Gundersen Rises to Top on Second Day of 2026 U.S. Grand Prix Championship

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2026 U.S Grand Prix Championships

Not Grand Prix winner leader Christian Simonson on Indian Rock, but Ellesse Gundersen and Quintessential rose to top the Grand Prix Special at the 2026 U.S. Grand Prix Championships in Ocala, Fl, on Friday, May 15, 2026.

The Leaderboard is Moving

The Grand Prix Special is the second of three rounds that make the U.S. National Championships. A calculation for the final ranking is made based on the three scores with different weight coefficients: 55% for the GP, 40% for the Special, and 15% for the Kur.

Simonson was the overnight leader after winning the Grand Prix and retains that number one provisional ranking after the Special, but Gundersen is closing in with a 70.042% winning score in the Special. Ashley Holzer is provisionally in third place.

Simonson and his second ride, Fleau de Baian took second with a score of 69.808%. Jodie Kelly-Baxley and Grayton Beach finished in third place overall with a 69.234%.

Gundersen Rises to Top

A standout week for Gundersen (Wellington, Fla.) and Quintessential (by Quaterback x Cordoba) has her feeling incredibly optimistic about what lies ahead for the young combination. The pair has steadily continued to build confidence in their partnership, with this week marking two consecutive personal best scores.

“I felt like I had the same horse as I did the first day, which is what we've been aiming for, to have consistent rides and clean rides,” said Gundersen. “We know we can turn up this horse when we need to. That's not the problem. I think now he's showing that he's very consistent, and we know what we're going to have when we go in the ring. It was a great feeling.”

With their sights set on gaining European experience this summer and potentially targeting the Pan American Games in 2027 and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif., in 2028, Gundersen feels the patient and dedicated approach to development is paying off.

“When the horse was nine years old doing the Grand Prix, Christine [Traurig] was a big part in helping me kind of shape the direction to take him. I’ve followed that very carefully for the last three years now, and she wasn't wrong,” said Gundersen. “I trust her guidance completely, and like she said, you're building the team for more than just one event. LA28 is really important. Pan Americans are very important. We need to have a strong presence in all championships.”

Overall, Gundersen is grateful for the continued support and guidance of the team behind her and Quintessential 4, a 2014 Hanoverian gelding co-owned with Marcia Radosevich. With the reward of having produced him to Grand Prix herself, Gundersen is finally beginning to feel the gratification of her patience and poise in bringing him confidently and positively up through the levels.

Miscommunication with Indian Rock, Fleau Steady

For Christian Simonson (Ventura, Calif.) and Fleau de Baian, another solid test in the Special helped push them to second place overall in the class. Simonson shared his pride for the work and trust displayed by Fleau de Baian, a 2010 KWPN stallion (by Jazz x Ulft) owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center.

“I was super proud of him. Throughout the whole test today, he was unbelievably honest. Every step, I felt like he was with me today,” he said. “The extensions were super fun. I saw his whole front leg during the extensions, and I was like, ‘Oh, cool!’ He was a super, super good horse, and I’m very proud of him and the whole team.”

Simonson’s heavy-hitting mount, Indian Rock, a 2013 KWPN stallion (by Apache x Vivaldi) owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center, showcased some tension in the test with broken one tempi changes, and a pilot error added a uncharacteristic penalty mark. They scored 68.532% for 6th place in the Special.

After the class, Christian decided to withdraw Indian Rock from the U.S. Championships. One month ago the pair finished second in the 2026 World Cup Finals in Fort Worth.

"Unfortunately, it just wasn’t Rocky and I’s day and I certainly didn’t help him out with an error of course," Christian took to Instagram. "Despite leading the championships, we’ve made the decision to focus on Felix for tomorrow night’s Freestyle and give Rocky the night off given he’s done so many great freestyles already this season, including his stellar performance in Texas just a few weeks ago."

Jodie Kelly Working Her Way Up

Early in the year, Jodie Kelly-Baxley (Destin, Fla.) identified qualifying for the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship as a goal of her spring campaign with Grayton Beach, and the pair went one step above today and produced a relaxed, fluid test, which earned them a podium finish with a personal best score of 69.234% in the Grand Prix Special.

“Honestly, I can't believe it, except that my horse is so honest and so trustworthy. He's one of those that, when he genuinely understands what I'm asking him, I can count on him like the sun is going to rise tomorrow, which is really the most amazing feeling,” smiled Kelly-Baxley. “The mistakes that we've had in the past, and him getting a little bit stressed, I genuinely knew that he wasn't understanding what I was asking him, and we've just really, really been working on that. That trust, that confidence, understanding, and what I was asking him – now, I feel like he's got it.”

Kelly-Baxley has owned Grayton Beach, a 2011 KWPN gelding (by Negro x UB 40) since he was a three-year-old and the journey to Grand Prix has been a rewarding one. With each competition the pair continue to build trust and confidence in one another, particularly in the collected work, which Kelly-Baxley felt was a huge highlight of the pair’s test this morning.

Team Trainer Weighs In

U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig stressed the importance of having a standalone national championship for grand prix and that WEC is the venue to host it.

“I think it's really, really important for the athletes to be at the same venue, the same competition – being together, competing with each other – but also against each other,” she noted. “That is really something that adds a little bit of pressure, which we know leading up to championships is something our riders have to get used to and handle. The venue is fantastic, especially the stadium which creates an atmosphere that we will also have when we go to Europe and compete. The footing is great, the horses can go outside, they have the option also to train inside; it’s really accommodating the welfare of the horses.”