<h2 dir="ltr">Dressage: Potasky bests Ashker at MADFest to claim CDI3* freestyle win</h2>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Ali Potasky</strong> <strong>&amp; Inxs</strong> won Saturday's CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle at the Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival with a personal best of 72.425%, edging out<strong> Laine Ashker &amp; </strong><strong>Zeppelin </strong>by 0.315%.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Potasky came into the weekend with the field's highest average but only two starts on record. Saturday's result adds a third data point, and her best one yet.&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><em>"I&rsquo;ve been working on the details&mdash;the connection, the frame, and the softness through the top line. Today I feel like I had moments where that was coming along more than it has in the past,"</em> she said of <strong>Inxs, </strong>who can carry tension in competition.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfgZs9gM_g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/6d88416e-5f37-48b8-be8f-68b2a8098839.png?width=700&amp;height=853" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 19 113032"></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Ashker, meanwhile, was debuting a new freestyle with <strong>Zeppelin.</strong> She posted a strong 72.110% on a first outing with new music and has her eyes set on the Final in Thermal.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Miceala Mabraga&ntilde;a &amp; Belatrix RH</strong> finished third with 70.035%, also a personal best.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The top of the overall standings is unchanged after this weekend, but Potasky and Ashker both move into the low 20s. Although still outside the top-18 cutoff for the CDI5* Final, they are both now in range with only four qualifiers remaining this season.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/f1d326a8-8044-4186-8952-a26653416d9a.png?width=1098&amp;height=1110" alt="0t C X7 Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage  (2)"></p>
<p dir="ltr">The next qualifier takes place at the Ginny Rattner Memorial Dressage in Oregon, Saturday, May 30.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><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></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong><strong id="docs-internal-guid-c3f8300a-7fff-1f24-0f99-1ae7d7e449eb"></strong></strong><strong>Jumping: The world's best head to Aachen</strong></h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">It was a quieter weekend for US riders on the international circuit despite three five-stars running across Madrid, Windsor, and Hamburg. However, that is because the focus was already shifting elsewhere. Aachen is this week.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This year's CHIO arrives earlier than usual. Due to the FEI World Championships in Aachen in August, the organisers have moved the spring edition to May 22&ndash;24, christening it the "TSCHIO", a nod to the local Aachen dialect and the deep community bond the event carries.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday is the second Major of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, making <strong>Richard Vogel </strong>(winner of the Dutch Masters in March) a live Grand Slam contender this weekend.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This weekend also carries weight for the coming months as it shapes up to be a direct audition for the World Championships. This weekend's US contingent is as follows:</p>
<ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3">
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Kent Farrington: </strong>Greya, Descartes SR</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>McLain Ward:</strong>&nbsp;High Star Hero, Lestro vd Valckenborg</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Laura Kraut: </strong>Bisquetta, Cinnamon, Una Mariposa</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Lillie Keenan: </strong>Anton, Fasther, Kick On</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Karl Cook: </strong>Caracole de la Roque, Candy, Foxy de la Roque</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Aaron Vale:</strong>&nbsp;Carissimo 25, Gray's Inn, Helios du Moulin</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The World Championships are fast approaching. This week at Aachen is where the conversation about who goes starts to get serious.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><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></p>
<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]"><strong>Eventing: The Series takes a breath&nbsp;</strong></h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Next Qualifier:&nbsp;</strong>Aspen Farms (June 11th)&nbsp;<strong>| The Final:&nbsp;</strong>Morven Park 4*-L, Virginia (October 8th)</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Series is on a slight break as we wait for the next qualifier at Aspen Farms on June 11th.<strong> Tamie Smith</strong> leads the Series on 235, <strong>Will Coleman</strong> is second on 215, and&nbsp;<strong>Boyd Martin</strong> is third on 190. Check out the full leaderboard <a href="https://us.equestrian-hub.com/public/championship/eventing/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The break is a good moment to zoom out and celebrate 2026 so far. <strong>Tamie Smith</strong> currently leads the world in international wins in 2026 with eight. She is already two ahead of where <strong>Lara de Liedekerke-Meier</strong> stood at the same stage of her record-breaking 2025 campaign. Lara went on to set a new single-season record with 21 international wins, surpassing <strong>Piggy March&rsquo;s</strong> previous mark of 15. Out of those eight wins, four have come at the CCI4* level and it is only May.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">We wrote it up in full this week. Read it <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-tamie-smith-season-so-far" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><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></p>
<h2 data-path-to-node="4">&nbsp;</h2>
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Ali Potasky & Inxs on the Open Weekly graphic

