With 105 points, Anna Marek became the first rider in US Equestrian Open of Dressage history to cross the 100-point mark, sealing her place as the inaugural Series champion.
<h2 dir="ltr">The Art of Almost Winning</h2>
When the season opened in January, Marek sat mid-pack while European riders like Felicitas Hendricks and Evelyn Eger traded early wins. But by Week 10, after a string of podiums in Wellington and Ocala, she overtook the leaderboard. From that point on, no one caught her.
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-itjY6" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="The Points Race: Anna Marek, Ben Ebeling, Felicitas Hendricks" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/itjY6/2/" height="653" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Line chart" data-external="1"></iframe>
Across her six qualifying runs, Marek never finished lower than third and averaged over 75% in every freestyle. She also logged four second-place finishes, more than any other rider in the Series. It&rsquo;s the kind of stat that cuts both ways: a testament to her reliability, but also a question mark heading into the Final.
Can the sport&rsquo;s most consistent contender finally trade silver for gold when it matters most?
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-MMizW" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Anna Marek's Series Points" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MMizW/1/" height="438" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Power of Two</h2>
Most riders only managed one horse through the Series. Marek managed two.
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-cOxSA" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Anna Marek's Grand Prix Stable: Fire Fly vs. Fayvel" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cOxSA/2/" height="414" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe>
Fire Fly, the high-voltage Pan Am Games medalist, brings flair with an all-time best of 78.750%. But he&rsquo;s a sensitive horse. Electric, but unpredictable under pressure.
Fayvel, by contrast, is the dependable one. A 15-year-old KWPN gelding by Zizi Top, he&rsquo;s an accurate horse, rarely dropping below 75%. Marek herself calls him &ldquo;bold but honest,&rdquo; a horse who gives her confidence to take risks.
When she needed reliability, Fayvel delivered. When she needed brilliance, Fire Fly did. That dual approach kept her ahead of riders just fielding one mount.
<h2 dir="ltr">What the Numbers Say</h2>
Heading into the Final, Marek is the only rider in the field with two proven Grand Prix Freestyle horses, both capable of scoring in the high 70s. She&rsquo;s logged seven top-four finishes this season, more than any other competitor, and her 105 points make her the most consistently high-scoring American across the year.
On paper, that consistency makes her a statistical favorite for another podium&hellip; but not necessarily for the win. Four second-place finishes have shown she&rsquo;s reliably in the mix, but rarely untouchable.
The question now is whether she can ride for first in the palm-lined arenas of Thermal, California.

Anna Marek smiles while riding during a US Equestrian Open Dressage competition, wearing a navy coat with the U.S. team badge and helmet, set against a blurred green background with the event logo in the corner.

