On Saturday at Bouckaert, Laine Ashker and Lovedance finished 10th in the third qualifier of the 2026 US Equestrian Open Eventing Series. It was the combinations first completion at the top-level, having had previous strong results at the 3* level. With this completion, Laine Ashker is now the first rider to have competed in the US Equestrian Open competitions in both dressage and eventing. While Lovedance carries her eventing ambitions, Zeppelin, is her Grand Prix dressage partner.
Two horses. Two disciplines. One rider doing it all from a farm in Chesterfield, Virginia.
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<h2 dir="ltr">Born Into the Sport</h2>
Ashker's connection to horses is in her blood. Her mother Valerie competed at the preliminary eventing level until she was seven months pregnant, meaning Laine was practically riding and competing horses before she was born.&nbsp;
Val&rsquo;s influence ran through her daughter&rsquo;s entire career, and nowhere was it clearer than in her love of the off-the-track Thoroughbred. Of the four horses Laine has taken to five-star level, three were OTTBs.
As a teenager, Laine&rsquo;s family relocated from California to Virginia. A move made entirely to support her eventing career.&nbsp;
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<h2 dir="ltr">The Eventing Path</h2>
Laine made her international eventing debut at age 19 with Frodo Baggins, with whom she won a silver medal at the North American Young Rider Championships before later producing him up to the top level. Since then, she has ridden 16 horses in FEI eventing across more than 100 starts, including competing at the highest level of the sport (CCI5*) with four different horses.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/658b5281-1498-410d-b07b-ff95159c900b.jpeg?width=1192&amp;height=1600" alt="Mcnally2 079"> Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch at Kentucky CCI5* in 2010. Laine currently only rides Lovedance internationally. However, she often has another horse running alongside him at national level. Last year it was the five-year-old Supercilious.&nbsp;
Laine has produced Lovedance from his first CCI1* as a six-year-old all the way to a top-10 finish in the US Equestrian Open Qualifier at Bouckaert against some serious competition. Unsurprisingly, Lovedance has had some strong performances in the dressage phase, often scoring sub-30, including at Bouckaert this past weekend.
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Dressage Chapter</h2>
The dressage dimension of Laine's career came about in a very unique way. She posted a Craigslist ad offering riding lessons. A woman named Ann Wilson was the only person to respond. She owned an Andalusian who she wanted trained through the levels. That single reply started a chain of events that would lead Laine to earn her USDF Gold Medal, win Zeppelin&rsquo;s first CDI in May 2023, and eventually compete at Grand Prix on two horses.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/0e26b061-b7f6-4638-8eed-40a9bd73c5fb.jpg?width=null&amp;height=null" alt="Img L1998">Laine Ashker and Zeppelin at the US Equestrian Open Final of Dressage in November 2025.
In the US Equestrian Open dressage series, Laine Ashker and Zeppelin have built a compelling record across five starts, averaging 70.882% in the Freestyle. heir best performance in the series came at the Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival in May 2025, winning with 73.015%.
After competing in the US Equestrian Open of Dressage CDI5* final in the season, Laine became a 5* athlete in both dressage and eventing, a rare achievement for any equestrian athlete. She finished in 12th with a score of 66.260%.
<h2 dir="ltr">Building Toward the Finals</h2>
The Bouckaert CCI4*-S result opens the conversation around whether Laine Ashker and Lovedance will travel to the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final - no small consideration for a ten-year-old still finding its feet at four-star level. With the Dressage Final having been on their calendar last year, the more intriguing question may be whether Laine could become the first rider to compete at both US Equestrian Open Finals in the same season.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-pamukcu-kenny-darnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/797de4a4-a9fd-4ef8-8f83-7253791613fc.png?width=4048&amp;height=577" alt="Us Open Blog Inserts"></a>

Laine Ashker and Zeppelin winning the Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival in May 2025.

