Ben and Bellena Save Their Best for Last

On a night defined by personal bests, it was Benjamin Ebeling and Bellena who delivered the most meaningful one. Their final freestyle of the season scored 79.930%, a career high and more than enough to win the US Equestrian Open of Dressage Final. After building their entire Grand Prix career together within the Series, the pair capped their year with a test that had the crowd clapping along and judges reaching for 9s.

They weren’t the only ones who saved their best for last. Three other riders posted personal bests in Saturday night’s freestyle, and ten of the twelve riders in the field outscored their season averages.

Bellena’s Best Yet

From their freestyle debut in April to their crowning ride in November, Ebeling and Bellena have looked more confident with every outing. In just six months, they started their showing career together, came second in the Series, won three of their five qualifiers, broke their personal best four times in a row, and now, have won the inaugural Final. 

Riding to a girl-power soundtrack of “Maneater,” “Femininomenon,” and “Perfect,” they closed their test with a soaring extended trot and a seamless halt, drawing cheers from the crowd and topping the field by more than a point. Two judges scored the ride above 80%, and Ebeling was the only rider to receive that distinction.

His final score—79.930%—was nearly two points above his previous best. He earned 8s across the board for harmony, 8s and 9s for choreography, and an average degree of difficulty of 9.0. It marked the fourth personal best in a row for the pair, whose trajectory has been steep and steady: from 76.190% in July, to 76.615%, then 77.655%, 78.055%, and now this.

On a night full of strong rides, Bellena was the belle of the ball.

“This Series has opened the sport to people who can appreciate horse dancing,” Ebeling said afterward. “I mean, who doesn’t like that?”

He also gave full credit to Bellena, a 15-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Ann Romney.

“She means everything to me. Every time I’ve asked her to come into the clutch, she’s always come through for me. She’s a special mare.”

Margin of Greatness

Germany’s Felicitas Hendricks and Drombusch OLD finished second with a 78.260% in a technically ambitious freestyle that earned the highest degree of difficulty of the night (9.3). She also received a 9.0 for her final halt and scored consistently high for music and choreography. Hendricks, already a two-time U25 European Champion, is a world champion in the making. At just 25, she’s already holding her own against senior riders despite still being young enough for the junior division.

“The test felt incredible,” she said. “My horse gave it his all."

"He was on fire in the best way possible.”

Series champion Anna Marek returned to the arena with Fayvel. Their test was clean and assertive—though perhaps not as relaxed as their best outings—and included an extremely difficult line of one-tempi changes into twos, plus a final extension that closed the performance with strength. They finished third with their second-highest score of the season at 77.830%. 

Kristina Harrison-Antell and Finley delivered a brilliant 75.470%—their first new personal best since 2022, and fittingly, at the very same show. It lifted her into fourth in the final standings and served as a fitting high point for the longest-running partnership in the Series.

Laura DeCesari and Nadine Schwartsman also notched career bests. DeCesari, riding in her first CDI5*, earned a 70.304%, while Schwartsman opened the evening with a 70.775%—her first time breaking the 70% barrier in freestyle. Both finished inside the Series top ten.

The Final Page

Back in January, the US Equestrian Open was a budding series. We didn’t know the cast of characters, and the possibilities were endless. By Saturday night, we’d finished reading the last chapter.

We’ll be reliving the highlights for weeks to come. The 2026 season starts soon, and when it does, a new volume of the US Equestrian Open gets underway.