$250,000 US Open Qualifying Within One Event of Wrapping Up With Top 18 Riders Pretty Much Decided for Final in California in 4 Weeks
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
The $250,000 United States Open is within one event of wrapping up qualifying with the top 18 rider and horse combinations pretty much decided for the final in California in four weeks.
Anna Marek of the Ocala, Florida community of Dunellen on Fayvel, her 2024 World Cup Final Dutch-bred gelding now 15 years old, is certain to finish atop the standings with 105 points that will earn her $12,500 out of the $50,000 for the top 18 pairs from the qualifiers. She will also receive an invitation to the final with $200,000 in prize money–$66,000 to the champion, $25,000 for reserve, $20,000 for third down to $2,000 for 13th to 18th places.
Benjamin Ebeling, based in Wellington, Florida on the 15-year-old mare Bellena wrapped up the reserve champion title on 94 points at this weekend’s TerraNova CDI in Myakka City near Sarasota, Florida that also put him atop the North American standings for the World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas next April. Ben will earn $7,500 for reserve in the qualifiers and an invitation that he told DRESSAGE-NEWS.com he will accept for the Thermal top ranked CDI5* final.
Kristina Harrison-Antell of Los Angeles on Finley, 15-year-old KWPN gelding, is placed third along with Eline Eckroth of Ocala on Daphne and Kevin Kohmann of Wellington on Dünensee. Although each will earn qualifying results prize money, Eline has opted to stay at home to focus on preparing for the intensive Florida winter circuit while Kevin is taking the 16-year-old gelding Dünensee, his two-time World Cup Final mount, to a Mexico event with a purse of €300,000/US$350,000 just days before the U.S. Open.
Germany’s Evelyn Eger on Tabledance OLD, the 12-year-old mare that she qualified for sixth place during the Global Dressage Festival winter circuit, has also entered the Mexican World Cup event event along with some other top European riders including Germany’s Isabell Werth on Quantaz.
Felicitas Hendricks, also of Germany on her Drombusch OLD on which she was European Under-25 champion and has been successful on both sides of the Atlantic at Big Tour, intends to compete in the Open final after qualifying for 15th place at Global’s winter circuit in Wellington.
Adrienne Lyle, based in Wellington, is ranked 18th on Helix that she is not currently competing after an intense year in which she rode for USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics and this year’s World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland.
With just four entries in the Tryon CDI3* Grand Prix, the last of 25 qualifiers, a victory by Ecuador’s Julio Mendoza Loor, based in North Carolina and who competed for his country at the 2024 Paris Games, would qualify him for the Open final on Jewel’s Goldstrike.
The absence of several high qualified riders also provides the possibility of Laine Ashker, the eventer based in Chesterfield, Virginia who added international dressage to her resume more than a decade ago, being invited to California if she places at Tryon.
US Open Standings Top 30 as of Oct. 19, 2025 (all USA riders unless otherwise identified)
