Wellington, Fla. – From the opening notes of Thursday's Grand Prix, to the final salute of the Grand Prix Special on Saturday, the 2026 FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ USA CDIO3* and CDIOU25 at the Adequan®? Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., belonged to the United States — with The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team and the U.S. CDIOU25 Team earning a haul of team gold medals and individual podium finishes.
FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO3*
Friday evening brought the glamour and spectacle of the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO3*, with Germany's Frederic Wandres and Verrenberg topping the class with a 77.000% to claim the win and secure their second US Equestrian Open Dressage Series qualifying result.
For the U.S., Ashley Holzer (Wellington, Fla.) delivered a strong performance aboard Hawtins San Floriana, a 2012 Hanoverian mare (San Amour x Floriana Elite), co-owned by Holzer and Diane Fellows, claiming silver and the Leading Lady Rider title in a night that capped an extraordinary 24 hours for the veteran rider. Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana, also known as “Flo,” were the highest placed American combination in the class and the only mare in the Freestyle.
“My mare sometimes struggles in the beginning, but I love how she settles into the pattern. She’s great,” Holzer said. “I think the freestyle really highlights [Hawtins San Floriana]. A lot of people come up to me and say they love music. It framed her movements beautifully.” Holzer and “Flo” performed a freestyle to Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America” which Holzer explained she chose as an homage to her path to representing the United States after much of her early career was spent wearing the flag of her home country Canada.
Also competing in the earlier FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, Sweden's Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén and Hyatt claimed their second US Equestrian Open qualifying win with a sparkling 76.640%, cementing their status as ones to watch in the US Equestrian Open Dressage Series.
FEI Grand Prix Special CDIO3*
Saturday belonged to Jordan LaPlaca and Gold Play. It was a performance that few could have anticipated at the start of the season, when LaPlaca (Ledyard, Conn.) and Gold Play, known as “GP” in the barn, were still making their international Grand Prix debut. After securing team gold in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ USA, LaPlaca returned to the ring aboard his own and Nancy Hutson's Gold Play, a 2015 Oldenburg gelding (Grey Flanell x Shangra La), and delivered a personal best score of 71.000% in the FEI CDIO3* Grand Prix Special to claim individual gold.
“Riding for the U.S. team is not only a privilege, but also something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid.” said LaPlaca. “It’s what kept me inspired to learn, to teach, and to keep going. It’s incredibly humbling and an honor, and I don’t take it lightly. I just wanted to give my horse a good season and a good go at the CDI3* level, and it ended up in a gold medal. It’s what dreams are made of.”
U.S. Dressage teammates Anna Marek (Dunnellon, Fla.) and Fayvel, a 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zizi Top x Ofra), owned by Cynthia Davila, also earned a place on the podium, finishing in third place to earn individual bronze. The combination completed the FEI Grand Prix Special with a score of 68.021%.
FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ USA CDIOU25
The U.S. CDIOU25 Team opened their 2026 season in style on Thursday in the FEI Intermediate II CDIOU25, going head-to-head with Team Canada, who fielded the minimum of two riders to make a team. Alicia Berger (Wellington, Fla.) headed up the class aboard Aqua Marin, a 2011 Oldenburg gelding (Ampere x Stedinger Heide), co-owned by Alicia and Marianne Berger, taking the individual win with a 65.500%. Allison Nemeth (Flemington, N.J.) followed in second place on Leviathan, her own 2016 KWPN gelding (Desperado x Hester), with a 65.353%, sealing team gold for the U.S. with a combined score of 130.853 points to Canada's 119.559. Sophia Schults (Ocala, Fla.) and Conocido HGF, her own 2012 PRE gelding (Cosaco XI x Luz de Luna HGF), rounded out the team under the guidance of Chef d'Equipe George Williams.
On Saturday, the team added to their successful weekend with a clean podium sweep in the FEI Grand Prix 16-25 for individual medals. Berger and Aqua Marin claimed individual gold with a 65.051%, Nemeth and Leviathan took silver with 63.103%, while Schults and Conocido HGF rounded out the all-American podium with bronze and a score of 61.000%.
“I absolutely love being part of the U.S. team, so I was really excited when Aqua [Marin] gave me a fantastic feeling in the Intermediate II and we were able to help the U.S. secure top honors,” said Berger, who also topped the podium in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDIOU25 on Sunday, “In the freestyle we just got to have fun and really enjoy the moment; there were movements in that ride that felt like floating on a cloud, there’s nothing quite like the feeling he gives me in the passage.”
Results
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