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The 2026 US Equestrian Open Eventing Series launched with a statement of intent from Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri, who claimed their fifth consecutive international victory at Bouckaert in Fairburn, Georgia.
With this victory, the British rider has now accumulated eight international wins this season, making her the GB rider with the most international wins in 2025- ahead of Ros Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen, and the rest of Britain's elite. Her mount Dyri has also claimed the title of winningest British horse this season with five victories.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/2fc0c36e-826e-4919-a913-4bc376b743a2.png?width=528&amp;height=706" alt="Screenshot 2025 10 29 162218"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/dcc23cc9-8896-4046-afa5-996728c4c170.png?width=525&amp;height=649" alt="Screenshot 2025 10 29 162233">
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>The Winning Formula</h2>
Lucienne and&nbsp;Dyri opened with a dressage score of 33.0, to put them in the lead after the first phase, with Hot Bobo snapping at their heels on just 33.5. They jumped a clear round showjumping, before securing the win with a clear cross-country round. Adding 8.0 time penalties, Dyri was the fastest horse on course. High time penalties across the field was&nbsp; no surprise given the venues cross-country history over the last number of years.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/3d00d1a2-fe2e-43ce-b763-5ed948c02d9c.png?width=1083&amp;height=732" alt="Screenshot 2025 10 29 162546">
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>The Streak Continues</h2>
This wasn't just another win - it was the culmination of a carefully strategized comeback. After two difficult runs at the start of 2025, Lucienne made the tactical decision to step Dyri back down to lower levels. The move paid dividends: four consecutive wins at 2* and 3*.
<ul>
<li>Bouckaert CCI2*-S (Aug): 1st, 29.4</li>
<li>Tryon CCI2*-S (Sept): 1st, 27.7</li>
<li>Stable View CCI3*-S (Sept): 1st, 27.2</li>
<li>Morven Park CCI3*-S (Oct): 1st, 29.2</li>
</ul>
This also marks Lucienne and Dyri's fifth CCI4* podium together.&nbsp;<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/f0494ff5-4d65-4451-88a3-6b51408c1c35.png?width=1116&amp;height=716" alt="V8o0 L Lucienne Dyri S Four Star Podiums">
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>Bouckaert Breakthrough</h2>
Kate Sand and Top Shelf delivered a breakthrough performance to finish second with a double clear. This was only Top Shelf's second podium finish, having placed second at his first-ever international, a CCI1* at Bouckaert in 2021. 18.4 time penalties on cross-country kept them from challenging for the win, but this is a young horse (10YO) still finding his feet at this level. As the partnership strengthens and Top Shelf improves, those time penalties should naturally decrease.
Bruce Davidson Jr. and Cerafino D took third place on 62.7. Olivia Miller and Cooley Starstruck finished fourth on 80.9, while Emily Mastervich and Rio de Janeiro rounded out the top five with 81.4.
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<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>Points on the Board</h2>
With this opening qualifier complete, Bellissimo now sits atop the series leaderboard with 40 points.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/74654cce-df5d-4637-9bb6-57f2b9497d9e.png?width=1240&amp;height=860" alt="R Se76 Leaderboard After Qualifier 1">
<h2>Looking Ahead</h2>
The race to Morven Park 2026 has begun, and Bellissimo has made a mark. But with TerraNova still to come before the winter break, this story is far from over.
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Listen to the Bouckaert Preview Podcast now on the US Equestrian Open Podcast - available on all podcast platforms.
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">Follow the US Equestrian Open of Eventing</h2>
Check out the full Series calendar below and stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;Facebook</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;Instagram.&nbsp;</a>Use #USEqOpen to join the conversation.
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For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:cweilminster@usef.org">cweilminster@usef.org</a>.&nbsp;
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Bellissimo and Dyri Make it Five in a Row at Bouckaert

In a final qualifier class of just three, Tryon proved that a small field can still have Series-altering impact. Both Julio Mendoza Loor and Laine Ashker entered the weekend outside the qualification cutoff&mdash;and both left with invitations to the Final.
Mendoza Loor and his Paris mount, Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike, claimed victory on a 76.190%, while Ashker and Zeppelin followed with 72.955%. Their one-two finish vaulted both riders up the leaderboard: Mendoza Loor now sits in 18th, the last automatic qualifying position, and Ashker moves to 20th but has already received and accepted her invitation to the Final.
Entries for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage Final will be confirmed later this week, but several riders inside the top 18&mdash;Eline Eckroth, Evelyn Eger, and Kevin Kohmann&mdash;have already declined their spots, which created an opening for Ashker. Eckroth plans to stay in Florida to prepare for the winter circuit, while Eger and Kohmann are entered in the $350,000 World Cup event in Mexico the week before the Final. As for Mendoza Loor, we&rsquo;ll have to wait and see whether he joins the field in Thermal when entries are confirmed.&nbsp;
With the standings now set, Anna Marek officially tops the season leaderboard on 105 points, closing out the inaugural season with a $12,500 payout. Later this week, we&rsquo;ll take a closer look at her journey and how she got here. In the meantime, as we wait with bated breath for official entry announcements, one question lingers: <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/reliability-or-flash-which-will-marek-choose" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which horse will she bring to the Final</a>? With Kohmann out of the picture and Ebeling on an upward trajectory, it&rsquo;s a decision that promises to be anything but simple.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/ec351ddc-39ae-4bbb-8c20-23407423ff89.png?width=497&amp;height=684" alt="Screenshot of the final US Equestrian Open of Dressage leaderboard showing Anna Marek in first with 105 points, followed by Benjamin Ebeling with 94, and Kristina Harrison-Antell, Eline Eckroth, and Kevin Kohmann tied at 86. The top 20 riders are listed through Laine Ashker in 20th with 52 points.">

