Following the conclusion of the final CDI of the 2020 calendar year, US Equestrian has updated to the U.S. Dressage Elite, Pre-Elite, and Development lists.
The USEF Dressage elite and development programs aim to identify and support athletes who have the potential to represent the U.S. in international competition.
Elite & Pre-Elite Lists
As a result of the 2020 competition calendar being substantially reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions, the Elite and Pre-Elite lists will remain largely unchanged heading into the 2021 competition year. These lists will be continually be reviewed. As the competition season moves forward, the list will be updated to reflect performances and scores.
“This year started off very strong, with two combinations trending towards podium-level scores, but the global lockdown created a need to reset and refocus,” said U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe Debbie McDonald. “Instead of a year of top competitions, our combinations have been working at their home bases. Luckily, by utilizing virtual coaching and observation, our athletes did not miss much training time. Now the focus is on steadily ramping back up, and we have already seen a couple of our combinations coming back out stronger than prior to the lockdown.”
The USEF Dressage Elite and Pre-Elite list include:
Elite (A-squad)
- Katherine Bateson-Chandler (Wellington, Fla.) and Alcazar, Jane Clark’s Dutch Warmblood gelding
- Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (Haymarket, Va.) and Lonoir, her own and Mary Anne McPhail’s Danish Warmblood gelding
- Adrienne Lyle (Ketchum, Idaho) and Harmony’s Duval, Duval Partner LLC’s Dutch Warmblood gelding
- Adrienne Lyle (Ketchum, Idaho) and Salvino, Betsy Juliano LLC’s Hanoverian stallion
- Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.) and Suppenkasper, Four Winds Farm’s and Akiko Yamazaki’s KWPN gelding
- Sabine Schut-Kery (Napa, Calif.) and Sanceo, Alice Womble’s Hanoverian Stallion.
Pre-Elite (B-squad)
- Charlotte Jorst (Reno, Nev.) and Kastel’s Nintendo, Kastel Denmark’s Dutch Warmblood stallion
- Jennifer Schrader-Williams (Olympia, Wash.) and Millione, Millione Partners LLC’s, Danish Warmblood Gelding.
- Nick Wagman (San Diego, Calif.) and Don John, Beverly Gepfer’s Dutch Warmblood gelding
Development Program
The updated Kundrun USEF Development Program member list is a showcase of some of the country’s most promising up-and-coming dressage talent. The 2020 competition year included some strong highlights with many program members producing excellent results at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions.
USEF Development Program Coach, Charlotte Bredahl, used video reviews and virtual training events to monitor athletes’ progress and key performance indicators when travel was not an option.
“Developing the talent for future years is especially vital as we move into the new Olympic quadrennial, and we hope to see these combinations transition to the Elite Program over the next several years, if not sooner. In addition to our current membership list, I’m inspired with how many other talented athletes and horses we have seen throughout the year and I’m looking forward to hopefully welcoming more of them to the list in 2021.” said Bredahl. “We give a huge thanks to Fritz and Claudine Kundrun and the USET Foundation who continue to support our Development Program.”
The Kundrun USEF Development Program Member List includes:
- Claire Darnell (Moorpark, Calif.) with Harrold S, her eight-year-old KWPN gelding
- Susie Dutta (Wellington, Fla.) with Don Design DC, her and Tim Dutta’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding
- Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) with Sensation HW, Carol McPhee’s seven-year-old Westphalian gelding
- Kristina Harrison (Burbank, Calif.) with Finley, her 10-year-old KWPN gelding
- Jennifer Hoffmann (Carlsbad, Calif.) with Rondoro Noblesse, her nine-year-old Austrian Warmblood stallion
- Lindsey Holleger (Middletown, N.Y.) with MW Ave Maria, Jennifer Vanover’s seven-year-old Oldenburg mare
- Katie Johnson (Greenwood Village, CO) with Paxton, Kylee Lourie’s nine-year-old Westphalian gelding
- Sarah Lockman (Wildomar, Calif.) with Balia, Summit Farm’s eight-year-old Westphalian mare, and First Apple, Summit Farm’s 10-year-old KWPN stallion
- Anna Marek (Dunnellon, Fla.) with Dee Clair, Diane Morrison’s 12-year-old KWPN mare
- Amelia Newcomb (Simi Valley, Calif.) with Harvard, her eight-year-old KWPN gelding
- Alice Tarjan (Oldwick, N.J.) with Donatella M, her nine-year-old Oldenburg mare, Candescent, her 10-year-old Hanoverian mare and Harvest, her eight-year-old KWPN stallion
- Carly Taylor-Smith (Malibu, Calif.) with Rosalut NHF, Nikki Taylor-Smith’s 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding
Under 25
- Hope Cooper (Concord, Mass.) with Hot Chocolate W, Mary Mansfield’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding
- Benjamin Ebeling (Moorpark, Calif.) with Illuster Van De Kampert, Nuvolari Holdings, LLC and Amy Ebeling’s 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding
- Kerrigan Gluch (Ocala, Fla.) with Vaquero HGF, Hampton Green Farm’s 13-year-old Andalusian stallion
- Sara Hassler (Wellington, Fla.) with Harmony’s Boitano, Leslie Malone’s 14-year-old KWPN gelding
- Natalie Pai (Wellington, Fla.) with Utopie D’ouilly, Melanie Pai’s 12-year-old Selle Francais mare
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Links
U.S. Grand Prix Dressage Squads for 2020 Announced
Twenty-One Riders Selected for 2020 Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program
Riders Announced on Updated Dressage Development Program List
USEF Creates Dressage Sport Committee to Oversee Development of U.S. Dressage