The Open Weekly: Potasky Wins at MADFest as All Eyes Turn to Aachen

1. Jumping

All you need to know

Wellington CSI5* Grand Prix

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Morven Park CCI4*-L

3. Dressage

Desert CDI5* Freestyle

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Kent Farrington & Greya are the 2026 Jumping Champions

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Main

<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Series leader <strong>Tamie Smith </strong>currently has the most international wins gloablly in 2026 with eight. The next closest is <strong>Julia Krajewski </strong>on six. Eight wins by the 18th of May is a number worth contextualising.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/47bcddd2-25d8-4599-8417-9368e080019c.png?width=630&amp;height=391" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 18 172009">&nbsp;<br><br>Last year, <strong>Lara de Liedekerke-Meier </strong>set a new all-time record of 21 wins in a single season. It was one of the most extraordinary individual seasons the sport has seen. When you look back at where she was at this exact point in 2025? Six wins. Smith is already two ahead of that pace.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/8f3377b8-c07e-4576-9dea-4bf35a52b8f9.png?width=634&amp;height=393" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 18 172357"></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">To be clear: matching 21 wins in a season would require an exceptional volume of runs across the rest of the year, and with a <em>potential </em>trip to Germany for the World Championships, where you arrive with just one horse, wouldn't help the tally. But the trajectory is striking regardless.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">What makes Smith's eight wins particularly notable is what level they have been at. Four of them have been at the CCI4* level. Across de Liedekerke-Meier's entire record-breaking 2025 season, she recorded only three four-star wins. Smith already has four CCI4*-S wins and it is only May. One of those victories also came with the<a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/tamie-smith-danito-set-a-new-series-dressage-record-at-tryon" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> lowest international dressage score</a> recorded anywhere in the world in 2026. The level at which she is winning matters as much as the volume.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/2abfb7ce-23d5-4271-84ca-0591e57a214c.png?width=634&amp;height=481" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 18 171852"></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">It is also worth pausing on the context of this season. Last year, <strong>Mai Baum</strong>, one of the greatest event horses the US has ever seen,<strong> </strong>retired. That is no small thing to absorb. And yet Smith has come out in 2026 with what may be the strongest string of her career, producing results at a rate that puts her among the most dominant riders in the world right now. Last year she was second on the global win count behind de Liedekerke-Meier on ten. This year she is first... and it is only May.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">We know we have been talking about<strong> Tamie Smith</strong> a lot but the numbers keep giving us reasons to.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Read our full feature on why the data points to her as the 2026 Series favorite <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/six-horses-two-weekends-why-tamie-smith-is-the-series-favorite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">&nbsp;</p>
<hr>
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<p data-path-to-node="7"><em><strong>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.</strong></em></p>

Tamie Smith & Lillet 3 cross-country at Carolina CCI4*-S

The Tamie Smith season so far

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Laine Ashker</strong> won the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle at last year's Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival, and she and <strong>Zeppelin</strong> posted their personal best of 73.015% doing it. Saturday, she returns to the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington to defend both.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ashker currently sits 43rd on the Series leaderboard with 8 points from one qualifier. A win at MADFest would move her to 22nd &mdash; still outside the top-18 cutoff for the CDI5* Final, but inside the range where qualification becomes a realistic conversation. The 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding has been consistent across six FEI starts, averaging 70.876%, and his best work came on this footing, in this ring.</p>
<p><iframe id="datawrapper-chart-uGCLQ" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Grand Prix Freestyle Stats: MADFest CDI3*" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/uGCLQ/1/" height="381" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" aria-label="Table" data-external="1"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr">The challenger is <strong>Ali Potasky</strong> and <strong>Inxs</strong>, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood who carries the field's highest average at 71.995%, but across just two FEI starts. Numbers do not lie, but it remains a question how predictive that two-run sample size can be. Potasky is 41st on the leaderboard with 9 points, so a win here would also jump her into 22nd.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle goes Saturday at the Virginia Horse Center. Live stream available on the <a href="https://www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_US/events/18601/mid-atlantic-dressage-festival-lexington-cdi3">USEF Network</a>. <a href="https://www.usef.org/membership/join-renew">Sign up for free</a> as a fan to watch the action.&nbsp;</p>

