: Carolina International Approaches</h2>
Next Qualifier: Carolina International, North Carolina | The Final: Morven Park, Virginia (October)
With 41 entries confirmed in the CCI4*-S, Carolina International is the largest qualifier of the 2026 series to date and the points on offer reflect that. Cross the 25-starter threshold and the win is worth 50 points rather than 40. Boyd Martin built his 2025 Series title on weekends exactly like this one. The combinations who arrive in form and leave with a result could reshape the leaderboard significantly.
A full form guide, preview article, and episode of the US Equestrian Open Podcast discussing entries will be available later this week but before that, here are some of the big names to watch.
<h3 dir="ltr">The Contenders</h3>
Phillip Dutton and Denim arrive in winning form after their victory at the Grand Prix Eventing Showcase in Aiken. They won outright, going inside the time on cross-country - one of only two combinations in the field to do so. Denim finished sixth at last year&rsquo;s US Equestrian Open Final and placed in the top ten in all three qualifiers he contested. They arrive at Carolina as serious contenders.
Will Coleman and Diabolo return carrying momentum of a different kind. Their last four-star outing was <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/terranova-closes-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a win at the TerraNova qualifier </a>in November, marking their return from a break. It was Diabolo&rsquo;s third four-star victory in a row, following earlier wins at Kentucky and Plantation in 2024. A 26.1 dressage and a double clear last time out is the kind of form that travels well into a new qualifier.
Kim Severson and Cooley Corraghy Diamond are back and that alone is worth talking about. Cooley Corraghy Diamond has not completed an event since May (withdrawing before cross-country on two occasion) when he placed second in a CCI4*-S in just his second start at the level. The talent has never been in question. With an EquiRatings Elo rating of 555, he is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/9-year-olds-on-track-for-the-us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest-rated nine-year-old in the US</a> and 13th in the world for his age. This weekend will offer an intriguing first look at where he is now.
<a href="https://us.equestrian-hub.com/public/championship/eventing/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e5e51b2e-03a5-44a3-819a-0bba7cfa767c.png?width=1240&amp;height=714" alt="Vld71 Current Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Eventing "></a> 
Caroline Pamukcu arrives with three entries in the four-star short &mdash; HSH Blake, HSH Tolan King, and She&rsquo;s The One &mdash; giving her three separate shots at the expanded points on offer. She currently sits joint first in the Series on 80 points, level with Lucienne Bellissimo, who also makes the trip with Kitsch Couture HPK. Pamukcu earned all 80 of her points at Bouckaert a fortnight ago and Bellissimo will be looking to respond.&nbsp;
Boyd Martin returns with Miks Master C and Shanroe Cooley, the two horses he took to the Final last year, finishing first and fourth. As the reigning Series and Final winner, and currently sitting third on 65 points, a strong weekend here could put him straight into the lead.
The leaderboard is tight. The points are big. The field is the deepest of the 2026 Series so far. Carolina matters.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/eventing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/254e09dd-d92e-4194-986b-baf0dbd8460b.png?width=1080&amp;height=158" alt="Read More Eventing"></a>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Jumping: Eleven Days to Go</h2>
The US Equestrian Open Final: Wellington, Week 12 | Countdown: 11 Days
The <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/jumping-us-equestrian-open-quick-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix</a> is on March 28th. There is one more weekend of competition before the final, yet most of the serious contenders will be saving their horses for the Final. After weeks of tracking form, watching jump-offs, and reporting on five-big star results from Florida to Doha, the picture is nearly complete. $1,000,000 is on the line, and it is shaping up to be exactly the kind of US versus the rest contest the buildup has promised.
<h3 dir="ltr">Richard Vogel: Winning Elsewhere, Arriving Confident</h3>
The result worth noting from this weekend came not from Wellington but from 's-Hertogenbosch, where the Rolex Grand Prix at the Dutch Masters &mdash; the first Rolex Grand Slam event of 2026 &mdash; went to Richard Vogel and United Touch S. It was their seventh Grand Prix/World Cup win together and their second Rolex Major, following Geneva 2023. Eleven combinations made the jump-off. None came close to Vogel's time.
