The Qualifier Queens: Devon Kane and Eline Eckroth Set the Series Record
Devon Kane and Eline Eckroth have each finished 11 of the 51 qualifiers in US Equestrian Open of Dressage history, more than any other rider, and both did it on one horse.
Here's a number to sit with: 11.
That's how many US Equestrian Open of Dressage qualifiers Devon Kane and Eline Eckroth have finished, and it's the most of any rider who has danced through a Series ring.
How rare is that? Quite rare, it turns out. The Series has run 51 qualifiers, and 85 riders have finished at least one. The typical rider finished just three. Eight legs gets you into the top 9%, a club of just eight riders. Eleven puts Kane and Eckroth in the top 2%, at three times the average, and on just one horse each.
Devon KaneLegs are finished Grand Prix Freestyles at Series qualifiers. Withdrawals, eliminations and the Final are not counted.
Homegrown
Four of the eight riders on that list never changed horses. Kane and Eckroth got to 11 that way with Vamos and Daphne respectively, and Kristina Harrison-Antell & Finley and Karen Lipp & Infinity each got to eight.
What's interesting is that none of those four horses has ever competed internationally with anyone else. Eckroth brought Daphne up from Prix St. Georges. Lipp started Infinity in the seven-year-old classes. Harrison-Antell has had Finley since he was three, which makes them one of the longest-running partnerships in the Series. Vamos made his international debut with Kane at Grand Prix in December 2023, and she's still the only rider on his FEI record.
The riders who show up the most in the Series are mostly riding horses they made.
Kohmann's String
Kevin Kohmann took the opposite route. His nine legs came on Dünensee, Famous and Sonata MF, and his three wins are the most of anyone in the top eight.
Add Kane's 11 and the Kohmann-Kane household has finished 20 legs. At least one of them has been in the ring at 17 of the 51 qualifiers, a third of everything the Series has ever run. They've both ridden at the same qualifier three times, most recently at Dressage at Devon in September, where Kohmann won on Sonata MF.
Jennifer Williams and Anna Marek also got to eight with just two horses each. Williams rode Joppe K and Babylon Berlin, and Marek rode Fayvel and Fire Fly.
Jorst's Road Trip
If the Series handed out a mileage award, Charlotte Jorst would win it. Her eight legs came at seven different venues. Zhaplin Langholt did most of the traveling, Niquel Cap joined the string in 2026, and GPF's S-Express picked up one leg along the way.
|
8 legs |
7 venues |
3 horses |
Kane's 2026
Kane rode five legs in 2025 and six in 2026. She's the only rider in the top eight who rode more qualifiers this year than last, and nobody in the Series finished more this season.
Her best rides came with it. In April she won at TerraNova on 75.465%, a personal best, her first international freestyle win and her first win at CDI3* level or higher. In October she went back to TerraNova and beat it, winning again on 75.505%.
Devon Kane & Vamos by Series Season
2025 season5 legs 0 wins 75.305% best score |
2026 season6 legs 2 wins 75.505% best score |
The entry list for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage Final is coming soon. When it lands, we'll dig into the field and what each rider brings to Thermal. Stay tuned.
Join the conversation
Highlights, behind-the-scenes content and live updates from the US Equestrian Open of Dressage.
The Mission of the Open
The mission of the US Equestrian Open is to grow and foster a deeper connection to equestrian sport by delivering a premier, unified championship series that engages a broader fanbase through top-level competition, storytelling, and a dynamic, entertaining experience.
