The final is nearly here.

After weeks of five-star form, big moments, and small clues, everything now points to Wellington. The Rolex US Equestrian Open Jumping Final is just around the corner, and the field is starting to take shape.

In this episode, the focus is on what we've seen so far, the horses building momentum, and the riders who could be peaking at exactly the right time. From standout form across the Atlantic to the names consistently delivering in Wellington, the picture is becoming clearer.

Alongside that, attention turns to Carolina International, where a stacked four-star field brings together returning winners, rising combinations, and key Kentucky contenders in one of the most competitive early-season tests.

Highlights

• The form lines shaping the Jumping Final
• Horses and riders building momentum at the right time
• What to watch in the final weeks before Wellington
• A deep dive into the Carolina International field

Guests

• Annie Bishop – US Equestrian Open host
• Diarmuid Byrne – EquiRatings co-founder

A busy weekend across the US Equestrian Open delivered plenty of storylines.

In eventing, Caroline Pamukcu claimed the Bouckaert CCI4*-S with HSH Connor, moving her level at the top of the series standings with Lucienne Bellissimo. Boyd Martin also had a big weekend, finishing second with Commando 3 and placing three horses inside the top ten.

In dressage, Claire Darnell and Harald S returned to winning form in Ocala, delivering the performance many expected as the Open season continues to take shape.

And in Wellington show jumping, Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue landed the final five-star before the Open Final. Behind them, a rare tie in the jump-off saw Marilyn Little and La Contessa share second place with Thaisa Erwin and Hialita B.

The Open Weekly: https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-pamukcu-kenny-darnell

Highlights

• Caroline Pamukcu wins the Bouckaert CCI4*-S with HSH Connor
• Boyd Martin places three horses inside the top ten
• Claire Darnell and Harald S win in Ocala dressage
• Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue take the Wellington five-star
• A rare tie for second place in the jump-off

Guests

• Annie Bishop – Co-host of the US Equestrian Open podcast
• Diarmuid Byrne – EquiRatings co-founder

The Jumping Final is only three weeks away and the momentum across the US Equestrian Open is building.

Annie Bishop and Diarmuid Byrne unpack a busy weekend across the disciplines. In dressage, Genay Vaughn and Gino take over the lead in the series after another big result, while the Nations Cup in Wellington offers a glimpse of the form building among the American contenders ahead of the Jumping Final.

Plus, eventing returns this weekend at Bouckaert with a stacked four-star field. Boyd Martin arrives with four entries, Lucienne Bellissimo looks to defend her lead in the standings, and several exciting younger combinations step up to the level.

Highlights

• Genay Vaughn and Gino move to the top of the Dressage leaderboard
• Momentum building for the US ahead of the Jumping Final
• Eventing returns with the Bouckaert four-star qualifier
• Early podium picks from Annie and Diarm

The Open Weekly: https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/the-open-weekly-bouckaert-opens-vaughn-takes-the-lead-and-cook-shines-at-wef Shane Sweetnam article: https://www.usequestrianopen.org/stories/only-80-seconds-stand-between-shane-sweetnam-and-a-podium-finish

Guests

• Annie Bishop – Co-host of the US Equestrian Open podcast
• Diarmuid Byrne – EquiRatings co-founder

It was a weekend that felt like momentum.

In Wellington, Isabell Werth delivered an 82 percent freestyle under Friday Night Lights aboard Special Blend. A late call-up horse. A borrowed test. A record score in front of a packed stadium.

Behind her, Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu produced a personal best, while Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel's Goldstrike continued one of the sport's great partnership stories.

In the five-star jumping, McLain Ward added another Wellington win to his record, James Kann Cruz extended a remarkable podium streak, and Nina Mallevaey's Dynastie de Beaufour entered rare statistical territory.

Plus, Brooke Burchianti reflects on her first five-star eventing season, producing Cooley Space Grey, and building the next chapter.

• Werth's record-setting US Open freestyle
• A globally diverse dressage podium
• McLain Ward's five-star triumph
• James Kann Cruz's extraordinary consistency
• Nina Mallevaey's historic run
• Brooke Burchianti on five-star ambition

• Brooke Burchianti – US five-star event rider and producer of Cooley Space Grey

Mimi Gochman wins her first five-star 160 at WEC with Iron Maiden, the only double clear in a class that demanded everything. At 22, she adds five-star winner to a résumé already stacked with results and suddenly the season looks very different.

Diarmuid Byrne and Annie Bishop unpack what it takes to win at this level, why clear rates matter, and what this means for the U.S. team picture as the US Equestrian Open Final approaches.

Attention then turns to a heavyweight Dressage Freestyle qualifier at Global. Isabel Werth returns. Susan Pape brings the highest Open score of the season. The leaderboard could change again. As Devin Kane lines up this weekend, Annie and Diarm also revisit her competition mindset and what it is like to compete at the top level alongside her husband. You can revisit Annie's previous conversation with Devon Kane, here.