While Vogel has confirmed he will be there for the Final (likely riding <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/countdown-to-the-final-five-lessons-from-the-first-five-star-weekend-in-wellington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WEF Weeks 5 Winner Gangster Montdesir)</a>, whether United Touch S&nbsp;makes the trip to Wellington remains to be seen. In many ways, that may be beside the point. Winning a class like this just two weeks before a $750,000 Rolex Grand Prix is the kind of form that travels with a rider.
<h2 dir="ltr">US Contenders on the Road</h2>
Two major US Open contenders made the trip to the Dutch Masters and both will take useful information back to Wellington. Lillie Keenan and Kick On jumped clear in Round 1 and posted the fastest four-fault jump-off round to finish sixth. Competitive, if not quite a podium.
Kent Farrington&nbsp;and Toulayna had the second-fastest jump-off time behind Vogel but had two fences down to finish tenth. Not their day but Farrington will arrive at Week 12 as one of the most dangerous riders in the field regardless. He will be hungry.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/jumping" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/eeee484b-ef16-4e10-9de3-6d72b0a7f0c7.png?width=1080&amp;height=161" alt="Read More Jumping"></a>
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<h2 data-path-to-node="4">Stay in the Loop with The Open Weekly</h2>
Thanks for joining us for this week's edition! Don't forget: a fresh update of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/the-open-weekly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Open Weekly</a>&nbsp;drops on the site&nbsp;every Tuesday.
<h3 data-path-to-node="9">Join the Conversation</h3>
Follow us for daily highlights, behind-the-scenes content, and live updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/useqopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X (Twitter)</a>
<h3 data-path-to-node="6">Go Beyond the Article</h3>
Catch the latest insights and expert interviews on the&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.libsyn.com/559710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Equestrian Open Podcast</a>.

Frederic Wandres & Verrenberg on the Open Weekly Graphic 

The Open Weekly: Wandres and Vogel Win Big, Carolina International on Deck

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Main

On the two metrics that usually settle these conversations &mdash; average and personal best &mdash; Caroline Darcourt and Kevin Kohmann are functionally identical. She averages 75.467; he averages 75.460. His personal best is 79.240, hers 78.170. Their podium rates tell a similar story: Kohmann finishes top three in about 62% of his freestyle starts, Darcourt in about 56%. By all of that, you'd hand the slight edge to Kohmann and move on.
You'd be wise to dig a little deeper.
Kohmann posted a 75.790 in his most recent start &mdash; his lowest freestyle score in months, after three consecutive outings above 77. Darcourt, meanwhile, has gone 74.695, 76.040, 76.760 in her last three. Each one better than the last.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/d0ebe62b-fcef-468e-bb61-905ab973c18b.png?width=1276&amp;height=1010" alt="Darcourt Vs. Kohmann Grand Prix Freestyle Scores ">
Their consistency patterns are worth noting too. Darcourt tends to land within a point and a half of her average. Kohmann can swing two points either way &mdash; and in dressage, that's frequently the difference between first and fourth. He has the higher ceiling, albeit barely, the longer record, and the podium rate. She has the momentum and the consistency. At this particular moment, that bodes well for her.
What she does with her edge has pretty serious Series implications. A win &mdash; 20 points this week &mdash; takes her from 32 to 52, past Christian Simonson in second, past Ge&ntilde;ay Vaughn who currently leads at 45. In one result she goes from tied for sixth to first overall, in her fourth qualifier of the season. She would be the first Swedish rider to ever lead the series. There are qualifiers beyond AGDF, but four strong qualifying rides would put her in a position that's comfortable, if not untouchable.
<h2 dir="ltr">Holzer and Wandres Would Like a Word</h2>
Ashley Holzer's career freestyle average is 73%. That's the number you'd glance at and move past. Don't.