A dressage rider in formal competition attire raises his fist in celebration while riding a chestnut horse adorned with a ribboned bridle and the Ecuadorian flag on its saddle pad. The US Equestrian Open Dressage logo appears in the top right corner

Tryon Delivers the Final Twist in the US Equestrian Open Qualifiers

The 2026 US Equestrian Open Eventing Series launches Friday at Bouckaert in Fairburn, Georgia. And if last year taught us anything, it's that early points matter - just ask Phillip Dutton.
Remember Bouckaert 2024? Phillip Dutton and Jewlent missed a fence here, and by season's end those lost points loomed large in the final standings. The lesson: you can't take early qualifiers for granted.&nbsp;This weekend's field of nine means 40 points will go to the winner.&nbsp;
<h2>Hot Bobo Returns</h2>
Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo enter as favorites with a 36% win chance on the <a href="https://prediction-centre.equiratings.com/competitions/bouckaert_4s_oct2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EquiRatings Prediction Centre.</a>
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/96d40c24-411e-4810-8d4a-03d7f3952619.png?width=673&amp;height=463" alt="Screenshot 2025 10 23 130011">&nbsp; But more importantly, we finally get to see Hot Bobo back at the four-star level.&nbsp;The mare won at Defender Kentucky in 2023 by finishing on her dressage score - rare at a venue and competition of that caliber. She backed it up with win a Bromont's CCI4*-S before heading overseas to the Paris Olympics.
Then came a 15-month absence after Paris. Hot Bobo returned just two weeks ago at Morven Park's CCI3*-S, finishing fourth on a 35.7 with one rail. Now comes the real test: can she return to her 2023/2024 form in time to make her a potential Aachen team horse for Canada in 2026?
Don't expect Slezak to push all the buttons and win this weekend. With only four horses ever making time at Bouckaert in 13 years, and Hot Bobo returning after a long break, this is going to be about getting a solid four-star run under their belt.&nbsp;
<h2>Dyri's Calculated Return</h2>
Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri sit at 29% to win with something nobody else has: recent venue success.
After two unlucky runs at the beginning of the 2025 season, Bellissimo stepped Dyri back down to the lower levels. The strategy worked: four consecutive wins at 2* and 3* shorts with mid-20s dressage, 3 inside-the-time runs, and zero rails. Now comes the step back up at a venue where Dyri has good form having finished second place here in March 2025&nbsp;
<h2>Ones to Watch</h2>
Don't overlook Buck Davidson and Cerafino D. The prediction center gives them just a 6% chance at top three, but Davidson has won here at Bouckaert before. In fact, he has produced the second-best finishing score in the venue's history. In a small field where experience matters, those credentials carry weight.&nbsp;
Waylon Roberts and Fernhill Salt Lake bring something this field needs: pace. Roberts doesn't hang about on cross-country, entering with a 95 Top Speed Percentage (TSP) - the highest in the field. With a 6RA of 33.1 they should be right in the mix and ready to capitalize on their speed.&nbsp;
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Emily Mastervich and Rio de Janeiro are another combination worth watching. They won the very first qualifier of the first series - will they do it again? After a five-month break (a pattern seen in recent seasons so it is likely planned) and a retirement at Plantation, Mastervich will be looking to put that run behind her.
<h2>What to Expect</h2>
Bouckaert's statistic show how demanding the venue is. The cross-country clear rate is a respectable 68% but only 4 riders (2% of previous starters) have managed to go inside the time. &nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/552b1963-5ea0-4a7f-b3fc-fa1abde1c992.png?width=742&amp;height=502" alt="Screenshot 2025 10 23 142218"> Only one combination in 270 starters has finished on their dressage score: Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino in 2018 when they took the win.&nbsp;
<h2>The Bigger Picture</h2>
This is the first of just two qualifiers before the series takes a winter break and it starts again in 2026. With riders engaging more and more with the series format, expect more strategic approaches to the points race.&nbsp;
The US Equestrian Open format counts your best six results, which means missing one qualifier doesn't end your season. But nail this opener and you've got points banked before the 2026 battle begins.&nbsp;
The race to Morven Park 2026 starts now. 
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Listen to the Bouckaert Preview Podcast now on the US Equestrian Open Podcast - available on all podcast platforms.
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">Follow the US Equestrian Open of Eventing</h2>
Check out the full Series calendar below and stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;Facebook</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;Instagram.&nbsp;</a>Use #USEqOpen to join the conversation.
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For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:USEquestrianOpen@usef.org">USEquestrianOpen@usef.org</a>.
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For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lgriffin@usef.org">lgriffin@usef.org</a>.

