Wayne, Ill. – The final day of the 2024 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions brought the final five divisions to a close with new champions adding their names to the list of greats who have topped the classes at this prestigious event. Sunday at HITS Chicago Lamplight Equestrian Center featured a diverse cross-section of the classes offered at FOC, from young and developing horses to children and young riders and a dressage seat equitation final.

USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final 14-18

The medal final for the older age group was 16 riders strong at this year’s FOC, and all performed beautifully in the two-part class which consists of group railwork and an individual equitation pattern.

Autumn Vavrick (Oxford, Mich.) emerged as the gold medalist in her first year in the 14-18 age group. Autumn rode her own Dante, a 2007 Hanoverian gelding who she also rides in the FEI Junior division, and scored 85.000% from the judges.

“My horse definitely gets in his head a lot, but I think that’s what’s great about this class,” said Vavrick. “It’s not about your horse, it’s about the rider, and that’s really encouraging. It’s very different from all the other classes. We’re such individual athletes, mostly competing against each other, and [in the medal final] we’re all together in the ring, it’s all young riders. It’s really exciting to see the future of the sport and be with all our friends.”

The medal final can be a challenging experience for some dressage horses, who aren’t always accustomed to being in a show ring with other horses, and this year’s 14-18 final was a big class with a wide variety of horses. But Vavrick said her horse—and all the riders in the class—handled it well.

“Dante was really good. I was a little bit intimidated going in, but he handled it really well,” said Vavrick. “And the other riders were great with spacing each other out, so it was good.”

Darian Kauk (Lincoln, Neb.) clinched the silver medal with a score of 83.000%. Kauk rode her own Celoso Ta, a 2016 Andalusian gelding. Their partnership is relatively new, having just started in January.

“My ride went pretty well. He is a nervous horse for a new combination, so it was a lot of getting him working through his body and getting his mind where it needs to be, and trying to focus on myself through all of that,” said Kauk. “I think it went quite well. It's the most focused he's been all week. I was kind of worried at the beginning of the week that I think he really went for it in this class, and he really was focused on me, and that was the most important part.”

Veronica Sambor won the bronze medal catch riding Lauren Chumley’s Leeloo Dallas, the 2016 Dutch Warmblood mare who had finished in third place earlier in the week in the Intermediaire I division.

“My ride went very well,” said Sambor. “Lauren Chumley very graciously offered me her horse Leeloo Dallas. I wanted to go out there and just really have a good time. And it was such a cool experience. I rode her the last two days; it was my third time riding her. And so I was like, ‘Oh, we're gonna give it the best we’ve got.’ And so I really just went out there and I really enjoyed myself.”

Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championship for 6-Year-Old Horses

Adrienne Lyle (Wellington, Fla.) and Zaunkonig (Zack x Deessé), a 2018 Westphalian Stallion owned by Heidi Humphries earned the top prize in the 6-year-old class, finishing with an overall 84.240% score across the two tests.

“He is a fantastic little stallion,” said Lyle. “We found him in the spring of his 5-year-old year in Denmark, and we've just been developing over this past year. What I love about him the most is he not only has three superb gaits with great talent for the Grand Prix stuff, and already the collection, but his character is just really phenomenal. He's the sweetest stallion, and he tries so hard. His work ethic is just exceptional. And it's so fun to get to work with one that wants to come to work like that every day.”

While “Zeke’s” innate athleticism was apparent, his excellent temperament keeps surprising Lyle as she works with him.

“There are so many unknowns of the young horses,” said Lyle. “Every day, I just start texting Debbie and Heidi and saying, ‘Why is he being so good?’ He's not looking at anything. He's handling all the traffic so well, and he's just being a good boy about it all. So he’s very easy that way.”

Charell Garcia (Middletown, N.Y.) and MW Mercury (Morricone x Weiss Schwarz), a 2018 U.S.-bred Oldenburg stallion owned by Jennifer Vanover, secured reserve champion honors with an 83.680% overall score. FOC was one of “Freddy’s” first big outings, and he impressed Garcia with how he handled it all.

“MW Mercury is bred by Jennifer from Maplewood Warmbloods,” said Garcia. “I just started there in February, so I've only been working with him for six months now, but from day one, when I sat on that gorgeous back, it's just been the biggest click between the two of us. I absolutely adore him. I think he loves me too. I like to think that he has opened his arms for me so well. He’s so rideable. I love riding him every day; it's always fun. He's always the same. He's a very emotional stallion, but in a good way, and now he's really starting to trust me, and he just gives me just extra of what I need from him. That, by itself, is already just amazing.