Her last three freestyle scores are 74.840, 75.010, and 75.290 &mdash; consecutive combination bests, with recent form running more than three points above that career average. What the average is measuring and what is currently happening are two different things.
It's also worth knowing who Ashley Holzer is. She won a team bronze at the 1988 Olympics, competed at three more Games after that &mdash; 2004, 2008, 2012 &mdash; and carries a 33% FEI win rate, the second-highest in this field (we'll get to the first in a moment). Hawtins San Floriana has been her partner since April 2024. This combination is still ascending, and Holzer has spent her career turning horses into international contenders. Whether she challenges for the top two on Friday or finishes just outside them, this pair is worth watching.
Which brings us to Frederic Wandres. He holds a 41% FEI win rate across 105 starts. For context, Isabell Werth &mdash; the most decorated equestrian athlete of all time &mdash; wins 46% of the time. Wandres and Verrenberg have only three freestyle starts together, but the scores read 73.39, 74.82, 75.86 &mdash; a clean ascending line in a small sample that, given who's holding the reins, probably shouldn't be dismissed as coincidence. Verrenberg is an emerging horse with an unknown ceiling. An Olympic gold medalist is developing him. A podium here isn't the likely outcome, but upon reflection, would not be the most surprising thing that's ever happened in this arena.
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-vfaP8" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Grand Prix Freestyle Stats: AGDF 10 CDI-W" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vfaP8/1/" height="784" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe>
<h2 dir="ltr">Ice Ice Maybe</h2>
P.J. Rizvi and Vanilla Ice require their own category because the normal statistical framework simply doesn't apply.
Vanilla Ice is a stunning 14-year-old Lusitano stallion whose freestyle is set to none other than "Ice Ice Baby" by the horse's namesake, Vanilla Ice. His two starts produced a 76.590 and a 69.540, the latter after a visibly tense test. The range on this pair is extraordinary &mdash; both ends of it. Whether Friday produces the former or the latter appears to be information that becomes available approximately 30 seconds before the music starts.
What can be said with confidence: this is <s>one of</s> the most entertaining freestyles in the field. Good day or tense day, Vanilla Ice is going to light up that arena, and the crowd will eat it up.
Watch Rizvi and Vanilla Ice and the rest of the field Friday at 7:15 ET on the <a href="https://www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_US/events/18443/adequan-global-dressage-festival-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USEF Network</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew">Sign up for free</a> as a fan to stream the action.

Kevin Kohmann riding Duenesee in a trot half pass

Darcourt vs. Kohmann: It Looks Like a Toss-Up. It's Not.

Three of the four five-star 5* 160 Grand Prix weekends at the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival are done. Three different winners with three different stories; Richard Vogel &amp;&nbsp;Gangaster Montdesir Week 5, McLain Ward &amp; High Star Hero at Week 7, and now Darragh Kenny with Edddy Blue in Week 9. All of them pointed the same direction: March 28th for the $1,000,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix.
Saturday night's $500,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix produced nine clear rounds from 39 starters - a demanding night's work over Alan Wade's course. The Irishman, appointed as course designer for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, built a track that found plenty of answers. Nine horses gave the right ones.
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Winner: Darragh Kenny &amp; Eddy Blue</h2>
Darragh Kenny had been second and third at WEF before but never first... until Saturday night. The Irish Olympian and Eddy Blue, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Eldorado vd Zeshoek TN x Chacco-Blue) owned by Carol A. Sollak, went penultimate in the jump-off and stopped the clock at 41.77 seconds. It proved unbeatable, securing their second 5* 1.60m victory after their win in the&nbsp;London World Cup in 2024.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/ab521d94-e4dc-4265-9cb9-b1107d81f33d.png?width=1080&amp;height=1106" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (1)">
Kenny left a stride out in the first line and got away with it because of the carefulness of the horse underneath him. That combination of boldness and reliability is exactly what the Week 12 final will require. Kenny has his eyes on an Irish team spot at the FEI World Championships in Aachen in August but the road to Aachen runs through Wellington first.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/6c7f2960-bfa4-4302-ad1f-438efc4d5987.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (2)">
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Jump-Off: A Shared Podium and a Statement from the USA</h2>
The jump-off opened with Marilyn Little and La Contessa setting a target of 41.92 seconds as the pathfinder. It was La Contessa's fifth consecutive clear at the level but the pair's first ever 5* Grand Prix podium together. That is a meaningful form line heading into Week 12.
