Search
Become a Member
  1. Home
  2. Network & News
  3. Press Releases
  4. Article
  • Share:

Intermediaire I and Para Dressage Divisions Kick off the 2024 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions at HITS Chicago Lamplight Equestrian Center

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | Aug 19, 2024, 5:00 PM

Wayne, Ill. – The 2024 edition of the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions (FOC) launched on Monday, Aug. 19, with the Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship and Adequan®/USEF Para Dressage National Championship setting the stage for a week of captivating dressage competition.

Sabine Schut-Kery and Sonnenberg's Jersey
Sabine Schut-Kery and Sonnenberg's Jersey. ©Avery Wallace/US Equestrian

Neue Schule/USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship

Six talented combinations entered the arena for the FEI Prix St. Georges test, the first of three tests for the competitors in the Intermediaire I division at FOC. With an impressive 73.441%, Sabine Schut-Kery (Oceanside, Calif.) and the striking black stallion Sonnenberg’s Jersey (Vivaldi x Kebalia), a 2014 Dutch Warmblood owned by Sonnenberg Farm, LLC, secured the top placing. The pair had a solid test with their half pirouettes and final centerline earning especially high marks from the judges.

Olivia LaGoy-Weltz (Haymarket, Va.) currently stands in second place with Fade to Black (Fantastic x Saphira), Mary Anne McPhail’s 2015 Hanoverian mare, after the pair earned a 70.677% for their PSG test. Lauren Chumley (Pittstown, N.J.) and Leeloo Dallas (Gaspard De La Nuit DG x Voque), her own U.S.-bred 2016 Dutch Warmblood mare, currently stand in third place with a 69.088%.

The Intermediaire I division is one of two at this year’s FOC that is available on Black Horse One’s Spectator Judging app. Fans can join in and judge in real time during the I-1 tests. Participants who score closest to the official judges will win prizes at the end of the week.

Eleanor Brimmer and My Moment
Eleanor Brimmer and My Moment. ©Avery Wallace/US Equestrian

Adequan®/USEF Para Dressage National Championship

This year’s para dressage division features three athletes competing for the national title across all grades. Eleanor Brimmer (Wellington, Fla.) and My Moment (Furst Romancier x High Sun), the 2010 Hanoverian mare she leases from Annette Grant, lead the standings after today’s FEI Para Grand Prix A Test, where they scored a 69.425% for their Grade II performance.

Sydney Collier (Ann Arborn, Mich.) and Bell Bottoms (Benetton Dream x Issandra), a 2014 Oldenburg mare owned by Going for Gold LLC, Devon Kane, and Diamante Farms, stand in second place with their 66.666% for their Grade I test. Paige Schmidt (Lake Geneva, Wisc.) and Kimique, a 1998 American Warmblood mare she leases from owner Stefanie Lenz, stand in third place with a 62.666%.

Competition at the 2024 FOC continues on Tuesday with the Intermediaire I competitors performing their I-1 test beginning at 9:00 a.m. CT followed by the FEI Para Grand Prix B Test at 11:00 a.m.

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

The U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions will be streamed live on USEF Network. US Equestrian members, subscribers, and fans can watch all classes live. Not a member? Sign up for a free fan account now!

The FOC livestream is brought to you by Adequan®.

Stay Connected

Keep up with U.S. Dressage by following USA Dressage on Facebook and Instagram and US Equestrian on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.