Chris von Martels Wins the 2026 Palm Beach Dressage Derby

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2026 Palm Beach Dressage Derby

Canadian Olympian Chris von Martels became the winner of the 2026 Palm Beach Dressage Derby competition on Friday 27 February 2026.

Founded in 1983 the Palm Beach Derby is to date one of the longest standing and most important equestrian competitions in the United States. Gisela (and Howald) Pferdekamper founded the first edition and it was shouldered by Janne Rumbough, who helped in first bringing top international judges to Florida (including Jaap Pot), when the Florida show circuit didn't exist and the sport of dressage hadn't really caught on in North America.

Pferdekamper and Rumbough created a European-type show and Hermés donated the trophies, ribbons and the $5,000 prize for the winner of the Grand Prix, adding glittering parties and shopping to the experience. The first edition was held at Hanover Horse Farm in Loxahatchee, FL.

In 1998 the event moved to the Loxahatchee property of the late Mary Anne McPhail, who took over the management of the show. She was honoured at the 2026 edition. The show has been rebranded the "Mary Anne McPhail Memorial Show." The input of Gisela Pferdekamper and Janne Rumbough is no longer recognized while both doyennes are still based in Wellington and regulars at the show grounds.

43rd Edition

The initial format of the Derby featured the top four riders swapping horses in the tradition of the Hamburg Derby in Germany. In recent years the show follows the " Knock-Out" format with four rounds. The 43rd edition was won by Canadian Chris von Martels.

Jennifer Hoffmann (USA) and Chris von Martels (CAN) emerged victorious from the semi-finals held earlier in the day to step forward for the final. In this competition, top riders team up with an unfamiliar horse and perform the Prix St. Georges under test conditions after just five minutes to get acquainted.

The horse for the final was Sarah Colson’s nine-year-old Escolar gelding, Esquire WS, whose regular rider is Australian Hope Beerling. Esquire and Beerling were placed first in Thursday’s Prix St. Georges test, which is how the horse to be used for the final is determined.

First to go, Hoffmann put down a 69.596% ride on Esquire WS. Von Marels climbed into the saddle and produced a powerful, expressive 72.758% on the attractive Westphalian to clinch the Palm Beach Dressage Derby title for the second time, after also winning in 2016. Aside from the five-time winner Cristoph Koschel, Von Martels is the only rider to have won more than once.