Six riders later, Australian Thaisa Erwin matched Little's time exactly aboard Hialita B to share second in a dead heat - the first five-star WEF podium for an Australian since 2010. Alongside Kenny, both Little and Erwin confirmed in the press conference that their next target will be the Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix.
Laura Kraut and Bisquetta were fourth, Jonathan McCrea fifth; both double-clear. Six of the world's top ten were in the field. The depth was real.
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The US Picture: Depth Is the Differentiator</h2>
Three five-star weekends in and the US case for keeping the Open title on home soil has been built less around one dominant combination and more around sheer depth.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/ward-wins-in-wellington-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McLain Ward won Week 7.</a> Lillie Keenan has won with two different horses this circuit.&nbsp;Marilyn Little is now on a serious clear streak at five-star 160 with&nbsp;La Contessa. Laura Kraut and Jonathan McCrea jumped double-clear on Saturday. And then there is Kent Farrington, world number two, who hasn't featured so much in the weekly results but whose name on&nbsp; the start list at Week 12 will reshape the field and predictions.
Farrington had four faults in Round 1 at Week 9 with Greya, finishing 11th. It changes nothing about what they are capable of in a jump-off. Their five-star 160 jump-off record remains extraordinary: nine wins and 11 podium finishes from 15 appearances. Greya's EquiRatings Elo is closing in on the all-time US record set by HH Azur. When they canter into the ring on March 28, they walk in with serious expectations
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The International Challenge Is Real</h2>
The international field is not making up the numbers. Kenny's win on Saturday was the second 5* Grand Prix at WEF won by a non-US rider this season. Vogel took Week 5. Ward interrupted at Week 7. Kenny resumed the sequence at Week 9.
Vogel will arrive at Week 12 with<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/countdown-to-the-final-five-lessons-from-the-first-five-star-weekend-in-wellington" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Gangster Montdesir </a>carrying a 100% clear rate from five five-star starts. <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/only-80-seconds-stand-between-shane-sweetnam-and-a-podium-finish" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz</a> have converted 18 podium finishes from 21 jump-off appearances at this level - a stat that still reads like a typo the more you look at it. And France's&nbsp;Nina Mallevaey arrives carrying a 12-consecutive-clear-round streak with Dynastie de Beaufour - one clear away from equalling Nick Skelton and Big Star's achievement of 13.
Dynastie de Beaufour is currently rated 779 on the EquiRatings Elo - sixth in the world, the top-ranked French horse in the database currently. Mallevaey is seventh on the Longines FEI World Rankings and the highest-ranked female rider.. Week 12 will be their third appearance at WEF. The first two produced a third place and a fifth. They will be ones to watch.
Two and a half weeks remain. The field is taking shape.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-pamukcu-kenny-darnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/797de4a4-a9fd-4ef8-8f83-7253791613fc.png?width=4048&amp;height=577" alt="Us Open Blog Inserts"></a>
Listen to Annie and Diarm review WEF Week 9 on this week's episode of the US Equestrian Open Podcast
<iframe style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/40391430/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/28427a/time-start/00:00:00/hide-playlist/yes/download/yes/font-color/ffffff" width="100%" height="192" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Week 9 Wraps the Five-Star Build-Up to the Rolex US Equestrian Open

On Saturday at Bouckaert, Laine Ashker and Lovedance finished 10th in the third qualifier of the 2026 US Equestrian Open Eventing Series. It was the combinations first completion at the top-level, having had previous strong results at the 3* level. With this completion, Laine Ashker is now the first rider to have competed in the US Equestrian Open competitions in both dressage and eventing. While Lovedance carries her eventing ambitions, Zeppelin, is her Grand Prix dressage partner.
