US Equestrian has announced the athlete-and-horse combinations selected to represent the U.S. Para Dressage Team at the 2026 FEI Para Dressage World

Championships in Aachen, Germany, from August 19-23. Since 2017, Michel Assouline has led the Para Dressage Program, which has been built on consistency, opportunity, and always with an eye firmly fixed on the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games. The years of hard work are apparent through the team selected.  

The following combinations have been selected to represent the U.S. Para Dressage Team for the 2026 FEI Para Dressage World Championships and are listed in alphabetical order: 

• Rebecca Hart (Wellington, Fla.) and Floratina, a 2008 Hanoverian mare (Fidertanz 2 x Rubin Royal OLD), owned by Rowan O’Riley, and cared for by Mackenzie Young 

• Fiona Howard (Boston, Mass.) and Diamond Dunes, a 2013 Hanoverian gelding (De L’Or x Wolkentanz), owned by Dressage Family LLC and Hof Kasselmann, and cared for by Helen Claire McNulty 

• Kate Shoemaker (Wellington, Fla.) and Vianne, her own 2016 Hanoverian mare (Vitalis x Ramiro’s Bube) cared for by Jessica Martin-Legg  

• Marie Vonderheyden (Wellington, Fla.) and Fan Tastico H, a 2017 Oldenburg gelding (Furstenball OLD x Weltmeyer), owned by Karin Flint, and cared for by Rafael Hernandez-Carillo 

Ahead of the announcement, Assouline chatted with US Equestrian to walk through how the team was selected, what the selectors were looking for, and why he believes the program is trending in the right direction heading into Aachen. 

 

A Selection Process on Two Continents 

In the lead-up to the FEI Para Dressage World Championship the U.S. Para Dressage Team ran what Assouline calls a "dual observation event" this year – one in Tryon, North Carolina, and one in Hagen, Germany. 

The format reflects a broader shift in the sport. With a growing number of U.S. Para Dressage riders now based in Europe, Assouline said it made sense to build a selection system that let those athletes compete close to home, in front of top international judges and competitors, without penalizing riders who remained based in the U.S. 

"We don't want to force combinations to come abroad," Assouline said. "So, they have an option to choose and do that." 

Assouline also noted the benefits of the system. “It’s an advantage for us to have athletes campaigning in Europe,” he explained. “They can be exposed to the top judges and top competitors. They get very realistic appraisal of their rides while abroad.” 

To keep the process fair across both events, the same three-judge panel at both the Tryon and Hagen observation events, two of whom will also serve on the official judging panel at the World Championships in Aachen. 

 

What Selectors Were Looking For 

According to Assouline, selectors weighed two main factors: raw performance and consistency over time. 

"We are really looking for sustained performance and the highest scores," he said. "But also, [we look at] the trend of scores. Are they consistent? Are they going to be of good value for us? Are they going to hold their cap under the flag, so to speak?" 

 Selectors looked back at least a year of results to evaluate how each combination was trending before comparing combinations again stone another. 

Adding another layer of complexity, para dressage competition is divided into five grades based on a rider’s classification, Assouline explained. According to championship rules, each team is required to include at least one combination from Grade I, II, or III.  

 "We must pick one of those Grade I, II, or III riders, and then we can choose outside of that as we please. We are very fortunate to have strong combinations across all Grades within our program,” said Assouline.  

 

Building Toward Los Angeles 2028 

While the World Championships are an important benchmark, Assouline was clear that the program's real focus is the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games. 

"For us, our long-term tactical plan is Los Angeles 2028," he said. "That is our goal: to be standing on the top of the world, especially having done well at the last Paralympics and having been gold medalist in Paris." 

He described the World Championships as part of the team's "short-term tactical plan" — an important step, but not the ultimate target. 

"It's not essential," he said of a medal in Aachen. "It would still be ideal, because we are still developing partnerships, one of them newer than the others, with this team. But I'm still going to try with [the athletes] as best as we can to steer toward a medal, because we would like to do that, of course." 

Assouline pointed to several combinations carrying valuable Paralympic experience into this cycle, including Fiona Howard and Diamond Dunes, along with Kate Shoemaker and Vianne, and Rebecca Hart and Floratina; all of whom competed at the Hagen observation event. Marie Vonderheyden and Fan Tastico H competed in the observation event at Tryon. This will be Vonderheyden’s first senior team selection aboard Fan Tastico H, who is an experienced Paralympic mount. He noted that several of the selected horses, including Vianne, Diamond Dunes, and Fan Tastico H, have already posted personal-best scores this season. 

 "I couldn't be any happier as a Chef d’Equipe to see these athletes and horses holding their performance consistency," he said. "In some cases, we're doing even better." 

 

Growing the Paralympic Movement 

Beyond selection and results, Assouline emphasized the broader momentum he sees building around para dressage as a discipline and the entire Paralympic movement. 

"It's becoming very clear in the world we're living in that Paralympic sport is extremely popular with the general public, because people feel it's actually a good cause for the athletes," he said. "It just gives them something extra [to cheer for.]" 

Assouline also pointed to the sport's strong track record on equine welfare as a point of pride for the discipline. 

"We know from the Paris feedback that there was no criticism whatsoever with Paralympic dressage," he said. "This is really something that the whole community is proud of." 

With the team selection now set following the Tryon and Hagen observation events, Assouline and the U.S. Para Dressage Team head into Aachen with depth, consistency, and an eye on the sport's growing global stage and a home Paralympic Games in Los Angeles just two years away.