Ashker and Zeppelin in a Winner's Cooler at MADFest 2025

Ashker Returns to MADFest to Defend CDI3* Freestyle Win

<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The 2026 Series actually began back in the fall of 2025, with&nbsp;<strong>Lucienne Bellissimo &amp; Dyri</strong> winning Qualifier 1 at Bouckaert and <strong>Will Coleman &amp; Diabolo</strong> taking Qualifier 2 at TerraNova. If you missed those, <a class="underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current" href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-story-so-far-of-the-us-equestrian-open-of-eventing">the full story is here.</a></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Here's everything that's happened in 2026.</p>
<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Qualifier 3: Bouckaert</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Caroline Pamukcu &amp; HSH Connor</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Pamukcu built the win slowly: fourth after dressage, third after show jumping, then fractionally faster cross-country than the combinations ahead. <strong>HSH Connor's </strong>ninth consecutive show jumping clear (has since gone on to a 10th), stretching back to 2023. It was Pamukcu's eighth CCI4*-S career win (now has had nine) across five different horses. She also placed fourth and sixth with her other two rides, opening the season on 80 points in a tie with Lucienne Bellissimo.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/f62ed9be-1b87-48d8-9f83-3c108686b505.png?width=697&amp;height=849" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 14 114747"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 4: Carolina International</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tamie Smith &amp; Lillet 3</strong></h3>
<p>Smith swept the weekend: three different classes, three different wins. <strong>Lillet 3</strong> came closest to the cross-country time to win a big and competitive 4*-S. It was their fifth win together, and a real telling of their prestige ahead of Kentucky. Pamukcu's second and seventh-place finish across two rides added 65 points in a single weekend, moving her to 145 and 50 clear at the top.&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/dd930ea2-2769-49c5-8b9a-27d58be6c6a8.png?width=700&amp;height=855" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 14 114725"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 5: TerraNova</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Colleen Loach &amp; FE Golden Eye</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">After a year away from international competition, <strong>FE Golden Eye</strong> returned with a 2-for-2 record: a 3*-S win at Bouckaert, and then the TerraNova 4*-S qualifier. Both times adding nothing but a few cross-country time penalties to his dressage score. It was Loach's first result on the Open leaderboard, and with 26 starters in the field she banked 50 points rather than the 40 that one fewer starter would have produced.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/04d588eb-9bcd-4c48-a591-0b63de6ec89d.png?width=700&amp;height=856" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 14 114652"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 6: Galway Downs</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tommy Greengard &amp; Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Greengard did earn the 75 points predicted, just not quite how anyone expected. <strong>That's Me Z,</strong> the weekend favorite, finished second after activating a pin on cross-country day despite posting the fastest XC round. Instead, four-star debutant <strong>Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad </strong>took the win on a composed three-phase performance. Greengard manager a 75-point haul in his first Open qualifier of 2026.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/c4dee390-708e-4cd6-955a-1bb1d697e12c.png?width=700&amp;height=850" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 14 114536"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 7: Stable View</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Lucienne Bellissimo &amp; Dyri</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Bellissimo led from start to finish, finishing on her dressage score of 27.7 to become just the fourth combination in Stable View history to achieve it across nearly 400 starters. She also finished ninth with <strong>Kitsch Couture HPK.</strong> The gap from first to second on the Series leaderboard shrank from 50 points to five overnight. Pamukcu 145, Bellissimo 140.