Geñay Vaughn and Gino won the World Cup Grand Prix with a personal best score to kick off the $250,000 United States Open dressage series in Thermal, California. The event took place at the same show grounds where the 2025 final will be held in December, just 100 miles from the proposed 2028 Olympic equestrian events site. Vaughn and Gino scored 71.283%, their first Big Tour score above 70%, continuing their success with a double victory in Thermal two months prior.
Kristina Harrison-Antell and Finley, a 15-year-old KWPN gelding, placed second in the competition with a score of 68.131%. The Freestyle event scheduled for the following day would determine points for qualifying for the World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland in April, as well as qualifying marks for the US Open final created by the US federation to promote equestrian sports for LA28. The series aims to create a championship model for the Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing, and jumping ahead of the 2028 Games.
The US Equestrian-organized series will feature 25 CDI3 and higher dressage events across the US, with the top 18 finalists competing in the top-rated CDI5* final in Thermal, California. Qualifying points are awarded based on placings in the Grand Prix Freestyle events, with a score of at least 67% required to count for points. The top 18 (or 19 in case of a tie) will be invited to the dressage final in Thermal in December to compete for a minimum of $200,000 in prize money.