“I didn't know what to expect, because he has never stayed off the property at a show,” she said. “This was his first show season, and usually when we go to shows, it’s maybe a 45-minute drive. We go to the show, we tack them up at the trailer and go home. This is the first big travel, and I cannot be prouder of him with how he handled everything.”

Christoper Hickey and Saskatoon OMF (San Amour I x Dolce Nera), a 2018 Hanoverian gelding owned by Cecelia Stewart finished in third place with 83.560%.

“I was super happy with my horse and the way he handled the atmosphere in the venue,” said Hickey. “The final test is a little more complicated than the preliminary. I was cautious not to step on the gas pedal so much that I couldn’t get through the exercise in a quiet way. I had a little tiny bobble which disrupted the beginning of the test a tiny bit, but I felt like my transitions were pretty good, and I was happy.”

“Stan” has been at Hickey’s barn since he was imported from Britain as a 6-month-old weanling.

“He’s grown up at our farm in South Carolina. We have a natural horsemanship trainer that starts our babies for us. He comes to our farm, and that’s great because then they don’t have to leave and go off to boarding school,” said Hickey, adding that long lining and groundwork are a big part of the young horses’ regimen throughout their development. “Stan trail rode through the woods as a 3-year-old before he’d even cantered [under saddle] in the big indoor. He would trail ride by himself, and he was perfectly well behaved.”

“He came here last year as a 5-year-old, and was really well behaved,” said Hickey. “He was good as a 5-year-old, and he continues to get better and better. He's a rock star, and we love him.”

Horseware Ireland/USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship

Alicia Berger (Wellington, Fla.) and Aqua Marin (Ampere x Stedinger Heidi), her own 2011 Oldenburg gelding continued their winning streak, adding wins in the FEI Young Rider Individual Test and overall national champion with a score of 69.731%.

“We've only been a partnership for a little bit now, and to end my season after [the European Young Rider Tour] and seeing how much we've improved from then was a highlight,” said Berger. We had an extended trot today that was just absolutely fabulous. It felt like I was flying. And you know, that's what I love about riding—me and my horse are flying in that arena, just having fun, just us. And I think that was the highlight. Is he trusted me so much today, and we had a really great time.”

Berger and “Aqua” have had an exceptional 2024 season, competing in Germany at Future Champions and CHIO Aachen, and coming home to win the Young Rider individual gold at NAYC. She said that the experience in Europe helped prepare her for the championships at home.

“In Europe, we had three competitions each a week and a half apart,” she said. “Learning in Europe and getting to be with all our senior riders and the team, and George [Williams] and all the great people who helped us with what to do in that situation and how to prepare your horse. Aqua got a lot of light, stretchy days. He knows everything that he’s supposed to do, so we worked on a lot of thoroughness and making sure he’s happy and healthy and ready to go.”

Sophia Forsyth (Milton, Mass.), and her own Dimagico (DiMaggio x Femme Jazz), a 2014 Hanoverian gelding, finished second in the individual test to clinch reserve champion in the division.

“I've also only had my guy for a little more than a year at this point, and we made the jump to young riders this year, which was super exciting,” said Forsyth. “Didn't really expect much from it, but just the whole other level that I feel like I got from him this weekend, being able to trust each other in the ring. I think my half halts were a lot better. And kind of like Alicia said, our extended canter today was he was so uphill, he flew, and it was just an amazing feeling.”

Forsyth is starting her first year of college soon, but is staying close to home, so she’ll be able to continue working with “Magic.”

“He has a very big grass paddock that he loves to nap in, so I think he’ll enjoy that for a while,” she said. “So he’ll definitely have a lot of time off, and then we’ll slowly get back into things.”

Josephine Hinnemann (Murrietta, Calif.) and Copa Cabana MRF (Contucci x Britania), a 2009 Hanoverian gelding owned by Natalie Hamilton-Hinnemann earned the overall third-place spot with a score of 66.838%. Hinnemann has known “Copa” for his entire life.

“He has been in the family since he was three days old,” she said. My mom showed him up to Grand Prix, and three years ago, I started riding him from juniors to now. I think the tests I had this weekend were probably some of the best tests I've ever had. The highlights were my changes, especially in the first test today. I did have a blip in the threes, but I think my changes are a strong suit. And he was just very listening this weekend. He was forward and fluid and bending well. And I think we were just really on point this weekend together.”

Markel/USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix National Championship

Nora Batchelder (Williston, Fla.) and Nova (Grand Galaxy Win x Romanova), Carol Glover’s 2015 Oldenburg mare earned the overall Developing Grand Prix title with a score of 69.222%.

