THERMAL, California, Dec. 16, 2025–Venezuela’s Patricia Ferrando on Honnaisseur SJ won the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday but the sole United States rider failed to achieve a high enough score to qualify for any points.
The Wellington-based Patricia competing in California for the first time was awarded 69.335% for the musical performance on the 11-year-old KWPN gelding. The pair won the Grand Prix Friday.
Patricia has competed extensively throughout the Americas including the Pan American Games in Santiago two months ago as well as in Europe.
Patty Mayer of Camarillo, California, on the 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding Pio placed second on 61.000%.
A total of four riders were entered in the World Cup Grand Prix–one was eliminated and another did not earn a high enough score to move on to the Freestyle.
Steffen Peters won California’s first World Cup qualifier a month ago with only two combinations in the Freestyle. Steffen who was hospitalized recently with blood clots in his lungs and a leg had already announced he was focused on qualifying for the Paris Olympics and did not plan to seek one of three places reserved for North America at the World Cup Final in Saudi Arabia next April.
He earned the maximum of 20 points while the runner-up received 17 points.
A lack of entries in some World Cup events in North America initially included a provision providing for a maximum of 13 points if there were fewer than eight riders. That was changed for the 2022-23 season to provide the same points no matter how many entries.
The most recent qualifier in Florida won by Kevin Kohmann of Wellington on Duenensee had 15 starting combinations in the Freestyle.
The Thermal CDI3* Grand Prix Special was won by Elizabeth Ball of Rancho Santa Fe, California on the 14-year-old Escarigo with a score of 66.745%.
Results:
| Rank | Competitor | Score | E | H | C | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Patricia Ferrando (VEN)
Honnaisseur SJ
|
69.335% | 69.300 | 72.775 | 68.450 | 69.525 | 66.625 |
| 2. |
Patty Mayer (USA)
Pio
|
61.000% | 61.150 | 63.525 | 60.800 | 61.050 | 58.475 |
 Find details on Equestrian Hub |
| Rank | Competitor | Score | E | H | C | M | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Elizabeth Ball (USA)
Escarigo
|
66.745% | 67.128 | 68.936 | 64.574 | 65.745 | 67.340 |
| 2. |
Amelia Newcomb (USA)
Harvard
|
65.958% | 62.979 | 66.277 | 66.702 | 65.532 | 68.298 |
| 3. |
Tegan Kossowicz (USA)
Dujelinda M
|
58.915% | 58.298 | 58.936 | 61.277 | 57.553 | 58.511 |
| Find details on Equestrian Hub |
