Olivia LaGoy-Weltz Headlines Opening Day of 2026 US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan®

October 30, 2026

Olivia LaGoyWeltz.ICI Bria VCG.6DFS2749.copyrightsusanjstickle.com — Olivia LaGoy-Weltz and her Chippendale daughter ICI Bria VCG came out on top in the Prix St Georges Open Championship. Photo by SusanJStickle.com

By Alice Collins

The 13th running of the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® opened on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with the crowning of the first four of the total 37 champions that will be named at the event, which runs through Sunday, November 1. Held for the second consecutive year at World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Wilmington, OH, the prestigious event offers more than $100,000 in prize money for juniors/young riders, adult amateurs (AA), and open riders, with classes from Training Level through Grand Prix.

It was an exciting day one for professional Olivia LaGoy-Weltz of Region 1, who claimed the top spot in the Prix St Georges Open Championship — along with the Miki Christophersen Perpetual Trophy, presented by USDF Region 4 — 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.”

Sarah Sharpe and Dreamliner Top Open Intermediate II

Sarah Sharpe and Dreamliner, by Revolution, delivered an impressive plus-70% performance to win the Intermediate II Open Championship. Photo by SusanJStickle.com

After qualifying through Region 3, Sarah Sharpe and Dreamliner broke the coveted 70% mark for the winning honors in the Intermediate II Open Championship. With a final score of 70.049%, Sharpe and her own nine-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (by Revolution x De Niro), bested the field of 17 pairings, notably receiving marks of 7.5 and 8 for the extended walk and some of the trot work from the judging panel of Kari McClain at H, Heidi Gaian at C, and Willette Brown at B.

“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.”

Ella Fruchterman and Holts Le’Mans Earn Personal Best

Ella Fruchterman piloted her own Holts Le’Mans to a personal best and the champion’s title in the Intermediate II Adult Amateur class. Photo by SusanJStickle.com

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.”

Nora Batchelder and Gnomonic Are Golden Again

Nora Batchelder and Gnomonic bested the field in the Third Level Open Championship, adding to their 2025 Finals win. Photo by SusanJStickle.com

After winning the Second Level Open Championship in 2025, Nora Batchelder and Gnomonic, the nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Goldberg x Fürst Romancier and

owned by Anna Jaffe upped the ante by claiming the 2026 Third Level Open Championship from a field of 24 starters.

“You never come to these shows thinking you’re going to win, because there’s so many good horses and riders here, but it’s definitely a really cool feeling,” admitted Batchelder, who qualified through Region 3. “‘Goldie’ is so gifted, so it’s very fun to ride a horse with that much talent and ability. If I go in and don’t mess it up too badly, he’s always got a shot.”

With a final score of 70.583% from the judges William Warren at H, Michael Osinski at C, and Brian MacMahon at B, the duo of three years delivered a test that built in excellence and finished on a high note.

“I thought it got better as we went,” reflected Batchelder. “He has three really good gaits, but a lot of times the trot work is the highlight. Today I thought the canter might have been even more of a highlight because he got more relaxed as he went. By the time he got to the extension at the end, he was like ‘Okay I got this,’ and that might have been the best part of the test.”

Competition resumes on Friday, October 30, with nine championship titles up for grabs from Training Level to Grand Prix during the day and the evening gala. Follow all the action via the USDF Facebook page and USDF Instagram page. Full results are published live on HorseShowOffice.com.

Riders competing at the 2026 US Dressage Finals qualified through nine Great American Insurance Group/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. See the US Dressage Finals Eligibility Document for more information.

A United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)-rated competition — the USDF Fall Classic — runs alongside the 2026 US Dressage Finals. Alongside its top-level competitions, gala evening performances on Friday and Saturday nights, competitor parties, and Halloween costume competitions, the 2026 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® offers a wide selection of shopping opportunities.

For those who cannot attend, all the championship classes are live streamed on USEF Network via ClipMyHorse.TV, with expert commentary from Kathy Connelly in the Sanctuary Arena. Along with presenting sponsor Adequan®, the 2026 US Dressage Finals is supported by SmartEquine and Platinum Performance. Contributing sponsors include Premier Equestrian, Sterling Thompson Equine, Schneiders, and Nutrena. Learn more by visiting the US Dressage Finals website.