By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 12, 2026–USA’S Kevin Kohmann moved a step closer to competing Dünensee in the third straight World Cup Final with victory Thursday in the Grand Prix at the Global Dressage Festival.
Kevin and the 17-year-old gelding were awarded 70.022% in the Grand Prix that is the last dressage qualifier in North America for the World Cup championship in Fort Worth, Texas next month.
German Olympic team gold medal rider Frederic Wandres on the 10-year-old Verrenberg, an Oldenburg gelding, was runner-up on 69.478%.
Caroline Darcourt on Lord Django, a Nations Cup partnership for Sweden on both sides of the Atlantic, was third on 67.575%.
If Kevin and Dünensee attain more than 73.85% in the Freestyle Friday night they will join Christian Simonson based in Wellington on Indian Rock and Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu on Jaccardo of Canada for the three North American spots among the total lineup of 18 horses and riders in the Final.
A World Cup appearance in Fort Worth for Kevin following the Finals in Saudi Arabia in 2024 and Switzerland in 2025 would also be meaningful for his wife and mother-in-law whose Diamante Farms owns the horse–they are originally from San Antonio, Texas before moving to Wellington. Laura Graves on Verdades is only other U.S. rider to have competed in three straight Finals this century.
“I just wanted to ride clean,” Kevin said, “so there was lots of conservative riding here, which I immediately also got to hear when I left the arena. But it was a clean test, I’m very happy.
“We’re good at the freestyle, so we’re really looking forward to that. It’s kind of important this time so we better pull it together.
“But I could feel today, when the horse is like this, I can rely on this horse tomorrow. That’s how we’re riding tomorrow, pretty confident, I would say. I mean, we have a very good chance of making it this time. I’m really excited. It would be amazing to make it.”
Erin Nichols of Yorba Linda, California rode the 17-year-old Elian Royale to a personal best score of 69.609% to win the Grand Prix to qualify for the Special.
Endel Ots on Zen Elite’s Bohemian, the 16-year-old gelding that was reserve for the U.S, team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was second on 68.674%.
Laura Graves, returning to the international arena for the first time in four years, placed ninth on Java Dulce with a score of 65.913%.
Results:
| Rank | Competitor | Score | E | H | C | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kevin Kohmann (USA) Dünensee | 70.022% | 68.587 | 69.783 | 70.761 | 70.761 | 70.217 |
| 2. | Frederic Wandres (GER) Verrenberg | 69.478% | 70.000 | 68.478 | 69.022 | 69.565 | 70.326 |
| 3. | Caroline Darcourt (SWE) Lord Django | 67.565% | 67.174 | 68.152 | 68.478 | 66.957 | 67.065 |
| 4. | Pablo Gómez Molina (ESP) Ulises de Ymas | 67.065% | 66.413 | 67.935 | 66.739 | 67.717 | 66.522 |
| 4. | Ashley Holzer (USA) Hawtins San Floriana | 67.065% | 65.652 | 66.848 | 67.391 | 69.674 | 65.761 |
| 6. | P.J. Rizvi (USA) Vanilla Ice | 66.283% | 65.217 | 66.957 | 67.609 | 66.522 | 65.109 |
| 7. | Jennifer Hoffmann (USA) Rondoro Noblesse | 64.478% | 62.174 | 65.217 | 65.217 | 64.565 | 65.217 |
| 8. | Susan Dutta (USA) Don Design DC | 62.804% | 60.217 | 63.587 | 64.239 | 65.109 | 60.870 |
| 9. | Eline Eckroth (USA) Daphne | 61.565% | 61.848 | 60.652 | 64.891 | 61.087 | 59.348 |
 Find details on Equestrian Hub |
| Rank | Competitor | Score | E | H | C | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Erin Nichols (USA) Elian Royale | 69.609% | 69.239 | 70.652 | 71.087 | 69.565 | 67.500 |
| 2. | Endel Ots (USA) Zen Elite’s Bohemian | 68.674% | 69.457 | 68.478 | 69.130 | 68.261 | 68.043 |
| 3. | Jordan LaPlaca (USA) Gold Play | 68.587% | 68.587 | 67.283 | 69.239 | 69.348 | 68.478 |
| 4. | Chase Shipka (USA) Gladstone Zee T | 67.870% | 67.500 | 67.935 | 68.370 | 68.043 | 67.500 |
| 5. | Pablo Gómez Molina (ESP) Servus Ymas | 67.304% | 67.065 | 67.717 | 67.935 | 67.283 | 66.522 |
| 6. | Quinn Iverson (USA) Gremlin 41 | 67.000% | 67.609 | 65.652 | 67.935 | 66.848 | 66.957 |
| 7. | Devon Kane (USA) Vamos | 66.609% | 64.674 | 67.283 | 69.457 | 67.283 | 64.348 |
| 8. | Ali Potasky (USA) Inxs | 66.087% | 65.326 | 66.630 | 66.522 | 66.087 | 65.870 |
| 9. | Laura Graves (USA) Java Dulce | 65.913% | 65.978 | 67.065 | 65.761 | 65.217 | 65.543 |
| 10. | Kevin Kohmann (USA) Famous | 65.522% | 65.761 | 64.565 | 66.413 | 65.217 | 65.652 |
| 11. | Mathilde Blais Tétreault (CAN) Fedor | 65.239% | 65.326 | 65.326 | 66.739 | 64.565 | 64.239 |
| 12. | Laine Ashker (USA) Zeppelin | 64.217% | 64.022 | 63.913 | 64.130 | 64.457 | 64.565 |
| 13. | Micah Deligdish (ISR) Carpe Diem De Massa | 64.152% | 64.239 | 65.109 | 63.913 | 64.022 | 63.478 |
| 14. | Sahar Daniel Hirosh (ISR) Handsome C | 61.956% | 60.761 | 63.804 | 60.978 | 62.174 | 62.065 |
| RT | Callie O’Connell (USA) Eaton H | retired | |||||
| WD | Naïma Moreira Laliberté (CAN) Inspire | withdrawn | |||||
| Find details on Equestrian Hub |
