2025 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions Begins with Intermediaire I and Para Dressage National Championships

The 2025 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions officially began Monday at HITS Chicago at Lamplight Equestrian Center, with initial competition in the Intermediaire I and Adequan®/USEF U.S. Para Dressage National Championships. All competitors across three divisions successfully passed Sunday’s veterinary inspection in the Grand Prix Arena.

USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship

The first event of the festival featured 13 riders in the Intermediaire I division performing the FEI Prix St. Georges test. Rising to the top of the leaderboard was Jojoba de Massa, a 2014 Portuguese Sporthorse stallion owned by Four Winds Farm and ridden by Sabine Schut-Kery of Thousand Oaks, California. Their average score of 72.235% held the lead through the end of the class.

In second place was Vincent, a 2017 Oldenburg gelding owned and ridden by Elizabeth Bortuzzo of Frenchtown, New Jersey, with a score of 70.647%. C. Cadeau, a 2016 Danish Warmblood gelding ridden by Lauren Spreiser and owned by the Elvis Syndicate LLC, claimed third with 70.235%.

Competition in this division resumes Tuesday with the FEI Intermediate I test starting at 9:00 a.m. CT / 10:00 a.m. ET.

Adequan®/USEF Para Dressage National Championships

Intermediaire I Para Division

This year marks the debut of the FEI Para Intermediaire division at the national level, with three combinations entering the ring. Leading the field was Carrera GH, a 2005 Hanoverian mare owned by Tami Glover and ridden by Victoria Yu of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, scoring 63.570%.

Second place went to Divino, a 2000 Hanoverian gelding ridden by Sienna Busking of Owasso, Oklahoma, with 62.936%. In third, Baltico BRH, a 2018 PRE gelding owned and ridden by Elizabeth Welch of Summerville, South Carolina, earned 61.606%.

Grand Prix Para Division

Three additional combinations competed in the FEI Para Grand Prix Test A. Leading the class was Supreme, a 2016 Westphalian stallion owned and ridden by Kate Shoemaker of Wellington, Florida, scoring an impressive 74.444%.

Rumour Has It, a 2012 Hanoverian gelding ridden by Paralympic champion Roxanne Trunnell of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, and owned by Simone Van Der Schalk, placed second with 69.583%. My Moment, a 2010 Hanoverian mare owned and ridden by Eleanor Brimmer of Wellington, Florida, finished third with 68.850%.

Both Para Dressage divisions continue Tuesday starting at 11:55 a.m. CT / 12:55 p.m. ET.