Leesburg, Va. - The dressage phase of the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final CCI4*-L concluded on Friday at Morven Park International Equestrian Center. Twenty horse-and-athlete combinations completed their tests in the Grand Prix Arena, making up the second half of the 36 total starters of the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final field. Tamie Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) and her long-time partner, Danito, delivered a record-breaking performance with a score of 22.8 penalties to take over the lead. Their score now sits as the lowest mark in the history of the Morven Park CCI4*-L, topping Will Coleman’s dressage mark of 25.1 penalties last year, to set a new standard for the event.
Danito, a 2009 Hanoverian gelding (Dancier x Wolkenstein II), owned by Ruth Bley, impressed the judging panel with his expressive and precise work in the ring. The pair’s effort earned them particularly strong marks for Danito’s confident flying changes and half-passes throughout the test. For Smith, the gelding’s confidence comes from experience.
“We have such a long-standing partnership, so I kind of know what to expect,” she noted, adding that she always feels sure of Danito heading into the dressage.
That familiarity came in handy early in the test, when Danito showed a bit of fire.
“He actually got into the ring and got a little spicy, and I had to back off. My first couple of movements weren’t what I really loved,” Smith explained. Although, the pair quickly found their rhythm. “After a couple of movements, he just sunk in and felt really great. So, I’m really pleased with him.”
With dressage behind them, Smith’s attention turns to tomorrow’s cross-country track designed by Derek di Grazia, and she’s thrilled to be back at Morven Park.
“There’s nothing like it. It’s beautiful here, Derek [di Grazia] does a masterful job, and the terrain is amazing,” she praised. The course, she added, is part of the appeal: “It’s a really fun course because it’s challenging. It’s a four-star track, so it’s amazing out there.”
Smith is off to a big start this week as she adds her dressage overnight lead to a list of accolades that include 2026 US Equestrian Open Series Winner and Leading Lady Award presented by Frank & Eileen.
Sitting second after dressage is Sharon White (Summit Point, W.V.) and Claus 63, her own 2012 Oldenburg gelding (Helenhof’s Catoo x Levisto Z), on 26.0 penalties. Just 0.4 penalties behind White is Alyssa Phillips (Fort Worth, Texas) and Rockett 19, a 2015 Holsteiner gelding (Rock Forever NRW x Mighty Magic), owned by Alyssa and Julie Phillips, who posted 26.4 to hold third place going into tomorrow’s cross country. With Smith in the lead, the top three after the first phase are all women, and only 3.6 penalties separate them.
The competition continues Saturday morning with the CCI4*-L cross-country phase beginning at 11:00 a.m. EDT, followed by the show jumping finale on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. EDT, where the new US Equestrian Open Eventing Final champion will be crowned.
Live Streaming
USEF Network will feature wall-to-wall coverage of all three phases of the US Equestrian Open Eventing Final CCI4*-L. Tune in to the action on USEF Network powered by ClipMyHorse.TV. Watch live for free with a USEF Fan account.
US Equestrian Open Fansite | Event Website | Schedule & Ride Times | Results
Follow US Equestrian
Catch the latest news, photos of the competition, and re-live the action from the inaugural US Equestrian Open Eventing Final on the US Equestrian Open Content Hub here. Follow the US Equestrian Open on Facebook and Instagram. Use #USEquestrianOpen.