Lucy Tidd, Olivia Lagoy-Weltz, Jennifer Roth, Kerry Karangelen, Madeline Wakim, Jessica Jo Tate, Sarah Sharpe, Ella Fruchterman, Laurie Moore, Jennifer Truett, and Cecilia Stewart were the winners of the FEI level titles at the 2026 USDF Dressage Finals in Wilmington, Ohio, on 28 October - 1 November 2026.
The USDF Dressage Finals traditionally took place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, but moved to the World Equestrian Center Ohio branch in Wilmington. No less 37 champions from Training Level to Grand Prix were crowned.
USDF Finals
The USDF Dressage Finals are the annual American dressage championships hosted by the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) - mostly - for amateur and non-professional dressage riders as the USEF Dressage Championships are held annually at Lamplight in August.
The USDF Finals were first held in 2013 and this was 13th running of the Finals
Riders competing at the 2026 US Dressage Finals qualified through nine USDF Regional Dressage Championships held in late September and early October. The 2026 Finals implemented a new, simplified entry process, eliminating the declaration and nomination processes. The top four eligible horse/rider combinations were automatically invited, and many minimum scores to earn a wildcard were reduced.
Prix St Georges AA: Lucy Tidd and Budweiser Bubble
Lucy Tidd and Budweiser looked like a match that was always meant to be as they won the Prix St. Georges Adult Amateur Championship out of 20 combinations with 68.627% from judges Michael Osinski at H, Sandra Hotz at C, and Beverly Rogers at B. However, it was not quite a direct path to glory.
Tidd originally purchased the now 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Johnson x Induc as a five-year-old because of her positive experience with another Johnson son. Much to her surprise, Budweiser was nothing like his mild-mannered half-brother.
After a year away at a trainer-friend’s facility, Tidd’s current trainer Jeremy Steinberg took over the ride for three years. Eventually, Steinberg talked Tidd into reconnecting with Budweiser.
“He was really, really difficult as a young horse,” remembered Tidd, who is based in Maryland and qualified through Region 1. “Jeremy was really trying to convince me, so I finally started riding him again on a whim, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. Fortunately, he’s been super. It’s like a different horse, and he feels really solid now. He’s been so lovely, and it’s really been a treat to get to sit on him again. To come to Finals and do all of this was completely unexpected. He went out and really tried hard.”
Prix St Georges Open: Olivia Lagoy-Weltz on "War Horse" Ici Bria VCG
Professional Olivia LaGoy-Weltz of Region 1 claimed the top spot in the Prix St. Georges Open Championship aboard her own Ici Bria VCG. Despite a streak of bad luck and physical setbacks for the 13-year-old KWPN mare by Chippendale x Weyden, the pair enjoyed some good favor for a change, stringing together four shows to qualify and compete at Regionals, and then claim the victory at Finals.
“We found this amazing farrier, Luke Goodness, and he is really the one that got her sound; he’s the reason we are even here,” explained an emotional LaGoy-Weltz, who serves as the US Equestrian Dressage Assistant Pathway Coach and was shortlisted for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “Every show I’ve gotten to do with her, I’ve tried to have the attitude, ‘I’m just so happy to be here.’
“Of course, as a competitor, I always want to ride well and to do right by the horse and represent the sport in the best possible way,” she continued. “You always hope to do well, but you don’t really come in with any expectations. I certainly didn’t, especially not when you’re among everyone who’s won their regions, so this was really an incredible result.”
It was a very full-circle moment for LaGoy-Weltz and ICI Bria VCG, as their last Finals appearance five years ago resulted in a Fourth Level Championship triumph. Now returning to the big stage, the pair were rewarded with an overall score of 69.608% with especially impressive scores throughout the trot tour from judges Lisa K. Schmidt at E, Ulf Wadeborn at C, and Cindi Wylie at M.
“She has always been the most amazing war horse,” enthused LaGoy-Weltz. “She goes in the ring and always brings a whole other level. She has this ability to go in and pull it off. On the coaching side, I think a lot about what riders and horses need, and you need detailed training and to always put the footwork in at home. You have to have a solid foundation and then spend enough time going in and knowing how to manage the test. That’s what’s important, and I am thrilled that it came together today.”