Laine Ashker Becomes the US Equestrian Open’s First Dual-Discipline Athlete

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Three of the four five-star 5* 160 Grand Prix weekends at the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival are done. Three different winners with three different stories; Richard Vogel &amp;&nbsp;Gangaster Montdesir Week 5, McLain Ward &amp; High Star Hero at Week 7, and now Darragh Kenny with Edddy Blue in Week 9. All of them pointed the same direction: March 28th for the&nbsp;$750,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix.
Saturday night's $500,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix produced nine clear rounds from 39 starters - a demanding night's work over Alan Wade's course. The Irishman, appointed as course designer for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, built a track that found plenty of answers. Nine horses gave the right ones.
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Winner: Darragh Kenny &amp; Eddy Blue</h2>
Darragh Kenny had been second and third at WEF before but never first... until Saturday night. The Irish Olympian and Eddy Blue, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Eldorado vd Zeshoek TN x Chacco-Blue) owned by Carol A. Sollak, went penultimate in the jump-off and stopped the clock at 41.77 seconds. It proved unbeatable, securing their second 5* 1.60m victory after their win in the&nbsp;London World Cup in 2024.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/ab521d94-e4dc-4265-9cb9-b1107d81f33d.png?width=1080&amp;height=1106" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (1)">
Kenny left a stride out in the first line and got away with it because of the carefulness of the horse underneath him. That combination of boldness and reliability is exactly what the Week 12 final will require. Kenny has his eyes on an Irish team spot at the FEI World Championships in Aachen in August but the road to Aachen runs through Wellington first.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/6c7f2960-bfa4-4302-ad1f-438efc4d5987.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (2)">
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Jump-Off: A Shared Podium and a Statement from the USA</h2>
The jump-off opened with Marilyn Little and La Contessa setting a target of 41.92 seconds as the pathfinder. It was La Contessa's fifth consecutive clear at the level but the pair's first ever 5* Grand Prix podium together. That is a meaningful form line heading into Week 12.
Six riders later, Australian Thaisa Erwin matched Little's time exactly aboard Hialita B to share second in a dead heat - the first five-star WEF podium for an Australian since 2010. Alongside Kenny, both Little and Erwin confirmed in the press conference that their next target will be the Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix.
Laura Kraut and Bisquetta were fourth, Jonathan McCrea fifth; both double-clear. Six of the world's top ten were in the field. The depth was real.
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The US Picture: Depth Is the Differentiator</h2>
Three five-star weekends in and the US case for keeping the Open title on home soil has been built less around one dominant combination and more around sheer depth.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/ward-wins-in-wellington-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McLain Ward won Week 7.</a> Lillie Keenan has won with two different horses this circuit.&nbsp;Marilyn Little is now on a serious clear streak at five-star 160 with&nbsp;La Contessa. Laura Kraut and Jonathan McCrea jumped double-clear on Saturday. And then there is Kent Farrington, world number two, who hasn't featured so much in the weekly results but whose name on&nbsp; the start list at Week 12 will reshape the field and predictions.
Farrington had four faults in Round 1 at Week 9 with Greya, finishing 11th. It changes nothing about what they are capable of in a jump-off. Their five-star 160 jump-off record remains extraordinary: nine wins and 11 podium finishes from 15 appearances. Greya's EquiRatings Elo is closing in on the all-time US record set by HH Azur. When they canter into the ring on March 28, they walk in with serious expectations
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The International Challenge Is Real</h2>
The international field is not making up the numbers. Kenny's win on Saturday was the second 5* Grand Prix at WEF won by a non-US rider this season. Vogel took Week 5. Ward interrupted at Week 7. Kenny resumed the sequence at Week 9.