Two horses. Two disciplines. One rider doing it all from a farm in Chesterfield, Virginia.
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">Born Into the Sport</h2>
Ashker's connection to horses is in her blood. Her mother Valerie competed at the preliminary eventing level until she was seven months pregnant, meaning Laine was practically riding and competing horses before she was born.&nbsp;
Val&rsquo;s influence ran through her daughter&rsquo;s entire career, and nowhere was it clearer than in her love of the off-the-track Thoroughbred. Of the four horses Laine has taken to five-star level, three were OTTBs.
As a teenager, Laine&rsquo;s family relocated from California to Virginia. A move made entirely to support her eventing career.&nbsp;
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Eventing Path</h2>
Laine made her international eventing debut at age 19 with Frodo Baggins, with whom she won a silver medal at the North American Young Rider Championships before later producing him up to the top level. Since then, she has ridden 16 horses in FEI eventing across more than 100 starts, including competing at the highest level of the sport (CCI5*) with four different horses.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/658b5281-1498-410d-b07b-ff95159c900b.jpeg?width=1192&amp;height=1600" alt="Mcnally2 079"> Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch at Kentucky CCI5* in 2010. Laine currently only rides Lovedance internationally. However, she often has another horse running alongside him at national level. Last year it was the five-year-old Supercilious.&nbsp;
Laine has produced Lovedance from his first CCI1* as a six-year-old all the way to a top-10 finish in the US Equestrian Open Qualifier at Bouckaert against some serious competition. Unsurprisingly, Lovedance has had some strong performances in the dressage phase, often scoring sub-30, including at Bouckaert this past weekend.
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Dressage Chapter</h2>
The dressage dimension of Laine's career came about in a very unique way. She posted a Craigslist ad offering riding lessons. A woman named Ann Wilson was the only person to respond. She owned an Andalusian who she wanted trained through the levels. That single reply started a chain of events that would lead Laine to earn her USDF Gold Medal, win Zeppelin&rsquo;s first CDI in May 2023, and eventually compete at Grand Prix on two horses.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/0e26b061-b7f6-4638-8eed-40a9bd73c5fb.jpg?width=null&amp;height=null" alt="Img L1998">Laine Ashker and Zeppelin at the US Equestrian Open Final of Dressage in November 2025.
In the US Equestrian Open dressage series, Laine Ashker and Zeppelin have built a compelling record across five starts, averaging 70.882% in the Freestyle. Her best performance in the series came at the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/lainey-wins-and-micaela-is-on-the-bubble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival in May 2025</a>, winning with 73.015%.
After competing in the US Equestrian Open of Dressage CDI5* final in the season, Laine became a 5* athlete in both dressage and eventing, a rare achievement for any equestrian. She finished in 12th with a score of 66.260%.
<h2 dir="ltr">Building Toward the Finals</h2>
The Bouckaert CCI4*-S result opens the conversation around whether Laine Ashker and Lovedance will travel to the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final - no small consideration for a ten-year-old still finding its feet at four-star level. With the Dressage Final having been on their calendar last year, the more intriguing question may be whether Laine could become the first rider to compete at both US Equestrian Open Finals in the same season.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-pamukcu-kenny-darnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/797de4a4-a9fd-4ef8-8f83-7253791613fc.png?width=4048&amp;height=577" alt="Us Open Blog Inserts"></a>

Laine Ashker and Zeppelin winning the Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival in May 2025.