LaGoy-Weltz picked up her second championship title of the week aboard Fellowship in the Second Level Open Championship. They earned 70.476% to sit atop the leaderboard of 17 combinations. Olivia first met Fellowship on a horse shopping expedition in Europe with her client Linda Graves. Though they tried him then as a four-year-old, LaGoy-Weltz had some questions about how he would develop and ultimately passed on purchasing him. Not long after, however, Fellowship popped onto the radar again when Graves and LaGoy-Weltz saw him in a Hof Kasselmann auction, and his progress intrigued them enough that they decided to bid. With some finagling, the now seven-year-old Oldenburg stallion by Foundation x Carthago made his way stateside. As he grew up, he quite literally grew — up to about 18 hands — which not only earned him the nickname “Mr. Big,” but also made his development an interesting balance of progress and body conditioning.
Intermediaire I Open: Roth is Twice as Nice
It was an excellent day for Region 2 rider Jennifer Roth as she claimed both the Intermediate I Open Championship and First Level Freestyle Open Championship titles aboard Kamar’s Bravissimo and Royal DaVinci, respectively.
Kamar’s Bravissimo, a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Belissimo M x De Noir, is typically ridden by his owner Kris Harvey, but, occasionally, Roth gets to take over the reins. In this event, the pair earned positive marks throughout from judges William McMullin at H, Teresa Stewart at C, and Sandra Hotz at B for 69.706% total. It just so happened that the blue-ribbon affair coincided with Harvey’s birthday.
“This was a wonderful birthday gift for his mother,” said Roth, who is a bit of a hometown hero as a USEF ‘R’ dressage judge and a coach at Otterbein University in Westerville, OH. “I’m very privileged to ride for such a wonderful owner that is generous enough to share this lovely creature with me, and he was absolutely super today. He was right there with me. His rideability was so good today. He was forward, but he wasn’t tense, and he was laterally supple. I always feel I could have done some things better, but he covered my mistakes beautifully, and I appreciate that about him.”
Intermediaire I AA: Karangelen Wins
“I love seeing more adult amateurs out here trying to show everyone what they’ve got, because I think it’s so important for the growth of our sport overall,” noted Karangelen. “For me, going into any class, I look at dressage as being a competition with yourself. I try not to reference anyone else, and, in fact, I don’t really look at scores. I’m more concerned with how it felt and if we improved what we have been working on. It’s awesome when you have a big field of riders, because it makes the recognition sweeter, but ultimately, it’s Johnny and me versus Johnny and me from yesterday. My biggest pride today is just being able to keep the harmony with him.”
Karangelen and Johnny are now in their second season together after she purchased the flashy chestnut from John Tijssen in the Netherlands.
“The second I sat on him, it was magic,” recalled Karangelen, who made the long trip from Bedford Corners, NY. “You just feel the potential, and we clicked. I knew he was a lovely horse I really wanted to have, and it has been incredible. He has such a good brain, too.”
Intermediaire I Freestyle AA: Wakim and Meteor de Massa
Wakim, who is based in Atlanta, GA, but qualified through Region 1, partnered with the now 10-year-old Portuguese Sport Horse gelding by Don Juan de Hus x Mulato owned by Pony Lane Farm three years ago after he was imported from France. To Wakim, the kind grey represented her first serious dressage mount. Though they were both relatively inexperienced, they worked their way up from First Level together with guidance from trainer Karen Lipp. Now with a fresh freestyle designed by Karen Robinson of Applause Dressage, the pair put all the pieces together for an exciting milestone victory.
“I was happy to have an expert help with the freestyle development process, because this is my first time ever doing a freestyle at Intermediate I,” explained Wakim. “I wanted it to be fun and vibrant, because I'm a younger amateur and this is supposed to be fun. I didn't want old, stuffy elevator music, so it's Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar, and some Elton John.
“His canter tour is definitely his highlight,” she continued. “I start off at the canter with a big extension. His changes are also highlights, so I do those on a short line and a curved line, because he's excellent at them. I have definitely learned so much with him, and we've really grown together.”
