Dressage

The FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships, presented by USDF, is considered one of the most exciting weeks of the year for many young athletes, but for Region 6 Young Rider Olivia Martz, it has also become a week of remembrance and celebration for a different reason. Olivia and Rihanna at the 2025 NAYC (Photo courtesy of the Martz family) Born into a horsey family, Martz was surrounded by horses the moment she opened her eyes, and she learned to walk at NAYC while her mother was...

Traverse City, Mich. — Dressage competition continued Friday, July 31, at the 2026 FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships, presented by USDF, at Flintfields Horse Park, with the FEI Junior Individual Test and the FEI Children's Team Competition. FEI Junior Individual Test Bennett McWhorter and Dalia (©US Equestrian) Bennett McWhorter (Wellington, Fla.) and Dalia claimed the individual gold medal in today's FEI Junior Individual Test, earning a personal-best score of...

Three and a half months ago, Vee Stavroula Dravilas didn't know she'd be heading to NAYC aboard her trainer, Kathryn Fleming-Kuhn's, Grand Prix mare, Wilona HSR. She didn't even know the mare would be her ride at all for the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships presented by USDF . Getting there meant working through a disappointment first. Dravilas aboard Wilona HSR at the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships presented by USDF (©US Equestrian) In late...

Traverse City, Mich. — Dressage competition continued on Thursday, July 30, at the 2026 FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships (NAYC), presented by USDF, at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, Mich., with the FEI Young Rider Team Test and the FEI U25 Grand Prix 16-25 taking center stage. FEI Young Rider Team Test Region 3 topped the FEI Young Rider Team Test podium, posting a combined score of 198.941 to take the gold medal. Region 9 earned silver with a combined team score...

Traverse City, Mich . — Competition officially began today in the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships presented by USDF at the 2026 FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), with the Junior Team Test, Children's Preliminary Test B and U25 Intermediate II kicking off dressage action at Flintfield Horse Park. FEI Junior Team Test Region 2 took top honors in the Junior Team Test, posting a combined score of 201.879 to finish in gold medal position. Region 3 earned silver...

Some horses make an impression because of what they accomplish in the arena. Others leave an impression because of who they are when they walk back through the barn aisle. For Katie Nayak (Tucson, Ariz.), her partner is special because he is both. Technically, Nayak’s horse is named Iniesto, a 2013 Andalusian gelding (Dimarts x Euro V), owned by Pamela Farthing. But that name is rarely used. Katie Nayak and Iniesto (©Teri Miller, Courtesy of the Nayak family) “I call him...

Traverse City, Mich. – Youth athletes from across North America are set to compete in Traverse City, Mich., for the 2026 edition of the FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), the continent's only FEI youth championship for jumping and dressage. ©US Equestrian This year's competition once again features the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championship presented by USDF and the Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championship presented by USHJA. Hosted at...

In 2017, a young Ben Ebeling stepped atop the podium at the FEI North American Youth Championships, celebrating team gold alongside teammates Christian Simonson, Aleyna Dunn, and Ava Bingley. Nearly a decade later, Ebeling has established himself as a competitive professional U.S. dressage athlete, earning multiple victories at the international levels and making history as the inaugural US Equestrian Open Dressage Final Champion with Bellena. From L to R: Ben Ebeling, Aleyna Dunn, Ava Bingley,...

Lexington, Ky. – The 2026 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions (FOC) is set to take place Aug. 24-30, 2026, at HITS Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill. FOC includes the following national championships: ©US Equestrian Adequan®/USEF Para Dressage National Championship Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championships-Four-Year-Old Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championships-Five-Year-Old Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championships-Six-Year-Old...

Ocala, Fla. – The inaugural Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) Pan American Equestrian Confederation (PAEC) Championship of the Americas, a three-discipline event for show jumping, dressage, and eventing, will be held from January 21-31, 2027, at World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC). US Equestrian (USEF) will serve as the host national federation, WEC as the organizing committee, and PAEC as a major organizer of the FEI PAEC Championship of the Americas....

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian proudly announces the return of long-term partner Gotham North as the title sponsor of the Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships presented by USHJA (NAYC) . A dedicated supporter of the championship for over 10 years, Gotham North has continued to be major contributor to the FEI North American Youth Championships. The Championships offer an exciting opportunity for athletes (Children through Young Riders) to compete against their peers in a...

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the combinations who will represent three different U.S. U25 Dressage Teams at the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships presented by USDF , set to take place from July 27 - August 2, 2026, in Traverse City, Mich. The FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships presented by USDF (NAYC) is the premier international championship in North America for children (ages 12-14), juniors (ages 14-18), young riders (ages 16-21), and...