Laine Ashker Becomes the US Equestrian Open’s First Dual-Discipline Athlete

<h2 dir="ltr">Eventing: Pamukcu and HSH Connor Win at Bouckaert as the Series Leaderboard Tightens</h2>
Next Qualifier: Carolina International | Countdown: 1 Week
Bouckaert has always been a course that is tight on time. Of 270 cross country starters in the event's history, just 1% have ever beaten the clock and this weekend was no exception. The fastest time of the day belonged to&nbsp;Tamie Smith and Ferrie&rsquo;s Cello, who still added 14.8 time penalties. No one even got close. Although, this may have been partly by design for some combinations - an early-season run to build fitness, test strength, or a steady step on the road to Kentucky.
<h3 dir="ltr">Caroline Pamukcu &amp; HSH Connor</h3>
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor took the win of the first 2026 eventing qualifier. Fourth after dressage on 29.8, third after show jumping, and then incrementally faster cross country than the combinations ahead of them. It was a win built on accumulation rather than any single defining moment.
It was HSH Connor's ninth consecutive show jumping clear, a run that stretches back to 2023 without a pole down. It was also their first win at the four-star level together and Pamukcu's eighth CCI4*-S career win, across five different horses.&nbsp;
Pamukcu also finished 4th with HSH Double Sixteen and 6th with King&rsquo;s Especiale, moving her onto 80 points and into a tie with Lucienne Bellissimo who led the Series over the winter break.
<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e5e51b2e-03a5-44a3-819a-0bba7cfa767c.png?width=1240&amp;height=714" alt="Vld71 Current Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Eventing "></a>
<h3 dir="ltr">Boyd Martin &amp; Commando 3&nbsp;</h3>
Boyd Martin and Commando 3 led after dressage on 26.4 and held that position through show jumping, only slipping to second when cross-country time penalties proved costlier than Pamukcu&rsquo;s. It is still a strong result&nbsp; and the start of a season that will likely see them on the road to the World Championships in Aachen. Martin also placed fifth with Cooley Nutcracker and seventh with Fetiche Des Rouges which puts Boyd second in the Series standing.
<h3 dir="ltr">Buck Davidson &amp; Cooley Candyman&nbsp;</h3>
Third place went to Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman. Their 30.5 dressage score was their standout moment of the weekend, scoring a full three marks better than their 6RA of 33.5. Of Cooley Candyman&rsquo;s 14 top-level starts (CCI4* and CCI5*), this ranks as his joint second-best test. That dressage performance is what kept them in contention on a weekend when the jumping phases offered very little room to gain ground.
Carolina International is only a week away. With over 25 entries, increased Series points are on offer and Bellissimo, Pamukcu and Martin are all in the field. The gap at the top is now zero and it&rsquo;s very unlikely to stay that way.
&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/eventing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/254e09dd-d92e-4194-986b-baf0dbd8460b.png?width=1080&amp;height=158" alt="Read More Eventing"></a>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Jumping: The Final Five-Star Before the Final</h2>
The US Equestrian Open Final: Wellington, Week 12 | Countdown: 2 Weeks
Three CSI5* Grand Prix have now been contested at Wellington this season. Three different winners from three different nations. Germany's Richard Vogel and Gangster Montdesir opened with a win in Week 5. McLain Ward and High Star Hero won for the US in Week 7. And on Saturday night, Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue claimed Week 9 for Ireland - the last five-star of the WEF season before the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix in Week 12.
<h3 dir="ltr">Darragh Kenny &amp; Eddy Blue</h3>
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/33facec0-5c75-4203-945b-6c5d4d5f44c2.jpg?width=3837&amp;height=2558" alt="Darragh Kenny (alamy)">
Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue had been placed at this venue before but Saturday night was their first outright Wellington Grand Prix win together. It was also their second CSI5* Grand Prix victory as a partnership, having won the World Cup of London in 2024.
