Three days down, one more to go, and plenty more excitement left at the 2021 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®. Day 3 again utilized 8 dressage rings, all packed with activity. The 2021 edition marks the largest Finals ever, with a record number of competitors, spreading across the Kentucky Horse Park from the prestigious Alltech Arena to the famous Rolex Stadium.
Music filled the air as Champions were named in the Second Level Freestyle Open, Intermediate 1 Freestyle Open, Intermediate 1 Freestyle Adult Amateur, Second Level Freestyle Adult Amateur, and Fourth Level Freestyle Adult Amateur.
Junior and Young Riders, new divisions for 2021, crowned their first Champions of the week in the First Level Jr/Young Rider and Third Level Jr/Young Rider classes. Additionally, the winners were named in the Third Level Adult Amateur, First Level Adult Amateur, First Level Open, and Fourth Level Open classes. The day concluded with the Grand Prix Freestyle Adult Amateur Championship in the Alltech Arena, during The Taste of the South Competitor Party.
Saturday night featured the establishment and presentation of two new perpetual trophies, the Top Hat Perpetual Trophy, presented by Janet Foy and the Verne Batchelder Memorial Trophy, presented by River House Hanoverians.The Top Hat Perpetual Trophy will recognize the horse and rider combination with the highest freestyle and non-freestyle average score at the same level and the Verne Batchelder Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the FEI highest scoring, US-bred horse.
Here is a gallery of sights from Day 3 of the competition! Photos by Chelsey Burris and Katie Lewis.