First Points on the Board: Bouckaert Begins

Taking place at Tryon International Equestrian Center, this week&rsquo;s qualifier may feature a small class, but it&rsquo;s far from insignificant.
Two familiar faces headline the final qualifier: Julio Mendoza Loor and Laine Ashker. Both sit just outside the top 18, and both could qualify for the Final by Saturday night if conditions align.
<h2 dir="ltr">Mendoza Loor&rsquo;s Mission</h2>
Mendoza Loor enters Tryon in 25th place on 37 points. Despite contesting only two qualifiers, he finished first and second in those starts. With his 14-year-old partner Jewel&rsquo;s Goldstrike, the Paris Olympian boasts a strong Grand Prix Freestyle average of 77.549%, one of the highest in the Series, and a personal best of 84.230% making him the clear favorite in Tryon.
If he wins (and it&rsquo;s hard to see him not doing so), he&rsquo;ll finish the season on 57 points, tying with Adrienne Lyle for 18th place, the final qualifying position for the Thermal Final. Even if he skips the trip west, that 18th-place finish still nets him $500, which isn&rsquo;t much, but it&rsquo;ll pay for his next FEI entry fee.
<h2 dir="ltr">Ashker&rsquo;s Chance</h2>
Ashker&rsquo;s path is a little different. A second-place finish would add 17 points to her current 35-point total, bringing her to 52 points and 19th&nbsp; overall&mdash;just outside the automatic qualifying cutoff. But there&rsquo;s still hope. When riders inside the top 18 decline their invitations, the next in line receive the call-up. With Kevin Kohmann and Eline Eckroth already confirmed as non-participants, at least two Final spots should open, likely including one for Ashker.
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-OIbVf" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Grand Prix Freestyle Stats: Tryon Fall Dressage III" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OIbVf/1/" height="470" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Leaderboard at a Glance</h2>
With Kevin Kohmann, Eline Eckroth, Benjamin Ebeling, and Kristina Kristina Harrison-Antell all sitting out this weekend, Anna Marek&rsquo;s hold on the top spot is secure. Once the dust settles in Tryon, she will officially be crowned the Series leaderboard champion, earning $12,500 for her season-long effort. The bigger check, of course, awaits in Thermal.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/f4b16253-141a-41e1-8da6-537304def5ae.png?width=1080&amp;height=1080" alt="Infographic titled &ldquo;The Series Standings Are Finalized After the Qualifiers.&rdquo; It explains how $50,000 in prize money for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage is distributed based on season-end standings. The Series winner earns $12,500; payouts continue through 18th place, which receives $500. The graphic includes icons of first-, second-, and third-place trophies and notes that riders can also qualify for the Final event.">
<h2 dir="ltr">Stay Connected</h2>
For the <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/dressage-us-equestrian-open-quick-guide">most up-to-date series calendar</a> and <a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open">latest standings</a>, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/">usequestrianopen.org</a>.
Stay connected with the latest news and standings on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen"> Instagram</a>, and follow US Equestrian on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/USequestrian"> Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrian/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@usequestrian">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/usequestrian">X (Twitter)</a>. Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

A male dressage rider wearing a navy coat, white breeches, and a helmet rides a dark bay horse performing an extended trot. The US Equestrian Open of Dressage logo appears in the top left corner. Red, white, and blue stripes border the bottom edge

How Anna Marek Won the Series

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Bellissimo and Dyri Make it Five in a Row at Bouckaert

Tryon Delivers the Final Twist in the US Equestrian Open Qualifiers

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All Eyes on Tryon: The Last Dance Before the Desert

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