Vogel will arrive at Week 12 with<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/countdown-to-the-final-five-lessons-from-the-first-five-star-weekend-in-wellington" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Gangster Montdesir </a>carrying a 100% clear rate from five five-star starts. <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/only-80-seconds-stand-between-shane-sweetnam-and-a-podium-finish" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz</a> have converted 18 podium finishes from 21 jump-off appearances at this level - a stat that still reads like a typo the more you look at it. And France's&nbsp;Nina Mallevaey arrives carrying a 12-consecutive-clear-round streak with Dynastie de Beaufour - one clear away from equalling Nick Skelton and Big Star's achievement of 13.
Dynastie de Beaufour is currently rated 779 on the EquiRatings Elo - sixth in the world, the top-ranked French horse in the database currently. Mallevaey is seventh on the Longines FEI World Rankings and the highest-ranked female rider.. Week 12 will be their third appearance at WEF. The first two produced a third place and a fifth. They will be ones to watch.
Two and a half weeks remain. The field is taking shape.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-pamukcu-kenny-darnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/797de4a4-a9fd-4ef8-8f83-7253791613fc.png?width=4048&amp;height=577" alt="Us Open Blog Inserts"></a>
Listen to Annie and Diarm review WEF Week 9 on this week's episode of the US Equestrian Open Podcast
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Week 9 Wraps the Five-Star Build-Up to the Rolex US Equestrian Open

<h2 dir="ltr">Eventing: Pamukcu and HSH Connor Win at Bouckaert as the Series Leaderboard Tightens</h2>
Next Qualifier: Carolina International | Countdown: 1 Week
Bouckaert has always been a course that is tight on time. Of 270 cross country starters in the event's history, just 1% have ever beaten the clock and this weekend was no exception. The fastest time of the day belonged to&nbsp;Tamie Smith and Ferrie&rsquo;s Cello, who still added 14.8 time penalties. No one even got close. Although, this may have been partly by design for some combinations - an early-season run to build fitness, test strength, or a steady step on the road to Kentucky.
<h3 dir="ltr">Caroline Pamukcu &amp; HSH Connor</h3>
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Connor took the win of the first 2026 eventing qualifier. Fourth after dressage on 29.8, third after show jumping, and then incrementally faster cross country than the combinations ahead of them. It was a win built on accumulation rather than any single defining moment.
It was HSH Connor's ninth consecutive show jumping clear, a run that stretches back to 2023 without a pole down. It was also their first win at the four-star level together and Pamukcu's eighth CCI4*-S career win, across five different horses.&nbsp;
Pamukcu also finished 4th with HSH Double Sixteen and 6th with King&rsquo;s Especiale, moving her onto 80 points and into a tie with Lucienne Bellissimo who led the Series over the winter break.
<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e5e51b2e-03a5-44a3-819a-0bba7cfa767c.png?width=1240&amp;height=714" alt="Vld71 Current Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Eventing "></a>
<h3 dir="ltr">Boyd Martin &amp; Commando 3&nbsp;</h3>
Boyd Martin and Commando 3 led after dressage on 26.4 and held that position through show jumping, only slipping to second when cross-country time penalties proved costlier than Pamukcu&rsquo;s. It is still a strong result&nbsp; and the start of a season that will likely see them on the road to the World Championships in Aachen. Martin also placed fifth with Cooley Nutcracker and seventh with Fetiche Des Rouges which puts Boyd second in the Series standing.
<h3 dir="ltr">Buck Davidson &amp; Cooley Candyman&nbsp;</h3>
Third place went to Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman. Their 30.5 dressage score was their standout moment of the weekend, scoring a full three marks better than their 6RA of 33.5. Of Cooley Candyman&rsquo;s 14 top-level starts (CCI4* and CCI5*), this ranks as his joint second-best test. That dressage performance is what kept them in contention on a weekend when the jumping phases offered very little room to gain ground.
Carolina International is only a week away. With over 25 entries, increased Series points are on offer and Bellissimo, Pamukcu and Martin are all in the field. The gap at the top is now zero and it&rsquo;s very unlikely to stay that way.
