The World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland is the first championship under new rules for American riders, requiring minimum scores to qualify for funding. Kevin Kohmann and Adrienne Lyle are close to the minimum scores needed for funding to compete at the World Cup Final. North America gets to send three rider and horse pairs to the Final, with four more qualifiers remaining at the Global dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Christine Traurig, leader of U.S. dressage coaching, emphasized the importance of specific observation events in Florida and California for horse and rider combinations aiming to make the short list for Europe in 2025. The goal is to have combinations scoring 72% in the Grand Prix and 78% in the freestyle for the World Cup Finals in Switzerland. Preparation for Aachen includes a head-to-head competition to determine the short list for Europe, with a training camp planned in the United States and another in Europe.
The newly created $250,000 US Open series leading to LA28 focuses on the Freestyle and is described as a U.S. version of the World Cup Final. The year 2026 includes the World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas and the World Championships in Aachen, Germany. The goal is to have two combinations scoring 74% in the Grand Prix and 80% in the freestyle for the World Cup, with strong representation in Europe being important for the success of American riders.
