Text and photos by Sue Weakley
There are finales and then there are moments that feel like a closing chapter in something much bigger than a single night.
On March 6, under the lights at the Global Dressage Festival Showgrounds, the final Challenge of the Americas unfolded as a celebration of purpose, partnership and people. What began in 2002 as an afternoon luncheon and dressage exhibition founded by Mary Ross in honor of her mother grew over 24 years into an international, under-the-lights spectacle that blended elite sport with a heartfelt mission: finding a cure for breast cancer.
From its earliest days featuring just three riders, the event was powered by generosity. Sponsors gave their funds. Riders gave their time. Coaches gave their creativity. Volunteers gave their energy. And audiences gave their hearts. That collective spirit turned the Challenge into something rare: an equestrian sporting event that didn’t just entertain, but truly mattered.
At its core was the now-iconic Grand Prix Quadrille Challenge, a format that transformed precision riding into performance art and what many came to call “dancing for women around the world.” It was joyful, emotional and deeply human, drawing in spectators far beyond the traditional boundaries of dressage.
And it made an impact. Over its run, the Challenge of the Americas raised more than $3.3 million for breast cancer research through Play for P.I.N.K., a partner of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Through that partnership, COTA funded the Play for P.I.N.K. Challenge of the Americas Award and research continues moving forward, including that of Dr. Benita Katzenellenbogen, whose study of treatment-resistant breast cancer is opening new doors. By developing targeted inhibitors to stop tumor growth and metastasis, her work represents exactly what the Challenge set out to support: progress where it’s needed most.
The final night reflected all of COTA’s impact, history and heart in the event the Managing Director of Play for P.I.N.K., Eunice Liriano, called one of the organization’s flagship events.
Team Purina claimed the 2026 Grand Prix Quadrille Challenge victory with a patriotic tribute to America’s 250th anniversary. Riders Pamela Goodrich, Chris Hickey, Bent Jensen, Jordan La Placa, Jessie Steiner and George Williams delivered a performance rich in precision and pride, brought to life by choreographer and musical guru Terry Ciotti Gallo and coaches Betsy Steiner and Bill Warren. It was a fitting culmination, especially for a team so deeply rooted in the event’s origins—seven of their nine members were part of those early years, collectively contributing more than 2,600 hours of volunteer service throughout their tenure with COTA.
After the final salute, something unrehearsed and quietly perfect happened. Mary Ross, the woman who started it all, was surprised with flowers and the recognition she had spent two decades deflecting toward others.
As Mary herself reflected, “We couldn’t have grown the Challenge into a premier event of the Wellington winter season without the help of our generous sponsors, the talented riders and their horses who donated their time and expertise, the coaches, choreographers and music makers who turned competitive dressage into something audiences could feel, the COTA Committee members, and the countless volunteers who donated their time in support of COTA’s mission. Our goal was to challenge breast cancer and, with their help, we made a significant donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through Play for P.I.N.K.”
It is impossible to tell the story of the Challenge without recognizing the steadfast support of its anchor sponsors Purina, Winged Foot Enterprises, BioStarUS, Wright Dressage, and The Pink Hats Amy and Mark Bozzone, Margaret H. Duprey, Beth Stauber-Johnson and Ron Johnson, and Barbara and Steffen Wolff. Their belief in the mission helped sustain and grow the event year after year.
And while this was the final Challenge of the Americas, its impact does not end here. It lives on in the research it funded, in the lives it has touched, and in the example it set of what can happen when sport, community and purpose dance in perfect harmony.
Some events fade; the Challenge of the Americas leaves a legacy.
