Dressage: US Equestrian Open Quick Guide

The US Equestrian Open of Dressage is a season-long Series of Grand Prix Freestyle qualifiers, ending in the $200,000 CDI5* Final at Desert International Horse Park on November 13-14, 2026.

By USEF Media

January 1, 2025

Ben Ebeling & Bellena. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

The US Equestrian Open of Dressage is a season-long Series of Grand Prix Freestyle qualifiers across the United States, ending in a $200,000 CDI5* Final at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California.

Riders earn points in the Grand Prix Freestyle at each qualifier. The top 18 in the final standings are invited to the 2026 Final on November 13-14.

The Final

$200,000

Desert Dressage II CDI5*, Nov 13-14

Finalists

Top 18 in the Series standings

Series prize money

$50,000

Shared by the top 18

Counting scores

Best four results count

How the Series Works

Points come from the Grand Prix Freestyle at designated CDI3*, CDI4*, CDI5*, CDIO and World Cup qualifiers held in the US. The Series is open to all FEI athletes, US and foreign. Points depend on placing and on the number of starters in the class.

Series Points by Placing and Number of Starters
Placing	1-5 starters	6-10 starters	11-15 starters
1st	15	20	25
2nd	10	15	20
3rd	8	12	16
4th	6	9	12
5th	5	8	11
6th	Not possible	7	10
7th	Not possible	6	9
8th-15th	Not possible	5	8

Points from the Grand Prix Freestyle, by number of starters in the class.

Each rider's best four results count, and a rider needs at least two qualifier starts to be ranked. If riders are tied on points, the highest average Grand Prix Freestyle score takes the higher place.

Series Prize Money
Series place	Prize money
Series winner	$12,500
2nd	$7,500
3rd	$6,500
4th	$5,000
5th	$4,000
6th	$3,000
7th	$2,000
8th-15th	$1,000
16th-18th	$500

Reaching the Final

The Final is Desert Dressage II CDI5* at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, on November 13-14, 2026, with a minimum of $200,000 in prize money.

Step 1

Finish top 18

The top 18 in the season-end standings are invited. A tie at 18th is broken by average Grand Prix Freestyle score.

Step 2

Score 67% or more

The horse must have scored at least 67% in a Series Grand Prix Freestyle.

Each rider brings one horse. If a rider declines, the invitation passes to the next ranked rider. The Final opens with the Grand Prix, drawn in groups of five by Series ranking, and 60% is needed to go through to the Grand Prix Freestyle.

The 2026 Qualifiers

The 2026 season opened in December 2025 in Florida and California and ran through to TerraNova in October.

2026 Series Qualifiers
Date	Qualifier
2025
Dec 10	World Equestrian Center Ocala, FL
Dec 18	Desert Dressage III Thermal, CA
2026
Jan 7	Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wellington, FL
Jan 15	Gold Coast Opener West Palm Beach, FL
Jan 21	Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wellington, FL
Jan 28	World Equestrian Center Ocala, FL
Feb 4	Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wellington, FL
Feb 11	World Equestrian Center Ocala, FL
Feb 18	Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wellington, FL
Feb 25	Palm Beach Dressage Derby Wellington, FL
Feb 26	Del Mar Opener Del Mar, CA
Mar 5	World Equestrian Center Ocala, FL
Mar 10	Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wellington, FL
Mar 18	Adequan Global Dressage Festival Wellington, FL
Mar 19	Del Mar Dressage Affaire Del Mar, CA
Apr 2	TerraNova Myakka City, FL
Apr 16	Del Mar National Horse Show Del Mar, CA
Apr 22	World Equestrian Center Ocala, FL
Apr 30	TerraNova Myakka City, FL
May 14	Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival Lexington, VA
May 28	Ginny Rattner Memorial Sherwood, OR
Jun 11	HITS Hudson Valley Saugerties, NY
Sep 22	Dressage at Devon Devon, PA
Oct 15	TerraNova Myakka City, FL