&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/eventing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/254e09dd-d92e-4194-986b-baf0dbd8460b.png?width=1080&amp;height=158" alt="Read More Eventing"></a>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Jumping: The Final Five-Star Before the Final</h2>
The US Equestrian Open Final: Wellington, Week 12 | Countdown: 2 Weeks
Three CSI5* Grand Prix have now been contested at Wellington this season. Three different winners from three different nations. Germany's Richard Vogel and Gangster Montdesir opened with a win in Week 5. McLain Ward and High Star Hero won for the US in Week 7. And on Saturday night, Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue claimed Week 9 for Ireland - the last five-star of the WEF season before the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix in Week 12.
<h3 dir="ltr">Darragh Kenny &amp; Eddy Blue</h3>
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/33facec0-5c75-4203-945b-6c5d4d5f44c2.jpg?width=3837&amp;height=2558" alt="Darragh Kenny (alamy)">
Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue had been placed at this venue before but Saturday night was their first outright Wellington Grand Prix win together. It was also their second CSI5* Grand Prix victory as a partnership, having won the World Cup of London in 2024.
The jump-off margin was fine: 41.77 seconds against a target of 41.92. Kenny left a stride out in the first line, a calculated risk with a horse he trusts implicitly.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7b945753-f368-4ff7-972a-61cc0a04c2a1.png?width=1080&amp;height=1106" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (1)">
<h3 dir="ltr">A Rare Tie for Second&nbsp;</h3>
The jump-off produced something that almost never happens at this level. Marilyn Little and La Contessa set the target at 41.92 seconds as the pathfinder. Six rounds later, Thaisa Erwin and Hialita B crossed the line in an identical time. A dead heat for second place. It is the first time in nearly four years that a CSI5* Grand Prix produced a tie for second place. The last occasion was Hamburg 2022, where Andr&eacute; Thieme and Michael Pender matched each other in second.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7e4f957d-ea55-4942-83db-776fa4243f8a.jpeg?width=1280&amp;height=902" alt="Iw Wellington Nations Cup 334">
For Marilyn Little and La Contessa, it was a first CSI5* podium together, though the underlying form has been building. This pair have jumped clear in each of their last five five-star Grands Prix.&nbsp;
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/c2b289e8-b4df-4c02-a925-15825588fc46.png?width=1080&amp;height=1196" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (5)">
For Thaisa Erwin, it was a landmark on two counts. Not only a first five-star podium with&nbsp;Hialita B, but the first time since 2010 that an Australian rider has stood on a WEF five-star Grand Prix podium.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/468a2f18-6c97-45b8-b501-4efce7a80d33.png?width=1080&amp;height=1294" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (6)">
All three competitors who finished on the podium confirmed they are aiming for the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix in Week 12. The form lines are close. The final is just two and a half weeks away.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/20ed7f72-bc2a-44d1-992d-685d98f89829.png?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Open Weekly Quotes (2)">
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/jumping" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/eeee484b-ef16-4e10-9de3-6d72b0a7f0c7.png?width=1080&amp;height=161" alt="Read More Jumping"></a>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Dressage: Darnell and Harrold S Find Their Form at WEC</h2>
Next Qualifier: Wellington AGDF 10 - CDI-W | The Final: Desert Dressage, Thermal CA (November)
Claire Darnell and Harrold S won Saturday's freestyle at WEC in Ocala with a strong showing. Darnell posted 74.315%, topping four of five judges and sitting second only from the judge at B. It's her best result of the season, and the closest she's looked to the 77% version of herself we've been waiting to see this season. The class finished with three combinations after withdrawals in both the Grand Prix and the freestyle, but that doesn't diminish what Darnell and Harrold S put on the board.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/d521ae2f-c76b-418c-b329-4e296336d150.png?width=909&amp;height=1102" alt="Screenshot 2026 03 10 120205">
The fight for second and third came down to five hundredths of a point. Leonardo Antonio Godoy and Marques Do Lis took second at 70.390%, with Charlotte Osborne and Fruhlingszauber at 70.340% in third. Osborne's only judge win came at B, where she edged out the rest of the field with a 70.975%. On the leaderboard, Godoy moves to fifth with 33 points, a significant jump for a partnership that now has three of four counting starts. Osborne climbs to a tied eighth on 29 points.