Intermediaire I Freestyle Open: Tate and Denali
Jessica Tate has a long list of accomplishments, but as her top grand prix horse has struggled with some health setbacks, the spotlight has shifted to Denali (by Don Nobless x Scolari). The 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Cackie Vroom is making the most of his stardom, strutting to the top of the Intermediate I Freestyle Open Championship in a Tina Turner-themed freestyle designed by Collier Wimmer of Three Wishes Freestyles. The duo delivered a strong test that started and finished with eights for the halts across the board from judges Ulf Wadeborn at H, Michael Osinski at C, and Cindi Wylie at B, culminating in a 73.025% final score.
“He’s an incredible athlete, but he can get pretty strong and powerful,” said Tate of her mount of six years. “Today, he really knocked it out of the park and was so with me and so powerful. He just lit up. It was a real testament to our newfound trust in each other.”
Intermediaire II Open: Sharpe and Dreamliner
“He was always special even from the beginning,” shared Sharpe. “It’s really amazing to have a result like this here. Everything about the venue makes this feel really big and important, which is so nice for Nationals. It takes a whole village; all you see is one horse, one rider out there. Things are coming together, but it takes a trainer of many years, your family, and your friends. It takes not great times and still working through that. So when it happens like today, it’s all the more sweet.”
Intermediaire II AA: Fruchterman
In the Intermediate II Adult Amateur Championship, it was Ella Fruchterman, who qualified through Region 4, that led the first lap of honor of the week with Holts Le’Mans, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (by Tailormade L’Espoir x De Noir) she owns with Todd Fruchtermann.
“I could not be more proud to be here with him, and to come away with this result is incredible,” said the 22-year-old Fruchterman of her partner of almost seven years. “He felt spectacular today. I came out and I said to my trainer Angela Jackson, ‘I had an absolute blast in there.’ I didn't even know what the score was going be. Then, we looked up at the board, and I was super happy.”
Achieving a personal best of 67.157% from judges Kristi Wysocki at H, judge at C Beverly Rogers, and B judge Teresa Stewart, the pair rose to the top of the class of nine horse-and-rider combinations to don the winner’s cooler.
“I think it’s a really special bond to have with a horse when you take them up through the levels,” expressed Fruchterman, who is competing this year for the first time in the senior Intermediate II and Grand Prix AA classes. “I couldn’t be more grateful for my team supporting me through this journey. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Grand Prix Open: Moore and Lavant VDP
On Friday evening, October 30, the second day of competition at the 2026 USDF Finals came to a thrilling conclusion as Laurie Moore guided her own Lavant VDP to victory in the Grand Prix Open Championship.
“I had no expectations for this — zero,” said Moore. “He’s green, but he’s the most earnest horse I’ve ever ridden in my life. His gaits are naturally pretty common, but he also has a very natural tendency to be a partner. You hear it all the time: the brain, the brain, the brain. He has the most incredible mind every day, all the time. He wants to work. I’m just stunned with the result.”
Though she is an accomplished rider, Moore describes herself more as a coach, teaching many lessons every week both in person and remotely. At Finals, her group has seven horses competing across various levels, but there are many more students and friends tuning in to the livestream. Of course, everyone was on hand to cheer and support as Moore and Lavant came down centerline.
“That’s our barn family, and we really are each other’s support system,” shared Moore. “A lot of students that I have, I’ve had for 20 or 30 years. Even though everyone couldn’t be here in person, my phone was going crazy with everybody watching and calling and texting.
“It just proves you can’t give up,” she continued. “You have to keep learning and keep rediscovering, and that’s what my students inspire me to do. I thought I would be having this type of moment in my 20s or 30s. I’m 62 now, and Lavant is a horse of a lifetime just when I thought that time for having this level of horse had passed. I can’t believe I’m here.”
Lavant and Moore earned 66.848% from judges Beverly Rogers at H, Kristi Wysocki at C, and William Warren at B, alongside the Veronica Holt Perpetual Trophy, presented by USDF Region 5 and friends.
