The Open Weekly: World Cup glory for Farrington and a historic podium for Simonson
A weekly update across eventing, jumping, and dressage covering results, early leaderboard shifts, and the next Open qualifiers.
Jumping: The Open Champion becomes the World Cup Champion
The Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix was just two weeks ago. Kent Farrington has since added the a title that had eluded him until this point in his career at the very top of the sport.
Kent Farrington and Greya won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Fort Worth. He is the first US World Cup champion since Beezie Madden in Paris in 2018. He led from day one, sharing the workload between Toulayna and Greya across the three days before closing out Sunday's double round to seal it.
Katie Dinan and Out of the Blue SCF climbed to third when Steve Guerdat picked up rails on the final day, giving the US two of the top three places on the podium.
For the full breakdown, day by day, number by number, the complete article is live now ⇨ https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-champion-becomes-the-world-cup-champion
Eventing: O'Neal and Clooney 14 end Alliston's Twin Rivers reign
Next Qualifiers: Ocala, Florida (16 April) & Fair Hill, Maryland (17 April) | The Final: Morven Park 4*-L, October 8th
For three years, Twin Rivers belonged to James Alliston. Back-to-back wins at the California venue had made him the name synonymous with this 4* class. Without an entry in the four-star short this weekend, someone new was always going to write their name into its history and it was Karen O'Neal and Clooney 14 who did it.
O'Neal led from start to finish. A dressage score of 29.2 — the pair's second-best test at the four-star level, behind only their 28.0 at Aspen Farms last year — put them ahead and a clear show jumping and cross-country round kept them there. It was Clooney 14's third CCI4* win, following victories of Aspen Farms 4*S and Galway Downs 4*L and a timely one for the Washington-based pair. Next up for the combination is a CCI5* debut at Kentucky.
The Series Picture
Karen O'Neal enters the leaderboard in joint 12th on 40 points and Audrey Sanborn who finished second joins her in 15th on 35. At the top, Caroline Pamukcu leads on 145, Lucienne Bellissimo sits second on 140, and Waylon Roberts is third on 110.
What's Next
This weekend brings an east coast double-header with Ocala and Fair Hill running simultaneously. Fair Hill sports big names such as Caroline Pamucku, Boyd Martin, and Sharon White, while Ocala's four-star short field is the largest the event has ever seen, with 23 starters expected to line up if all entries go to post, surpassing the previous high of 21 in 2024.
Full previews, form guides, and predictions are on the way, with both qualifiers also covered on the US Equestrian Open podcast which is out every Wednesday. Don't miss it.
Dressage: Simonson and Indian Rock put America back on the World Cup podium
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock finished second at the FEI World Cup Finals in Fort Worth with 83.810% - a personal best for the combination, a record for the horse, and the first time an American has stood on a World Cup podium since 2019.
The previous best score the pair had posted together was 81.445% at Wellington earlier this season. Indian Rock's all-time record — set at 's-Hertogenbosch in 2024 with Emmelie Scholtens — was 82.095%. He was the youngest rider in the field and still qualifies for Under 25. This was also his first senior championship. If he and Indian Rock show up at the November Final for their second attempt at a big title, good luck beating them.
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb won the class with an astounding 88.330%, one of the highest freestyle scores posted on American soil in recent years. Scores at that level show up in Olympic medal rounds. Moody is not an Open Series rider, but she is one to watch as she builds toward Los Angeles 2028.
Three other Open Series riders made the trip to Fort Worth. Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel’s Goldstrike finished sixth at 78.645%. He sits 27th on the Open leaderboard, but that placing is a function of having competed in only one qualifier this season, not of what he's capable of producing. Kevin Kohmann, currently 16th in the Series, finished ninth at 76.730%. Benjamin Ebeling, the reigning US Equestrian Open Champion, finished tenth at 74.965%.
The US Equestrian Open resumes next week in Del Mar, where Geñay Vaughn could retake the lead with a fourth qualifier run.
The fantasy cards are released
The US Equestrian Open Fantasy Card Collection celebrates the winning partnerships of the first-ever US Equestrian Open. Inspired by classic sports trading cards, each set profiles Open Champions from eventing, dressage, and jumping. Explore the collection and discover the stories behind the sport’s top competitors. You can find out more here.
The first packs were released at Wellington and can next be found in Fort Worth at the FEI World Cup Finals (at the US Equestrian booth). A special pack will also be placed inside every US Open merchandise sale via Shop USEF.
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The Mission of the Open
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.
The US Equestrian Open spans the three Olympic disciplines—Jumping, Eventing, and Dressage—with USEF contributing $200,000 in prize money to each final to ensure high-stakes competitive integrity. The Jumping Final took place at Wellington International from March 24–29, 2026. Next stop will be the Eventing Final at Morven Park from October 8–11, 2026. The season concludes with the Dressage Final at the Desert International Horse Park from November 11–15, 2026. You can follow along with the qualifiers, the unfolding stories and sport updates at www.
