Kristina Harrison-Antell Clinches First Freestyle Victory in Del Mar

With just one California qualifier left on the calendar, Kristina Harrison-Antell and her longtime partner Finley seized their moment in Del Mar. The pair topped Sunday’s Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 72.180%, earning Harrison-Antell her first career win in a CDI Grand Prix Freestyle—and her first Big Tour win of any kind in three years, following a Grand Prix victory the day before.

She and the 15-year-old KWPN gelding have been together from the start. Harrison-Antell purchased Finley as a coming three-year-old and has developed him up the levels herself. For the California native, earning her first freestyle victory at a venue like Del Mar—one she competed at often in her junior years—was a full-circle moment.

With this result, Harrison-Antell moves into sixth place on the US Equestrian Open leaderboard with 69 points, likely securing a ticket to the Final in Thermal, California this November.

Leaderboard Implications Beyond the Win

The field in Del Mar was smaller than usual, but still yielded meaningful leaderboard movement. Nadine Schwartsman and Royal Flash R finished second with a personal best of 69.935%, a result that—while below the typical freestyle benchmark—adds valuable points to her season total. With consistent appearances across multiple qualifiers, Schwartsman is quietly building a strong case for a Finals berth.

Laura DeCesari and Rossi rounded out the podium in third with a score of 66.845%, just ahead of Günter Seidel and Equirelle. While Seidel’s freestyle didn’t land as hoped, a fourth-place finish in the small field added enough to push him into 15th on the leaderboard with 47 points. That keeps him within the current Finals cutoff, but his position remains vulnerable. A fifth-place or better result at Galway Downs in May would help secure his spot as the leaderboard tightens.

Meanwhile, Anna Buffini and Fiontini—favorites heading into the weekend—were eliminated during the Grand Prix and did not advance to the freestyle. Buffini later explained on Instagram that while she didn’t feel anything wrong in the moment, “after reviewing the video, it’s clear the judges made the right call.” The elimination likely ends her chances of climbing the leaderboard, especially as the remaining qualifiers begin to fan out across the country.

With 16 qualifiers down and just seven remaining, the leaderboard is tightening. The top names have begun to pull away, but the final slots for the $250,000 Final are still very much in play.

The Series Continues

The US Equestrian Open has its first break in qualifiers next week but returns with a dual-coast, double-header on May 1. West Coast riders like Seidel and Harrison-Antell will have a chance to reinforce their leaderboard standing in Temecula, California, at Pacific Coast Dressage, while East Coast contenders such as Karen Lipp, Anna Marek, and Denielle Gallagher head to TerraNova in Myakka City, Florida.