Dressage-News

Nov. 22, 2024

The inaugural $250,000 United States Open dressage series kicks off within the next two weeks with the opening of entries for the initial qualifying events in California and Florida in January.

All competitors–both United States and foreigners–can compete in as many of the 25 CDI3 and higher dressage events within the U.S. with the best six Grand Prix Freestyle results counting to be among the 18 finalists at the year-end top rated CDI5* final in Thermal, California.

The series has been organized by U.S. Equestrian to create what the federation describes as “a commercially significant and identifiable championship model” for the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing and jumping ahead of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

The aim is to focus on growth in fans and followers and increased viewership across ESPN and the USEF Network.

For dressage, entries open this coming week for the first qualifier in 2025, the CDI-W World Cup and CDI3* at Thermal Jan. 2-5.

Entries open a week later for the Global Dressage Festival CDI-W World Cup and CDI3* at Wellington, Florida Jan. 8-12.

Throughout 2025, Florida has 16 qualifiers–Wellington’s Global Dressage Festival with seven, Ocala’s World Equestrian Center with five, TerraNova in Myakka City 3 and one in West Palm Beach.

California has five–two qualifiers at Thermal plus the final and three at Del Mar.

Two are in Pennsylvania, at Quakertown and Devon.

Lexington, Virginia and Sherwood, Oregon each has one to bring the total to 25.

Here’s how the series will work:

Placings in CDI3* or higher Grand Prix Freestyle–1st 20 points; 2nd and 3rd places 17 points; 4th and 5th places 15 points, and 6th through 10th 10 points.

At the end of the qualifying series, $50,000 will be awarded:
1st $12,500
2nd $7,500
3rd $6,500
4th $5,000
5th $4,000
6th $3,000
7th $2,000
8th-15th $1,000
16th-18th $500

A score of at least 67% in the Grand Prix Freestyle will be required to count for qualifying points.

Points and standings will be automatically tracked by the U.S. federation.

The top 18 (19 if a tie) will be invited to the dressage final in Thermal Dec. 18-21 to compete for a minimum of $200,000 in prize money.

The schedule of 2025 qualifiers:
Jan. 2-5 DESERT DRESSAGE IV Thermal, California CDI-W & CDI3*
Jan. 8-12 GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL I Wellington CDI-W & CDI3*
Jan. 16-19 GOLD COAST OPENER West Palm Beach CDI3*
Jan. 22-26 GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL 3 Wellington CDI4* & CDI3*
Jan. 29-Feb. 2 WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER DRESSAGE VIII Ocala CDI3*
Feb. 5-9 GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL 5 Wellington CDI-W & CDI3*
Feb. 12-16 WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER FEBRUARY DRESSAGE Ocala CDI3*
Feb. 13-16 DEL MAR DRESSAGE OPENER Del Mar, California CDI-W & CDI3*
Feb. 19-23 GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL 7 Wellington CDI3*
Feb. 26-Mar. 2 PALM BEACH DRESSAGE DERBY Wellington CDI-W & CDI3*
Mar. 11-16 GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL 10 Wellington CDI5* & CDI3*
Mar. 20-23 DEL MAR DRESSAGE AFFAIRE Del Mar CDI3*
Mar. 26-30 GLOBAL DRESSAGE FESTIVAL 12 Wellington CDI4* & CDI3*
April 3-6 TERRANOVA DRESSAGE I Myakka City, Florida CDI4* & CDI3*
April 9-13 WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER APRIL DRESSAGE Ocala CDI4* & CDI3*
April 10-13 DEL MAR NATIONAL HORSE SHOW Del Mar CDI4* & CDI3*
May 1-4 TERRANOVA DRESSAGE 3 Myakka City CDI3*
May 15-18 MID-ATLANTIC DRESSAGE FESTIVAL Lexington, Virginia CDI3*
May 21-25 WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER MAY DRESSAGE Ocala CDI3*
May 31-June 1 GINNY RATTNER MEMORIAL DRESSAGE Sherwood, Oregon CDI3*
June 19-22 DRESSAGE AT RHYTHM & BLUES CDI Quakertown, Pennsylvania CDI3*
Sept. 23-28 DRESSAGE AT DEVON Devon, Pennsylvania [CDI-W] & CDI3*
Oct. 16-19 TERRANOVA DRESSAGE II Myakka City [CDI-W] & CDI3*
Nov. 12-16 WORLD EQUESTRIAN CENTER NOVEMBER DRESSAGE Ocala [CDI-W] & CDI3*
Nov. 13-16 DESERT DRESSAGE II Thermal [CDI-W] & CDI3*
FINAL
Dec. 18-21 DESERT INTERNATIONAL HORSE PARK Thermal CDI5*