After a historic low point for team U.S.A. at the 2024 Olympics, the United States Equestrian Federation has regrouped and is coming out full force with a masterplan to be back as a force to be reckoned with at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles on home turf.
A Wake-up Call
For the three decades, Team U.S.A. has been a significant player in the team competition at the Olympics. They won bronze in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 and then a long medal hiatus followed. Team USA was back full force in Rio 2016 with another bronze won by two of Debbie McDonald's students (Graves, Perry) alongside Steffen Peters and Ali Brock. With the help of Sabine Schut-Kery the US Team even got silver in Tokyo 2021. However the American team in Paris 2024 got eliminated.
For 2025 the U.S. Open show circuit with an impressive prize pot has been conjured out of thin air and the "USEF Dressage Program Pathway" has been re-written to source and guide more talent on home ground through a "squad" system.
A New Pathway Designed
Newly appointed U.S. chef d’equipe Christina Traurig and U.S. team captain George Williams are put in charge of the think tank that has to lead the way.
"We have to step up our game a little bit,” Traurig explained in an interview with Dressage-News. “So we revisited the program requirements and we rewrote them where the requirements are pretty clear of what we need to achieve. The next step up is always the level above and until it reaches the elite which is the pinnacle of the pathway programs, we have to stay very focused on wanting to accomplish that.”
Traurig continued, "as the chef d’equipe you need to have a clue on what’s going on with the horses in the programs leading up to the elite. We are talking about also to have a coaches network that also includes that we will add staff to assist in that and that I will continue to oversee. I’m very passionate about it."
The German Template
became double Olympic champion
(Photo © LL-foto.de)
Christine's statement of "having a clue on what’s going on with the horses in the programs" prompted me to have a look at the young horse programmes and Championships in the U.S.A. and what has become of the horses that stood out in them.
In Germany, winners and top placed horses in the Louisdor Cup finals ended up being significant German (Olympic) team horses: El Santo, Dablino, Weihegold OLD, Emilio, Sammy Davis jr, Cosmo, Faustus, Franziskus, Dalera BB, and Total Hope (for Norway) just to name a few.
But what happens to the winners of the Developing PSG and GP Championships? Where are they now? Let's have a look at the past 8 years.
Where Are They Now?
2017: Frankie and Fashion Designer
- Dev. PSG = Anna Stovall - Frankie
Owner Catherine Haddad produced Frankie to Grand Prix level and competed her two seasons at CDI GP level in 2020 and 2021. Then the mare disappeared from the CDI scene.
In this group of finalists, Nora Barchelders's Faro SQF and Carly Taylor-Smith's Rosalut NHF probably stood out at GP level.
- Dev GP = Cesar Parra - Fashion Designer
Cesar Parra never competed Fashion Designer at CDI Grand Prix level. The horse was briefly sent to Tina Konyot for training but returned to Parra and then disappeared from the show scene. The horse sold to Mexico.
In this group of finalists, James Koford's Adiah, Michael Bragdell's Qredit Hilltop, JJ Tate's Kynynmont Gunsmoke's Gideon, Patricia Becker's Freedom all had GP careers. Heather Blitz' Ripline did not show beyond international medium tour and then sold.
2018: Lucky Strike and Bailarino
- Dev. PSG = Endel Ots - Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike proved himself a top small tour horse and was trained up to GP level but never truly shown in the big tour. He sold as a schoolmaster. Reserve champion Straight Horse Zackonik did one season at CDI level, in 2019, in the small tour.
- Dev GP = Dawn White-O'Connor - Bailarino
Bailarino competed at CDI Grand Prix level between 2019 and 2021 and then disappeared. Reserve champion Candescent (Alice Tarjan) went to Europe in 2021, then got injured. He returned in 2023 but hasn't been out since March 2023 at CDI's
The other finalists saw a couple of repeat horses from 2017: Kynynmont Gunsmoke's Gideon, Qredit Hilltop, Fashion Designer but he got eliminated.
2019: Damon's Fantasy and Ferano
- Dev. PSG = Kathy Priest - Damon's Fantasy
The now 14-year old Damon's Fantasy showed at International small tour level with Priest until March 2020. He has not been in a CDI ring since.
From this group of finalists Java Dulce and Damon's Design are the only ones still going that pop into memory as active CDI horses. Third placed Gorgeous did one medium tour CDI in 2022. Fourth placed Fenomenal JW got stuck at small tour level and did one CDI season in 2022. Hopefully any of these will make a come back.
- Dev GP = Nick Wagman - Ferano
Ferano made his international show debut at Grand Prix level in October 2020 and competed in two CDI's in Wellington, before disappearing off the grid. He turns 15 in 2025. Reserve champion Candescent (see info above), third placed was Bridget Hay on Faolan, a name that reappears in the results at these championships, but internationally has not set foot in the CDI ring since October 2022. The horse did 5 CDI's at Grand Prix level in his career so far...
2020: Stenagers Wyatt Earp and Donatella M
- Dev. PSG = Christopher Hickey - Stenagers Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp made his CDI GP debut in 2023 and has been competing at US shows with mainly mid sixties results. From this crop of finalists probably Karen Lipp's Infinity produced the best results at Grand Prix level so far.
- Dev GP = Alice Tarjan on Donatella M
Donatella M went on to compete at international Grand Prix level, but only in Florida. Her last CDI was April 2022. She sold and disappeared from the CDI scene. Shelly van den Neste's Fire Fly became Anna Marek's 2023 Pan American Games gold medal winner.