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/be1c7cef-a41b-4b75-acb4-90d982ca6158.png?width=907&amp;height=1105" alt="Screenshot 2026 04 07 122810"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 8: Twin Rivers</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Karen O'Neal &amp; Clooney 14</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>James Alliston </strong>had won six consecutive runnings of Twin Rivers. Without Alliston's entry in 2026, O'Neal and <strong>Clooney 14</strong> wrote their names into its history instead, leading from dressage through to the finish. It was <strong>Clooney 14's </strong>third CCI4* win. The leaderboard at the top was unchanged: Pamukcu 145, Bellissimo 140.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/956d3444-638f-4bf3-b9e5-faeda66871b2.png?width=702&amp;height=853" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 14 114445"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 9: Ocala</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tamie Smith &amp; Jump To Day D</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Smith and <strong>Jump To Day D</strong> (in just his second four-star) won the Ocala CCI4*-S and did it with an FOD, finishing on their dressage score of 31.5. Just four combinations in the event's history had ever achieved it and Smith became the first at the current location of the event. She also placed fifth with<strong> Spiro P</strong> on his four-star debut.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/7c7ce645-0353-48a5-aac3-7d21f9406bce.png?width=904&amp;height=1099" alt="Screenshot 2026 04 20 121920 (1)"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 10: Fair Hill</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Caroline Pamukcu &amp; HSH Double Sixteen</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Pamukcu and <strong>HSH Double Sixteen</strong> made the Fair Hill cross-country time (only the second combination in the venue's history to do so across 143 starters) and finished on their dressage score of 37.7. After a weekend that produced an FOD in both Ocala and Fair Hill, Pamukcu moved to 185. <strong>Boyd Martin's</strong> second and third place finishes at Fair Hill moved him to 160.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/ef9a66bc-eb44-48d3-be94-4999cfa7cb14.png?width=703&amp;height=850" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 14 113950"></p>
<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]"><strong>Q</strong><strong>ualifier 11: Kentucky</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tamie Smith &amp; Lillet 3 (again)</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tamie Smith </strong>entered as a heavy favorite across her three rides, but it was the Carolina qualifier winner, <strong>Lillet 3, </strong>who came out on top. The fastest cross-country round of the day, followed by the only clear inside the time in the show jumping. Back-to-back qualifier wins for Smith, who moved to 205 points and into the Series lead for the first time, 20 clear of Pamukcu.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/4dda56bd-176d-4a1d-b81b-88a86335dd70.png?width=697&amp;height=846" alt="Screenshot 2026 04 28 114843"></p>
<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]"><strong>Qualifier 12: Tryon</strong></h2>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tamie Smith &amp; Danito</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Three in a row. Smith and <strong>Danito</strong> posted a 19.5 dressage score: a new all-time Series record across 607 starts, and the best test recorded internationally at any level in 2026 from over 5,000 FEI tests worldwide. The Tryon venue record of 24.6 had stood since 2020. Smith beat it by more than five penalties and held on to win despite a cross-country course that has never seen a clear inside the time. <img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/2e8eae00-a8e2-4c13-ab2b-cd40706268df.png?width=910&amp;height=1093" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 12 110148"></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Twelve qualifiers covered. A leaderboard that has changed hands three times. The Series resumes at&nbsp;<strong>Qualifier 13 at Aspen Farms on June 11th</strong>.</p>
<p><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/c69a19fe-357b-49b3-8a87-10cdd8b0d124.png?width=682&amp;height=781" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 13 223822"></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr>
<h3 data-path-to-node="9">&nbsp;</h3>
<h3 data-path-to-node="9"><strong data-path-to-node="9" data-index-in-node="0">Join the Conversation</strong></h3>
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<h3 data-path-to-node="6"><strong data-path-to-node="6" data-index-in-node="4">Go Beyond the Article</strong></h3>
<p data-path-to-node="7">Catch the latest insights and expert interviews on the&nbsp;<strong data-path-to-node="7" data-index-in-node="78"><a href="https://sites.libsyn.com/559710" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Equestrian Open Podcast.</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p data-path-to-node="7"><em><strong>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.</strong></em></p>