<a href="https://equestrian-hub-usef.pages.dev/us-equestrian-open" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/0c7d2dc9-3c7c-4fd8-ad69-30ae5af6ce48.png?width=1240&amp;height=714" alt="Dnod U Current Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage "></a>
For Darnell, the win moves her to 35 points on the season, drawing level with Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu for third overall. The Series heads to Wellington next week for the final CDI-W qualifier, where names like Ben Ebeling and Kevin Kohmann are expected on the entry list.
<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/dressage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/df3afaab-1f25-4fab-a1dc-c46c608169fb.png?width=1080&amp;height=171" alt="Read More Dressage"></a>
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<h2 data-path-to-node="4">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 data-path-to-node="4">Stay in the Loop with The Open Weekly</h2>
Thanks for joining us for this week's edition! Don't forget: a fresh update of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/the-open-weekly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Open Weekly</a>&nbsp;drops on the site&nbsp;every Tuesday.
<h3 data-path-to-node="9">Join the Conversation</h3>
Follow us for daily highlights, behind-the-scenes content, and live updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/usequestrianopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/useqopen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X (Twitter)</a>
<h3 data-path-to-node="6">Go Beyond the Article</h3>
Catch the latest insights and expert interviews on the&nbsp;<a href="https://sites.libsyn.com/559710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Equestrian Open Podcast</a>.
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Open Weekly Graphic with Caroline Pamukcu

The Open Weekly: Pamukcu, Kenny, and Darnell Take Wins Across the Disciplines

Three weeks from now, Wellington International will host the Rolex US Equestrian Open Final, the climax of a 12 weeks of showjumping at WEF. But before that, there is one more five-star Grand Prix to run. Saturday night's CSI5* $500,000 Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix is the last chance for combinations to prove they are arriving to Week 12 with momentum, form, and a statement already made under the lights.
It is also, historically, a Grand Prix that makes new stars. Eight of the last ten winners were claiming their first-ever CSI5* Grand Prix victory when they crossed the timers in Wellington. The course is tougher than almost anywhere else on the global circuit with a 16% Round 1 clear rate over the past decade, against a global five-star average of 28&ndash;35%. Whoever wins here on Saturday night will have earned it.
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">Who are the US Contenders?</h2>
Kent Farrington &amp; Greya are the form combination of the WEF season and arguably one of the most in-form combinations in the world right now. Greya is currently the third-highest rated horse globally on the EquiRatings Elo system and will be the ones the rest of the field are measuring themselves against. Together, this partnership have nine five-star Grand Prix and carry a 58% predicted clear probability tonight, the highest in the field. Their jump-off record is equally imposing: 11 clears from 15, nine wins, a 60% win rate once they reach the second round. A win here would be the perfect statement of intent ahead of the Open Final.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e906ea7f-bd51-44a6-8ee7-1fd12b2d4106.png?width=1362&amp;height=1488" alt="X6d Ek Wef 9 the Ones on Form ">
Marilyn Little &amp; La Contessa are the form horse of the US squad coming into this week. Four clears from their last five rounds at five-star level. This is an 80% strike rate, the highest recent clear rate of any combination in tonight's field. Most recently, they jumped a double clear in last weekend's CSIO4* Nations Cup that helped seal Team USA's victory. Little has been building quietly and convincingly.&nbsp;
McLain Ward &amp; High Star Hero already have their Week 7 5* 160 Grand Prix win on the board this season. In a jump off, they remain one of the most dangerous combinations in the field. Six clears from eight jump-offs, four wins, a 63% podium rate. Ward's experience in a speed round is a known quantity at this level. Their Round 1 clear rate of 43% suggests the first round can be a slightly bigger hurdle than for some of their rivals but if they make the jump-off, the numbers say they are very likely to finish on the podium.
