Tamie's on top and has a West Coast advantage

Eleven qualifiers in. Two wins in a row. A leaderboard lead of 205 points over Caroline Pamukcu on 185. If there was any doubt about who the 2026 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series favorite is, Tamie Smith has spent the last two weekends removing it.

Three weeks ago, we called it (read the full article here). Six horses across two back-to-back qualifiers, open scoring slots, and a West Coast calendar that was always going to favor her. The prediction was Tamie Smith wins the 2026 Series. She went to Florida and Kentucky and made believers of anyone who wasn't already.

How the wins arrived

At Ocala, Smith steered Jump To Day D to victory in just his second CCI4* appearance, finishing on his dressage score of 31.5 - a feat only three combinations had managed in the event's entire history, all at a previous venue. She also placed fifth with Spiro P on his CCI4* debut. Two horses, two results, 60 points banked.

Then came Kentucky, where Smith & Lillet 3 won the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S with a score of 31.3 - a performance built on precision across all three phases. After dressage, Tamie sat third on 29.7. It was on cross-country day that the race changed. Lillet 3 added just 1.6 time penalties around the course (the fastest round of the day) to move from third into the lead heading into the showjumping. From there, she held it. Of 31 pairs to jump Guilherme Jorge's course, Tamie and Lillet 3 were the only combination to go clear within the time.

Why the big wins matter most

In a series where the points scale is tiered by field size, winning big is not just better, it's structurally different. A win in a field of more than 25 starters pays 50 points. Win a smaller qualifier and you're getting 40. The ten-point gap compounds across a season.

Look at how Boyd Martin built his winning 260-point campaign in 2025. His platform was the large-field qualifiers: a win and multiple top-four finishes in fields of 25-plus. He didn't even need two outright wins in those events to get there. Tamie already has two - Kentucky and Carolina, both with Lillet 3. That is a stronger foundation than Boyd had at the same stage.

Tryon International Three Day Event

But the opportunity for big points isn't finished yet either. In two weeks, Tryon will field a 25+ field and Tamie will compete with Ferrie's Cello and Spiro P.  She arrives with two more shots at a maximum score before the season tips into the West Coast stretch.

The West Coast factor

Here is where Tamie's campaign takes on a different shape to anyone trying to chase her.

The second half of the season, the calendar tilts west. Rebecca Farm (July 18), Twin Rivers (September 17), and Woodside (October 2) are all West Coast events. Historically, they draw smaller fields. That is not a weakness, it is an opportunity.

Smaller fields mean wins are more attainable. Tamie's current 20-point scores (earned in tough, competitive fields) become very replaceable with 40 point wins on home turf. 

The Call

Nine qualifiers to go. 205-points. A string of seven horses. Two 50-point wins already banked. Tamie Smith is on course to win the 2026 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series.

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The US Equestrian Open was born from a strategic Board of Directors decision in 2023 to build a permanent legacy for US Equestrian sport. Its mission is to grow and foster a deeper connection to equestrianism by delivering a premier, unified championship series in the Olympic disciplines. With top-level competition, storytelling, and a dynamic, entertaining experience, the vision is to transform disparate events into a cohesive, narrative-driven season. The series is anchored by core values which include fan-first accessibility, competitive integrity, storytelling, and a dynamic entertaining experience onsite .