Series recap graphic with winner posters on it

Twelve qualifiers in. Here's what's happened so far.

<h2 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Eventing: Smith makes it three in a row at Tryon</strong></h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Next Qualifier: </strong>Aspen Farms (June 11th) <strong>| The Final:&nbsp;</strong>Morven Park 4*-L, Virginia (October 8th)</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Tamie </strong>Smith &amp; <strong>Danito</strong> won the Tryon International CCI4*-S making it a third consecutive qualifier win for Smith and another 50 points banked. The weekend began with a dressage score that turned a number of heads.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Smith &amp; Danito</strong> posted a<em> 19.5 </em>- a new all-time dressage record in the US Equestrian Open Series across 607 starts, and the best test recorded internationally at any level in 2026 from over 5,000 FEI tests worldwide. The previous Tryon venue record of 24.6 had stood since 2020. Smith beat it by more than five penalties. For the full story on that number and what it means, read our deep dive <a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/tamie-smith-danito-set-a-new-series-dressage-record-at-tryon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">What the dressage lead couldn't guarantee was the win - no previous Tryon CCI4*-S winner had led after dressage, and the cross-country has never been beaten on time. Smith held on regardless, finishing on 27.9 to take the class. <strong>Will Coleman</strong> <strong>&amp;</strong> <strong>Off The Record</strong> finished second, with <strong>Boyd Martin &amp; Shanroe Cooley</strong> third.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYM7ELIkVyr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/2e8eae00-a8e2-4c13-ab2b-cd40706268df.png?width=910&amp;height=1093" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 12 110148"></a></p>
<h3 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>The Series Picture</strong></h3>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Smith extends her lead to 235 points. Coleman climbs to second on 215 after his Tryon result.<strong> Boyd Martin</strong> moves into third on 190 with <strong>Shanroe Cooley's</strong> 40-point haul. <strong>Caroline Pamukcu</strong>, who didn't enter at Tryon, drops two spots to fourth on 185. <strong>Lucienne Bellissimo</strong> moves to fifth on 175 as <strong>Kitsch Couture HPK</strong> finished fourth added 35 points.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DYMwv_aDAeJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/977223d3-e79a-464c-85c6-500df37672ba.png?width=841&amp;height=520" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 12 105842"></a></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Series now takes a short break before heading west to Aspen Farms on June 11th.<br><br></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><a href="https://www.usequestrianopen.org/categories/eventing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/e6b627a3-4fce-4bbf-8314-5c8c2402cd3e.png?width=1080&amp;height=158" alt="Read More Eventing"></a></p>
<h2 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h2>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Dressage: USEF Nationals calls seven of the top ten to Ocala. Lexington is wide open.</strong></h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Next Qualifier: </strong>Mid Atlantic Dressage Festival&nbsp;(May 14)&nbsp;|<strong> The Final:&nbsp;</strong>Desert Dressage, Thermal CA (November 13)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Seven of the top ten Series riders are in Ocala this week for the 2026 USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship and while the event carries no Series points, the stakes extend well beyond a national title. Nationals is a mandatory stop on the road to U.S. team selection for the FEI World Championships in Aachen this August. If you want to be considered for a team spot, you have to compete here. <strong>Ashley Holzer, Ge&ntilde;ay Vaughn, Ellesse Gundersen, Jennifer Williams, Kevin Kohmann, Christian Simonson, &amp; Devon Kane</strong> are all in the field.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://us.equestrian-hub.com/public/championship/dressage/708" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/1371f0e1-b365-44bc-a49d-0ded19c90c81.png?width=1098&amp;height=1164" alt="0t C X7 Leaderboard of the Us Equestrian Open of Dressage  (1) (1)"></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">That leaves the Series leaderboard somewhat exposed this weekend. The Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival in Lexington, Virginia is this weekend's Open qualifier, and the riders who didn't make the Nationals cut will have the top of the field largely to themselves.&nbsp;<strong>Claire Darnell</strong> is the one top-ten rider neither in Ocala nor back in Europe - if she makes the trip to Lexington, it could be a significant weekend for her Series position.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><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></p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Jumping: Three of the world's best nine-year-olds are flying the US flag<br></strong></h2>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Right now, three of the five highest-rated nine-year-olds in the world are US-based horses with all three having competed at the Kentucky International CSI5*. With the World Championships this summer and Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, the timing could not be better for the US to have a number of rising stars.<br><br>The EquiRatings Elo rating tracks how a horse performs against elite opposition over time. Every result either adds to or subtracts from their score depending on who they beat and who beats them. Quality of winning matters as much as winning itself.&nbsp;</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/b3658559-2737-4134-a8f1-5ede1cf285a0.png?width=1069&amp;height=649" alt="Screenshot 2026 05 12 122350"></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Descartes SR (Kent Farrington, Elo 693)</strong> has been the story of the spring. Sourced from Mexico, he won the Kentucky International CSI5* Grand Prix on his five-star debut before going into to a podium finish at CSI5* Grand Prix in Monterrey, Mexico in May. Two great 5* Grand Prix results in the space of a month for a nine-year-old. Farrington has described him as an exceptional talent and the results are making that case without any help.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Riesling van de Gaathoeve</strong> <strong>(Mckayla Langmeier, Elo 676) </strong>was previously campaigned by Shane Sweetnam before Langmeier took over the ride this year. At Kentucky she finished eighth in the CSI5* Grand Prix with just a single time fault, a solid performance at the highest level in only her first season with the ride. They are a combination to watch as their partnership progresses.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><img src="https://usef-admin.fly.dev/assets/4f640b1e-0b72-4a41-b698-be3a4b96daf7.jpg?width=1772&amp;height=1181" alt="Mckayla Langmeier &amp; Riesling Van De Gaathoeve &copy;sportfot J B2 0760"><strong><em><em style="font-size: 90%; color: #999999;">Mckayla Langmeier &amp; Riesling van de Gaathoeve jumping at WEF Week 2.</em></em></strong></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Chagrin d'Amour (Lillie Keenan, Elo 674)&nbsp;</strong>announced himself as a serious competitor when he won Sparkassen Youngster Cup Final at CHIO Aachen last year. This year, one of their biggest results was their double-clear rounds to help the Trelawny Trailblazers claim victory in the $200,000 CSI5* MLSJ Team Competition at the Kentucky International. This is just one of Keenan's top horses as she quietly builds one of the strongest strings in the US right now.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Three horses, all nine years old, all performing at the sharp end of five-star competition. Watch out for these names, they are next generation of US superstars.<strong><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><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></p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
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<h3><em><strong>The Mission of the Open&nbsp;</strong></em></h3>
<p><em>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.</em></p>

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