Laura Kraut &amp; Bisquetta bring five-star pedigree and experience. A 52% clear rate at this level, a Rolex Grand Prix of Dublin win, and a 47% predicted clear probability tonight. Bisquetta has already shown she can jump clear when a course asks hard questions and this one will.
Callie Schott &amp; Garant are perhaps the quietest name in the US group, but the data is not quiet. An Elo rating of 752, a double clear in last weekend's CSIO4* Nations Cup, and a 44% predicted clear probability. Garant is one of the highest-rated horses in the field and Schott's composure on course has been consistent throughout the season. A strong result here would add real weight to their Week 12 credentials.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/8e07536e-28ef-4029-ba97-5415ac650bf6.png?width=1362&amp;height=1488" alt="X6d Ek Wef 9 the Ones on Form (1)">
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<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr">Who are the International Threats?</h2>
The US does not have this to itself. Darragh Kenny &amp; Eddy Blue sit second in predicted clear probability at 56%, fractionally behind Farrington. Eddy Blue's 58% non-jump-off clear rate at this level is elite. They sit only behind Farrington on the EquiRatings Prediction Centre with a 9% win chance. Daniel Bluman &amp; Corbie V.V. arrive with momentum: eight clears in their last nine top-level starts, a CSI4* Grand Prix win in Ocala as their most recent outing, and a 64% clear rate over 14 rounds. In a jump-off, Bluman is a proven operator. Their win probability sits equal to Bisquetta and Dallas Vegas Batilly. This is a combination that cannot be written off.
Ben Maher &amp; Katanga V/h Dingeshof represent the broadest five-star CV in the international group. Seven jump-off clears from 13 (54%), nearly half resulting in a podium. The 2024 Olympic gold medallist partnership is competing in their first five-star Grand Prix of 2026 - rustiness or sharpness, Saturday night will tell.&nbsp;
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Forty combinations are set to start. EquiRatings predicts six clear rounds, well below the global five-star average, in a class that has consistently delivered a small, hard-fought jump-off. Around 51% of those who make it to the second round have historically gone double clear here. The margin between winning and the rest is rarely more than a fraction of a second.
Three weeks from now, the US Equestrian Open Final takes centre stage. Before that, Saturday night in Wellington offers the last word in the five-star conversation and the combinations who deliver it will carry that confidence into Week 12.

Who to Watch at Wellington Week 9

The dressage and show jumping phases are done. Now comes the part that defines Bouckaert.
Historically, this course rewards the bold. Just 67% of Bouckaert's 247 starters have jumped cross-country clear, all time, and only 2% have done so inside the time. Saturday will separate the serious competitors from the field.
<a style="display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 12px; width: fit-content; margin: 0 auto; background-color: #002147; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; padding: 14px 28px; border: 2px solid #002147; font-family: 'Georgia', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.06em; font-weight: normal; text-transform: uppercase; transition: background-color 0.2s ease, color 0.2s ease; cursor: pointer;" href="https://usequestrianopen.info/bouckaertmarch2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp; Bouckaert Fan Guide</a>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Most Consistent Cross Country Jumpers</h2>
At the top of EquiRatings' cross-country rankings sits Boyd Martin and Commando 3, who also leads the pre-event predictions with a 20% win chance - the highest in the field. His adjusted XC figure of +33% is the standout number among the jumpers, reflecting a horse who consistently clears more than the courses he faces would suggest. Last year, Commando 3 had to podiums at the five-star level and is a known quantity at the sharp end of big events.