The jump-off margin was fine: 41.77 seconds against a target of 41.92. Kenny left a stride out in the first line, a calculated risk with a horse he trusts implicitly.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7b945753-f368-4ff7-972a-61cc0a04c2a1.png?width=1080&amp;height=1106" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (1)">
<h3 dir="ltr">A Rare Tie for Second&nbsp;</h3>
The jump-off produced something that almost never happens at this level. Marilyn Little and La Contessa set the target at 41.92 seconds as the pathfinder. Six rounds later, Thaisa Erwin and Hialita B crossed the line in an identical time. A dead heat for second place. It is the first time in nearly four years that a CSI5* Grand Prix produced a tie for second place. The last occasion was Hamburg 2022, where Andr&eacute; Thieme and Michael Pender matched each other in second.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7e4f957d-ea55-4942-83db-776fa4243f8a.jpeg?width=1280&amp;height=902" alt="Iw Wellington Nations Cup 334">
For Marilyn Little and La Contessa, it was a first CSI5* podium together, though the underlying form has been building. This pair have jumped clear in each of their last five five-star Grands Prix.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/c2b289e8-b4df-4c02-a925-15825588fc46.png?width=1080&amp;height=1196" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (5)">
For Thaisa Erwin, it was a landmark on two counts. Not only a first five-star podium with&nbsp;Hialita B, but the first time since 2010 that an Australian rider has stood on a WEF five-star Grand Prix podium.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/468a2f18-6c97-45b8-b501-4efce7a80d33.png?width=1080&amp;height=1294" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (6)">
All three competitors who finished on the podium confirmed they are aiming for the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix in Week 12. The form lines are close. The final is just two and a half weeks away.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/20ed7f72-bc2a-44d1-992d-685d98f89829.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (2)">
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/jumping" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/eeee484b-ef16-4e10-9de3-6d72b0a7f0c7.png?width=1080&amp;height=161" alt="Read More Jumping"></a>
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">Dressage: Darnell and Harrold S Find Their Form at WEC</h2>
Next Qualifier: Wellington AGDF 10 - CDI-W | The Final: Desert Dressage, Thermal CA (November)
Claire Darnell and Harrold S won Saturday's freestyle at WEC in Ocala with a strong showing. Darnell posted 74.315%, topping four of five judges and sitting second only from the judge at B. It's her best result of the season, and the closest she's looked to the 77% version of herself we've been waiting to see this season. The class finished with three combinations after withdrawals in both the Grand Prix and the freestyle, but that doesn't diminish what Darnell and Harrold S put on the board.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/d521ae2f-c76b-418c-b329-4e296336d150.png?width=909&amp;height=1102" alt="Screenshot 2026 03 10 120205">
The fight for second and third came down to five hundredths of a point. Leonardo Antonio Godoy and Marques Do Lis took second at 70.390%, with Charlotte Osborne and Fruhlingszauber at 70.340% in third. Osborne's only judge win came at B, where she edged out the rest of the field with a 70.975%. On the leaderboard, Godoy moves to fifth with 33 points, a significant jump for a partnership that now has three of four counting starts. Osborne climbs to a tied eighth on 29 points.
<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/0c7d2dc9-3c7c-4fd8-ad69-30ae5af6ce48.png?width=1240&amp;height=714" alt="Dnod U Current Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage "></a>
For Darnell, the win moves her to 35 points on the season, drawing level with Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu for third overall. The Series heads to Wellington next week for the final CDI-W qualifier, where names like Ben Ebeling and Kevin Kohmann are expected on the entry list.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/dressage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/df3afaab-1f25-4fab-a1dc-c46c608169fb.png?width=1080&amp;height=171" alt="Read More Dressage"></a>
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<h2 data-path-to-node="4">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 data-path-to-node="4">Stay in the Loop with The Open Weekly</h2>
Thanks for joining us for this week's edition! Don't forget: a fresh update of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/the-open-weekly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Open Weekly</a>&nbsp;drops on the site&nbsp;every Tuesday.
<h3 data-path-to-node="9">Join the Conversation</h3>
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<h3 data-path-to-node="6">Go Beyond the Article</h3>
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Open Weekly Graphic with Caroline Pamukcu

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