Plus, Annie sits down with West Coast event rider Megan McIver to talk long-term goals, building a system, and saying your ambitions out loud.

• Mimi Gochman's first five-star 160 victory
• What this means for the U.S. team race
• Dressage leaderboard shake-up at Global
• Megan McIver on ambition and planning for the future

Guests

• Diarmuid Byrne – EquiRatings co-founder
• Annie Bishop – Co-host of the US Equestrian Open podcast
• Megan McIver – U.S. event rider and seventh-place finisher in the 2025 US Equestrian Open series

Friday night dressage under the lights. A packed Wellington crowd. And the first five-star Grand Prix of the season setting the tone.

Annie Bishop reports back from WEF with what it actually felt like to be there, from the atmosphere at Global to the buzz around Saturday night's Fidelity Investments Five Star. Together with Diarm Byrne, they break down the standout dressage moments, the pressure points in the Grand Prix, and what the result tells us about the road to the US Equestrian Open Final.

With Ocala next on the calendar and early eventing entries starting to land, the storylines are beginning to take shape across dressage, jumping, and eventing.

• Friday night dressage at Global, atmosphere and standout performances
• The first five-star Grand Prix of the WEF season
• What the result means for the US Equestrian Open race
• Ocala dressage preview and Valentine's weekend ahead
• Early Bouckaert eventing entries and fan favourites to watch

• Annie Bishop
• Diarmuid Byrne

It's Super Bowl week, and we couldn't resist bringing sport and fandom together. Annie is joined by a panel of die-hard Seahawks and Patriots supporters from across the equestrian world for a lively, opinionated, and occasionally ruthless debate. Expect strong loyalties, big predictions, and a reminder of why sport pulls us in long before kickoff.

Highlights

• Seahawks vs Patriots, broken down by people who care a lot
• Predictions, point spreads, and zero agreement
• Dynasty talk, underdogs, and playoff pressure
• What the Super Bowl gets right about fandom, storytelling, and spectacle
• Why sport pulls us in long before kickoff

Guests

• Annie Bishop – US Equestrian Open host and analyst.
• Diarmuid Byrne – EquiRatings co-founder
• Max Corcoran – International groom and industry pro
• Jonathan Elliott – Event organizer and course designer
• Morgan Rowsell – Event organizer and selector
• Joanie Morris– U.S. event owner and long-time supporter of American eventing

Personal bests in Dressage, a returning star in Eventing, and early clues from Wellington as Jumping inches toward its first five-star week. Susan Pape resets the Open benchmark, Jaguars Duende reminds everyone she's still here, and Lillie Keenan's depth becomes impossible to ignore nine weeks from the Final.

• Giulilanta goes top of the Open leaderboard
• Jaguar Duende returns with a win
• The 3* pipeline: why it keeps predicting future 5* horses
• Week 5 WEF preview: who arrives and why it matter

Guests

• Diarm Byrne, EquiRatings co-founder
• Hosted by Annie Bishop

The new season is taking shape. With dressage already scoring, nine weeks to the first jumping final, and six weeks to the first four-star short, Annie Bishop and Diarm Byrne break down the early movers, the storyline shifts and the names establishing momentum across the Open's three Olympic disciplines.

From new partnerships winning straight out of the gate to returning eventers and a strengthening dressage field, it's the first real read on 2026 form and how the year may unfold.

Highlights

• Lillie Keenan & Highway make an immediate statement in Florida
• Scott Brash vs Kent Farrington vs string strength
• Eventing entries resurface: Jaguars Duende, Possante, Cooley Candyman
• Boyd Martin named International Rider of the Year and what that signals for 2026
• Dressage heats up: Marek & Fayvel debut, leaderboard context, scheduling dynamics
• The Open ecosystem: points, invitations, depth, and how pathways evolve

Guests

• Diarm Byrne, EquiRatings co-founder
• Hosted by Annie Bishop

The US Equestrian Open is back for 2026. With the new season underway and ten weeks to the first jumping final, Annie Bishop catches up with Diarm Byrne to unpack where the Open stands one year on, how the mission is evolving, and why the off-season thinking matters just as much as in-season competition. From unified storytelling across dressage, jumping and eventing to the early movers, breakout names and pathway shifts already shaping the year ahead, it's a state-of-play conversation to kick off the season.

Highlights

• A 2025 debrief and what the Open learned in year one
• The calendar: ten weeks to the Jumping Final, dressage wall-to-wall, and eventing six weeks out
• Early jumping storylines: Lilli Keenan's string, Richard Vogel's choices, Vogel vs Farrington vs Brash
• Dressage shake-ups: Indian Rock's record run, scoring changes, and Genay Vaughn's coast-to-coast trip
• Eventing preview: Lucienne Bellissimo out early, Coleman's depth, and a rising U25 generation
• What fans should watch next and why the season starts now

Guests • Diarm Byrne, EquiRatings co-founder • Hosted by Annie Bishop