2021: Daily Show and Serenade MF
- Dev. PSG = Emily Miles on Daily Show (by Danciano x Stockholm)
Daily Show never competed at international Prix level (so far). Two horses in this division ended up making a mark at GP level:
Kristina Harrison (I Felix) and Rebecca Rigdon (Iquem)
- Dev GP = Alice Tarjan on Serenade MF (by Sir Donnerhall x Don Principe)
Serenade had an international Grand Prix career, also competing in Europe. She won the 2022 US Grand Prix Championships and finished 9th at the 2023 World Cup Finals
From this crop the fourth placed Paxton (Katie Duerrhammer) probably became the second most prolific Grand Prix horse at the moment.
2022: Johnny Be Goode and Harrold S
- Dev. PSG = Olivia Lagoy-weltz - Johnny Be Goode
Winner Johnny be Goode never competed internationally with Lagoy-Weltz. Not in the small tour, nor in the big tour. In fact, in this group of finalists none have made an impact at GP level so far, even though this lot of horses should have been established small tour greats and could have progressed to Grand Prix level by now. This is the group of horses that should be nurtured as America's Next Generation of Grand Prix horses right now.
- Dev GP = Claire Darnell - Harrold S
Claire Darnell's Harrold S made his CDI Grand Prix debut in November 2022 and competed through February 2023 after which he got "the year off." He has not yet made a come back.
The reserve champion Jane (Alice Tarjan) went on to be a U.S. Olympic team horse in Paris with Marcus Orlob. In this group of finalists one still sees Sole Mio (Emily Miles), Vamos (Devon Kane), Infinity (Karen Lipp) at CDI's at big tour level. This group of horses should have begun to thrive at GP level with enough quality for team consideration. Jane proved that.
2023: Sonnenberg's Jersey and Sole Mio
- Dev. PSG = Sabine Schut-Kery - Sonnenberg's Jersey
Winner Jersey has made a steady climb up the levels and in the care of U.S. Olympian Sabine Schut-Kery he is expected to make his break through in the classic Grand Prix tour in 2025. In 2014 she won the same Champion's title with Sanceo and this horse became a U.S. Olympic team anchor in 2021. Concerning the other 2023 finalists it will be interesting to see if third placed Gremlin (Quinn Iverson) will break through at Grand Prix level. Of the other finalists, S-Express seems the only one showing in CDI's.
- Dev GP = Emily Miles - Sole Mio
Sole Mio was a finalist in 2022 and returned in 2023.This is the ideal trend a federation should strive for: the gradual climb up the levels, the horses staying in capable hands/management, and consistency. Ideally Sole Mio, as the winner, should have made an international break through by now.He did two CDI's in 2023 and one in 2024.
From this group of finalists a few Grand Prix horses are now actively competing at international level: INXS, Infinity, Iquem, Destar, Triple X, ...
2024: Gorgeous Latino and Nova
- Dev. PSG = Sabine Schut-Kery - Gorgeous Latino
This is of course very recent, so for 2025 it's either expected for Gorgeous Latino to stay at small tour level and get consolidated in those movements while slowly schooling the Grand Prix. The USEF should be on top of this group of finalists and assist in their management and training to build a good foundation for a larger Grand Prix group.
- Dev GP = Nora Batchelder - Nova
This group is supposed to be America's future at Grand Prix level. They should become the breakout stars in 2025. Will be interesting to see if any of them will be competing in California or at the Florida shows.
Conclusion
This is only a quick look at the results of the Developing Championships and more digging can be done, but it prompts a few conclusions: not enough of the winning and top placed horses are monitored and produced as future Grand Prix stars.
Will she be the break out star of 2025?
What certainly stands out is the success rate Alice Tarjan has with her horses (Donatella M, Jane, Candescent).
It also gets me wondering about injury management. The U.S. is far more advanced in veterinary medicine, yet in Germany the horses in the Louisdor Cup make a fluent transition into the classic Grand Prix tour with not that many seem to drop out due to injury. Is there a difference in daily horse management?
There are a lot of questions I would love to hear the answers to. Let's hope with the new USEF Dressage Pathway program that more U.S bred, trained and competed talent makes it to the top.
Photos © Astrid Appels - LL-foto - US Equestrian - Emma Miller
Related Links
Christine Traurig Signs as U.S. Chef d'Equipe until 2028 L.A. Olympics
Debbie McDonald Observing Horses and Riders in Hopes of Developing Elite Competitors for U.S.
Developing Champions
Gorgeous Latino and Nova Win Developing Horse Titles at 2024 U.S. Dressage Championships
Sonnenberg's Jersey and Sole Mio Win Developing Horse Titles at 2023 U.S. Dressage Championships
Johnny Be Goode and Harrold S Win Developing Horse Divisions at 2022 U.S. Dressage Championships
Daily Show and Serenade MF Win 2021 U.S. Developing Horse Championships
Gjenganger, Easy di Fonte Abeti, Spirit of Joy, Stenagers Wyatt Earp, Donatella M Win 2020 U.S. Young and Developing Horse Titles
Damon's Fantasy and Ferano Win Developing Horse Titles at 2019 U.S. Dressage Championships
Parra and Fashion Designer OLD Claim 2017 U.S. Developing Grand Prix Horse Championship Title