“I was really happy with both of my rides,” said Batchelder. “Today was a bit cleaner than Friday. Nova is just getting more and more confident at Grand Prix, like Developing Grand Prix is all about. Today, everything felt easy in there, and I still could have asked for more power. She was right with me, and she tried supper hard. And the piaffe/passage felt really confident. I felt like I could ask for even more, but I was so happy with what we got that I took it.”

The 9-year-old mare is no stranger to the FOC atmosphere, and has earned good placings in the past two years leading up to her championship win this year.

“She’s a very special horse, and super talented, and I’m very lucky to ride her,” said Batchelder. “I’ve had her for a little over three years. She was 6, coming 7, when we got her, and this is her third time at Festival. We did 7-year-olds, I-1, and now Developing Grand Prix. She’s very special and I’m so grateful to her owner to let me ride her.”

Hannah Bressler Jaques (Mettawa, Ill.) and Jim (Ferdeaux x Evita), her own 2014 Dutch Warmblood gelding won the reserve champion title with a 67.761%. Bressler said that in his younger days, Jim was a bit wild, but he’s grown into an incredible partner.

“I was thrilled with my horse,” she said. “He was a bit of a cowboy starting out, so we didn’t do any of the young horse stuff, but he’s always had a ton of power. He hasn’t always had a lot of engagement, so I’m really happy to feel him with me and trying and feeling so happy in there, starting to learn his job. I’m over the moon.”

Jim, who is just Jim (“It’s on his passport—that’s the name he came with!” said Bressler), has been with Bressler since he was 5 years old, and has made great strides in the last five years with her.

“We spent years doing all kinds of interesting things to be creative and keep him happy,” she said. “But the more he learns and the more he shows, he just keeps getting better. In there now, he feels like he knows his job. If I put pressure on him, he tries, whereas before he would crumble a bit. I did a lot of groundwork, spent a lot of time making friends with him. I just believed in him.”

Kathleen Raine (Murrieta, Calif) and Figaro (Furstenball x Sunshine Show), a 2014 Westphalian gelding owned by Marti Foster and Kathleen Raine finished in third place with a score of 67.329%.

“I was very happy with my horse,” she said. “I had a few costly mistakes in both tests, but I felt like today I had a little bit more power. He’s a really fun horse, and he’s my genius. He’s super fun, and he learns so quickly. He tries hard.”

Aspen Leaf Farm/USEF Children Dressage National Championship

Miriam Bacon (Columbus, N.C.) and Drambuie (Damsey x Laura), a 2012 Hanoverian gelding owned by Natalie Bacon, turned in two excellent tests to earn an overall score of 79.912% and the champion title.

“Yesterday, my ride was kind of crazy. It was good, but he spooked a lot,” said Bacon. “Today was much better. He wasn’t spooking at anything, and he was just generally so much better today.”

Bacon has owned and ridden “Buie” for about a year and a half, and he had previously been with her trainer, Julio Mendoza.

“Buie is very funny in the barn,” she said. “He’s always been really hot to show. At first, I had some trouble showing him because he’ll spook at everything if I let him, but he’s gotten so much better. I’ve had a lot more confidence with him recently in these past few shows.”

Grace Christianson (Noblesville, Ind.) and FHF Roulee (Routinier x Marelee Du Bois), her own 2014 American Warmblood mare were reserve with a score of 77.783%. The pair were gold medalists in the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final 13 & Under earlier in the week before taking on the FEI Children division.

“I’m really happy with all my rides this weekend,” said Christianson. “Our Children’s individual test was some of the best work we put in in the ring, and I was really happy with our team test. She was super good.”

Christianson has been riding Roulee for about a year, and says her horse as great at home in the barn as she is in the show ring.

“She’s super sweet,” she said. “She loves to be pet and told she’s beautiful. She thinks she’s perfect, and she’s a really good girl. I think she’s perfect, too.”

Adalynn Nelson (Marion, Iowa) and Custom Made (Come Back II x Sabrina), her own 2012 Warmblood gelding, finished in third place with 71.871% overall.

“Yesterday I had a really good ride,” she said of Saturday’s FEI Children Team Test. “I ended up getting a personal best about 79% and I think that going into today, I was really in my head, and I think that kind of threw off my riding. It’s pretty stressful taking it all in, but it’s a good environment, and the longer that I was here, the more confident that I got with my horse here.

Competition Information:

The 2024 FOC takes place Aug. 19-25, at HITS Chicago Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill. Competition takes place in two arenas and will be broadcast on USEF Network. Bookmark the FOC event page on USEF.org for the latest coverage of this year’s show.

Ring Schedule | Orders of Go and Results

2024 Festival of Champions Livestream

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