US Horses Poised for a Breakout Season in 2025

As the 2025 season approaches and the qualifiers roll back around for the US Equestrian Open, excitement is building around several talented young US horses ready to make their mark on the international stage at CCI4*-S level. The horses in these lists are:

• no older than 10 years old,
• have competed up to at least CCI3*-L,
• and have yet to achieve a podium finish at CCI4*-S or higher. 

Based on their impressive career trajectories, they are prime candidates to break through this year. Using EquiRatings’ Elo ratings and Opposition Beaten Percentage (OBP), we’ve identified standout horses most likely to shine in the coming season.

The Top 5 Horses by Elo: Career Competitiveness

The EquiRatings Elo is a measure of a horse's competitiveness and the quality of its opponents. It reflects how well a horse performs against tough competition, making it a critical indicator of breakout potential.

1. Shanroe Cooley

Horse age: 10 | Max level reached: CCI4*-L | Rider: Liz Halliday | Owners: Ocala Horse Properties

As Liz continues to recover from injury, we don’t yet know where or when we will see Shanroe Cooley but when we do, it is one to watch. With an Elo of 637, Shanroe Cooley leads the pack in terms of breakthrough podium potential. This experienced competitor tackled the hotly contested CCI4*-S in Kentucky last year. In that class, full of the USA's best vying for Olympic selection, Shanroe Cooley and Liz finished top 10. They have also been to CHIO Aachen, where they finished 16th. We expect them to podium somewhere soon. 

2. Denim

Horse age: 10 | Max level reached: CCI4*-L | Rider: Phillip Dutton | Owner: Caroline Moran

Denim’s Elo of 624 reflects consistent performances at the highest level, in particular a top 8 finish in the Blenheim CCI4*-L last year. Under the guidance of series leader Phillip Dutton, this horse is well-positioned to make waves in 2025 and we would expect him to contribute valuable series points along the way. With his CCI4*-L experience, Denim may be particularly helpful in the Morven Park CCI4*-L Open final. 

3. Jaguars Duende

Horse age: 9 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider & owner: Sharon White

This is arguably one of the most exciting horses in the sport at the moment and one who, if Sharon keeps her, could return Sharon to the top of the sport. Still only 9, Jaguars Duende boasts a 603 Elo and has 9 podiums from 9 completions (twice they WD after dressage). They have three wins (Maryland 5 Star CCI3*-L, Tryon CCI3*-L and Carolina CCI3*-S) in their last four internationals. You can expect to hear a lot more about Jaguars Duende this season and beyond. 

4. ChinTonic 3

Horse age: 10 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider: Sydney C. Elliot | Owner: Arden Stephens

ChinTonic 3 came from our Tokyo Olympic Champion Julia Krajewski and with an Elo of 590, he looks set to be a horse to follow in 2025. They were second last time out in the Bromont CCI3*-L with a dressage score of 28.0 and a clear show jumping round. We are all looking forward to what comes from this combination.

5. Kismet

Horse age: 10 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider: Jennie Brannigan | Owner: Nina Gardner

Kismet is a little under the radar right now but with an Elo of 516 and big performances in the first half of 2024 (including a podium finish in the Bromont CCI3*-L, just behind ChinTonic 3), we think Kismet is very likely to make a breakthrough at the CCI4* level. 

The Top 5 Horses by OBP: Consistent Performers

The Opposition Beaten Percentage (OBP) is the percentage of opponents a horse has beaten across its last six international competitions. This statistic accounts for the size of the field, making it a valuable predictor of success on the big stages.

1. Jaguars Duende

Horse age: 9 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider & owner: Sharon White

Leading the OBP rankings on 95%, Jaguars Duende has exceled in large, competitive fields. The mare also appears in the above Elo list (crossover is expected), so with a high Elo and OBP, we are constantly talking about Jaguars Duende here at EquiRatings. 

2. Cooley Corraghy Diamond

Horse age: 8 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider: Kim Severson | Owners: William Johnson, Roslyn Johnson

This 8-year-old has an OBP of 87%, showcasing its ability to outperform its competition. He and Kim have seven career internationals and have only once been outside the top 5 (9th in the 2024 Stable View Oktoberfest CCI3*-S). Under Kim's guidance, Cooley Corraghy Diamond is one to watch this season. 

3. Kismet

Horse age: 10 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider: Jennie Brannigan | Owner: Nina Gardner

Like Jaguars Duende, Kismet has crossover with the top Elo-rated horses. Kismet's 85% OBP is largely due to placing top 3 in four of his last six internationals. Two of those podiums were at the CCI3* level, reinforcing Kismet and Jennie's podium potential at the CCI4* level this season.

4. Cooley Chromatic

Horse age: 9 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider & owner: Sara Schulman

Apart from one blip at Kentucky back in 2022 (having won at Bromont next time out), this horse has never been outside the top 10 in his nine international starts. With an OBP of 83%, Cooley Chromatic is a consistent performer at CCI3* and finished 2024 with a second-place finish in the Maryland 5 Star CCI3*-L (behind Jaguars Duende). One to track for sure. 

5. Gillou

Horse age: 9 | Max level reached: CCI3*-L | Rider & owner: Devin Robel

Gillou’s OBP of 81% comes from five international starts. They were on the podium in Ocala last April alongside Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis & Flower Girl, who went on to pick up series points at TerraNova). We haven’t seen Gillou since but if they come back as we hope they will, it's a 9-year-old who is well-positioned for a breakthrough season.

Why This Matters

The journey to international success is built on incremental achievements, and these horses represent the next wave of U.S. talent ready to break through. As fans, riders, and sponsors look ahead to the 2025 season, keep an eye on these rising stars—each one has the potential to shape the future of the series and of the sport in the US. 

Stay tuned for updates as we follow their progress through the year!

Series Standings at the End of 2024:

See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier, here.

For continual leaderboard updates, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org. The hub is also the best place for the most up-to-date series calendar as it's subject to change.

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For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at cweilminster@usef.org. 

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