Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce updates to the U.S. Dressage Pathway Programs for 2026, including updated program member lists for the USA Dressage Pre-Elite, Development, Emerging Young Horse and Youth athletes in the United States. These program lists are established based on competition results within the past 12 months and are supported by Christine Traurig, USEF Dressage Technical Advisor & Chef d’Equipe and Development and Young Horse Coach, Assistant Pathway Coaches Olivia LaGoy Weltz and Guenter Seidel, alongside George Williams, USEF High Performance Pathway Advisor and Youth Coach. The updated program lists can be found here.

“We have worked very collaboratively with the athletes in our programs to identify objective performance targets, which continue to drive our training and competition preparation, while also focusing on individual goals for combinations to push for improvement and depth across our entire pathway,” said Traurig. “While some of the targets may seem bold, our coaching staff and the athletes agree we must hold ourselves to a realistic but high standard to ensure we meet the quality of performance on the field of play which will help us build momentum and success over the next three years. We always have a podium finish at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as our north star and feel confident we are moving the needle in the right direction to produce consistency and success on the road to LA.”

As part of the program review process, the USEF Dressage Program coaching staff and internal staff have been meeting regularly with combinations to discuss plans, projections, and performance targets for the 2026 competition year and beyond. As part of the program’s outlined goals for 2026, targets have been set which include a top finish in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup Wellington CDIO3*, securing placings inside of the top ten at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Ft. Worth Texas, as well as finishing inside the top six teams at the 2026 FEI Dressage World Championships. The programs will also focus on continuing to increase pipeline depth of established Grand Prix combinations through utilization of international Nations Cup opportunities.

Expectations for program participants competing at the Grand Prix level include displaying ability to score at least 71% or above for the Pre-Elite program, while focusing on those combinations with the ability to score above 74% progressing towards joining the Elite program. This coming summer, Grand Prix level Development program combinations will focus on gaining valuable experience through the FEI Nations Cup Series and CDI opportunities in Europe with the objective of finishing within the top five in team competitions.

For the emerging young horse and youth level athletes, performance markers will include the U25 & Young Rider European Tours, U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, FEI World Breeding Championships, and the FEI North American Youth Championships.

Looking towards 2027 and 2028, the program has identified performance targets including podium finishes at the 2027 Pan American Games, as well as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, which will continue to be the driving focus of performance planning and execution over the remaining three years of the current quadrennial period.

In 2025, the USEF Dressage program has to date, hosted six training/evaluation sessions for program members along with home visits, and seven USEF Training Series opportunities open to all FEI levels. These opportunities will continue to expand in 2026 and be conducted by the USEF Dressage coaching staff with a calendar of events available on the USEF website no later than December 15, 2025. All sessions will be available by application on the USEF Athlete Dashboard.

Details regarding program goals have been provided in open forum athlete and owner meetings and in subsequent individual conversations with program athletes. Athletes interested in learning more about the USEF Dressage Programs can contact a member of the USEF Dressage coaching staff or the USEF Dressage Department at [email protected].

To learn more about the USEF Dressage Pathway Program criteria and requirements, please click here. 

The USEF Dressage Pathway Programs are made possible in part through the generosity of Akiko Yamazaki and Four Winds Farm, whose support is instrumental in fostering the development of dressage talent in the United States.

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The USEF International High-Performance Programs and the USEF High Performance Pathway Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, the philanthropic partner to USEF. High Performance Program support is also provided by the USOPC and USEF sponsors and members.