Grand Prix Freestyle Open: Truett and Absolute Dream
Saturday evening’s Grand Prix Freestyle Open Championship on October 31 closed out the third day of competition as Jennifer Truett was victorious with Absolute Dream.
Fortunately for Truett and Dream, they beat the odds. While he was rehabbing, Truett discovered Dream preferred a barefoot life. Along with an identified muscle disorder (Myofibrillar Myopathy, or MFM), the road back to grand prix was far from easy. Even still, they persevered to win the Open Grand Prix Freestyle and with it the Jazzman Perpetual Trophy, presented by Donna Richardson. Judges Ulf Wadeborn at H, Michael Osinski at C, and Cindi Wylie at B awarded the duo 70.017%. Their test featured an intricate floorplan designed by Karen Robinson that had been upgraded from their Intermediate II days and set to Imagine Dragons cover music by pianist Jennifer Thomas.
“He loves this,” said Truett of her 12-year-old Westphalian gelding by All At Once x Fürst Piccolo. “I’ve never had a horse that lights up so much in front of a crowd. Tonight, the crowd was going wild during his test, and he was just puffing up even more and getting the right kind of energy and passion. This week has been so emotional for me because we didn’t know what was going to be possible with him, but the way it has been going, I’ve really been on a non-stop party.”
Grand Prix AA: Stewart Wins
Stewart kicked off the day two festivities in Wilmington with a win in the Grand Prix Adult Amateur Championship aboard her stellar partner Serenade MF. The pair earned extremely consistent marks from judges William McMullin at H, Teresa Stewart at C, and Sandra Hotz at B, particularly in the piaffe, finishing strongly in the final trot work. Their final score of 69.964% put Stewart and Serenade MF squarely atop the leaderboard of 12 total combinations, almost three percentage points ahead of the rest of the field.
“She was a superstar,” enthused Stewart of her 13-year-old American Hanoverian mare (by Sir Donnerhall x Don Principe). “I think I was most proud of her willingness. She knows the test probably better than I do, and she has a lot of personality, which I love, but she was still very responsive. I felt like she was really listening, so I was very pleased.”
“For a while in the beginning, honestly, it was very difficult for me to ride her, because we simply didn’t know each other,” explained Stewart, who is based in South Carolina. “She’s a mare, and it just took time for us to develop that relationship and for me to learn how to ride her at that level where she was. I felt like, ‘Oh, my gosh, can I ride this horse?’ Now everything has really come together over the last four to six months. I feel she’s decided I’m okay, and now she’s my ride. I’ve gotten better as a result of her. I’ve never ridden a horse quite that talented.”
Though she was the pilot in the arena, Stewart was quick to credit the many people who have been involved with Serenade and the value of community support.
“Hats off to Maryanna Haymon for her incredible breeding,” expressed Stewart of Serenade MF’s roots. “When I got back to the barn, the first text I had was from her, and she was really excited because she follows her horses. Alice also did a phenomenal job with her and took her to some amazing places. Chris Hickey has been a coach and a friend for a long time. I told him today that all those lessons and all that fussing at me has paid off. He’s a tough coach, and I’ve learned a lot from him, so I put him way up there in terms of being responsible for our win today. I’m very happy with where we are and where we have the possibility to go.”
Grand Prix Freestyle AA: Stewart and Serenade MF
Cecelia Stewart, who is based in South Carolina but qualified through Region 1, and Serenade MF also notched their second Championship in as many days, taking the blue ribbon out of 15 combinations in the Grand Prix Freestyle Adult Amateur Championship with 69.465% from judge at H Sarah Geikie, judge at C Brian MacMahon, and judge at B Lisa K. Schmidt. Their victory also secured the Calaveras County Perpetual Trophy, presented by Olva Stewart Pharo.
“The music is perfect for her,” said Stewart of her freestyle choreographed with help from her coach Chris Hickey and music styled by Gary Patterson. “As soon as we started talking about a freestyle, I said, ‘It's got to be Dancing Queen,’ because that's what she is. She felt very good again today — a little spicy, but really good.”
Photos © Sue Stickle
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