The Top Five Tests of the US Equestrian Open of Dressage (So Far)

The five highest-scoring tests of the US Equestrian Open of Dressage season all took place under the lights in Wellington, Florida, with top marks earned by Adrienne Lyle, Kevin Kohmann, Anna Marek and Julio Mendoza Loor. But with Mendoza Loor currently sitting 25th on the leaderboard and not yet qualified for the Final, this list focuses on the top-scoring American combinations we know are heading to Thermal. These freestyles showcased depth, difficulty, and the kind of creative ambition that has defined this year’s Series. If this is what spring looked like, what might we see in November?

1. Adrienne Lyle & Helix – 80.600%

Event: Adequan Global Dressage Festival 10
Degree of Difficulty Average: 9.26

Adrienne Lyle’s 80.600% at the only CDI5* on the US Equestrian Open calendar made history. It was the highest score of the season, her personal best with Helix, and the first time since 2021 that an American topped the podium at the AGDF 5*.

From the opening halt, the freestyle rode with ease and fluidity. Helix—a chestnut gelding by Apache—moved through the test with such grace that judge William Warren praised the effortlessness of their performance. High-difficulty transitions—like piaffe to extended trot and canter pirouette to extended canter—helped deliver an average difficulty mark of 9.26.

“It felt easy, which is exactly what I was hoping for,” Lyle said after the test. 

2. Adrienne Lyle & Helix – 80.325%

Event: Global Dressage Festival 5
Degree of Difficulty Average: 9.18

A month earlier, the same duo put the Series on notice with their first 80% of the season. Set to a nostalgic mix of Stand By Me, Sweet Child O’ Mine, and The Way You Move, the freestyle was polished, powerful, and technically demanding.

Their average difficulty score of 9.18 reflected that ambition, and one judge gave a rare perfect 10 for musical interpretation. Even more impressive? Coming off a January score of 77.280%, this three-point leap showed just how much potential is hovering just below the surface. 

3. Kevin Kohmann & Dünensee – 79.240%

Event: Palm Beach Dressage Derby
Degree of Difficulty Average: 9.2

With the final World Cup ticket on the line, Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee delivered a career-best freestyle when it mattered most. Riding to Kygo’s Stole the Show and Avicii’s Wake Me Up, Kohmann opened with canter pirouettes directly from the halt and dropped a piaffe pirouette into the walk tour. 

It was a freestyle that blended risk with rhythm, earning an 80% from the judge at B and an overall average difficulty of 9.2. Under the lights, it felt more like a quiet schooling session than a pressure ride. Dünensee looked relaxed, Kohmann composed. If they can stay above the cutoff line this fall, this pair will arrive in Thermal as both a crowd favorite and a serious threat. 

4. Anna Marek & Fayvel – 78.785%

Event: Global Dressage Festival 5
Degree of Difficulty Average: 9.56

With an average difficulty score of 9.56, Anna Marek and Fayvel delivered one of the most ambitious freestyles of the year. It was bold, technical, and downright fun. 

Choreographed to BOOM by X Ambassadors and Coincidance by Handsome Driver, the test featured technical risks: a half-circle of two-tempis straight into ones, followed by pirouettes into extended trot. A small mistake in their final extension likely kept them just shy of the 80% mark.

“He’s so easy to ride,” Marek said after the test. “I have to ride the brake a little bit and say, ‘Not so much, buddy!’”

If Marek decides to bring Fayvel to Thermal, she may want to ease off that brake and let the gelding’s explosive power shine through. 

5. Anna Marek & Fire Fly – 77.755%

Event: Global Dressage Festival 3
Degree of Difficulty Average: 9.0

Rounding out the top five is a theatrical crowd favorite. This Stranger Things-themed freestyle turned heads early in the season, and earned Marek her first Series win. Fire Fly’s expressive gaits paired perfectly with a cinematic rendition of Running Up That Hill, and the routine scored as high as 80.075% from one judge.

“This is my favorite freestyle venue,” Marek said after the test. “You can feel the atmosphere, and the horses get excited in a really good way.”

The choreography walked the line between dramatic and disciplined, and for a horse that once struggled under pressure, this ride showed that Marek can now tap into his brilliance without the worry of him boiling over.

Looking Ahead

These five rides were early markers of what the US Equestrian Open of Dressage is capable of delivering: high-level execution, creative risk, and scores that push into the 80s. They set the standard for the kind of riding it will take to win in Thermal.

Next week, we shift the spotlight from freestyles to the athletes themselves. Who’s building the strongest case for the Series title? Who’s averaging the highest scoring rides? 

Spoiler alert: every rider on this list will be there.