<img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/54aa9698-d765-4307-af12-f1160e6c57fc.png?width=1021&amp;height=1322" alt=" Bouckaert Spring 2026 Insta Size (4)">
Second in the rankings is Phelps and Mia Farley, whose adjusted figure of +31% trails only Commando 3. In 20 international starts, Phelps has only ever picked up cross country penalties once. He has jumped clear on some of the toughest courses in the sport; Morven Park 4*L, Maryland 5*, Kentucky 5*, and many more.
Third in the rankings is Lainey Ashker and Lovedance, with an adjusted figure of +30%. The caveat is that those numbers are built largely on their 3* record as the pair have only contested one CCI4*-S together, which ended in elimination. However, with two wins and two third-place finishes across three years of international competition, the talent is clear. The question now is whether they can translate that form into a clean four-star run at Bouckaert today.
Fourth in the rankings is Ali Kuhn and Little Hail, with an adjusted figure of +27%. The 15.1hh OTTB, who is instantly recognisable in their signature pink cross-country colours, captured hearts at last year's Kentucky 4* with a clear round, and this weekend they contest their second four-star at Bouckaert.
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Fastest Horses in the Field</h2>
<div style="overflow: hidden;"><img style="float: right; margin: 0 0 16px 24px; width: 340px; height: auto;" src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7886516b-dd2c-49fb-8b3d-8e1d7352c6de.png?width=643&amp;height=1350" alt="Bouckaert Spring 2026">
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Topping the speed rankings are Phelps and Mia Farley and HSH Double Sixteen ridden by Caroline Pamukcu, both with a Top Speed Percentage of 94%.&nbsp;
Few horses in eventing carry the reputation Phelps does on a cross country course. The iconic thoroughbred announced himself to the wider world at the Maryland 5* in 2023 as the only horse inside the time, a result that placed him in the top 10. The last time this combination contested Bouckaert (2024), Mia used the event as a prep run for Kentucky, carrying 22 time penalties in a deliberately measured round. Whether their plan is to go fast or slow, it is always a pleasure to see a fan favourite like Phelps back out on a cross-country course.
HSH Double Sixteen's speed credentials come with impressive records behind them. The pair were clear inside the time at Stable View's CCI4*-S last September, becoming just the second combination in the past five years to achieve it at that event. That performance helped secure the win, making HSH Double Sixteen one of only two horses to record two qualifier victories in the 2025 Series - the first coming at this very event exactly 12 months ago. They proved their speed again at the US Equestrian Open Final at Morven Park, where they were the first combination of the day to finish inside the time.
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<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Numbers Behind Saturday</h2>
Of the last ten Bouckaert winners, the cross country phase has been the decisive factor. Just 2% of all starters have ever gone clear and inside the time here, a stark reminder of what the course asks.
The historical XC clear rate sits at 67%, meaning roughly one in three starters will pick up cross-country jumping faults. Whether the leaders from Friday hold their positions,&nbsp; or whether the course reshuffles the deck entirely, is the story of Saturday.
The action begins at 12:10 p.m. EST. Watch live and free on the USEF Network.
<a style="display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 12px; width: fit-content; margin: 0 auto; background-color: #002147; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; padding: 14px 28px; border: 2px solid #002147; font-family: 'Georgia', serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.06em; font-weight: normal; text-transform: uppercase; transition: background-color 0.2s ease, color 0.2s ease; cursor: pointer;" href="https://usequestrianopen.info/bouckaertmarch2026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp; Bouckaert Fan Guide</a>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-bouckaert-opens-vaughn-takes-the-lead-and-cook-shines-at-wef" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/797de4a4-a9fd-4ef8-8f83-7253791613fc.png?width=4048&amp;height=577" alt="Us Open Blog Inserts"></a></h2>
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<h2 dir="ltr">Follow the US Equestrian Open of Eventing</h2>
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Cross Country day at Bouckaert Farm

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Who to Watch at Wellington Week 9

Cross Country day at Bouckaert Farm

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