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

There is something special about talking to a rider who has brought a horse all the way up the levels. The patience, the instinct, the thousand quiet decisions that shape a partnership long before the big results ever appear on a scoreboard. And for Kate Sand, 2024 was the year all those years came into focus.

From the three-year-old off the track with no real record to speak of, to a second place finish at Bouckaert, and a rise into the top four of the US Equestrian Open standings. This is a story built on feel, faith, and a horse who keeps proving he is more than anyone expected. A once in a lifetime type, even if he has not quite figured that out himself.

Highlights

• The Facebook ad that started it all
• How a self described kick ride rewrote Kate's idea of what she wanted in a horse
• Training with Ali Knowles and the early hints from Karen O'Connor that this might be a top level horse
• The first step up to four star, what went wrong, and how the pair rebuilt with more confidence
• Bouckaert, the test tweaks, the show jumping accuracy, and the cross country run that put them second fastest of the day
• The plan for 2025, intermediate to advanced in Aiken, a likely return to Carolina, aiming at long formats, and why Morven, Bromont, and Rebecca Farm are each on the table
• A look at Kate's small Kentucky program, her love of developing horses, and why keeping it manageable matters

Guests Kate Sand, US Equestrian Open rider, joined by host Annie Bishop.

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

It's Thanksgiving Eve and we've dragged Jon Holling away from his turkeys, his Packers jersey and his very detailed holiday schedule. Between Bloody Mary debates, and the yearly "do we have enough food" panic, we get a real glimpse into Jon's world.

We talk horses stepping up, young ones learning the ropes, the long road to making them competitive, and what it actually feels like to build your own string from the ground up.

A Thanksgiving special with all the good bits.

Highlights

• Thanksgiving in the Holling house, from two turkeys to 25 guests
• Why Zelda feels like the horse who changes everything
• Producing horses from scratch and the long game behind it
• The emotional whiplash between "I love this" and "why do I do this"
• Friends, loyalty, and the people who keep you sane in this sport
• What Jon would be doing if he hadn't ended up an eventer

Guests

Jon Holling - rider, coach, host of the John & Rick Show, professional Thanksgiving over-caterer and currently two horses deep into building his next top string.

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

TerraNova gave us blue skies, big movement and a four star that absolutely shaped the conversation. Annie was there watching it unfold. Diarmuid was in the desert watching the Dressage Final under very un-California weather. And between the two weekends we learned a lot. About form. About depth. And about who is heading into the winter with momentum. Settle in. There's plenty to talk about.

Highlights

• What TerraNova told us about the depth in the four star short
• How the Dressage Final played out and why the result mattered
• Who delivered at the right time and who signalled big things for 2026
• The young guns making serious moves and why that matters for the US and Canada
• Time penalties, tough show jumping and the class dynamics you might have missed
• What the winter break means for big names and big ambitions

Guests

• Annie Bishop with all the key details from on the ground at TerraNova
• Diarmuid Byrne with the view from the Dressage Final in the desert

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

Big week ahead. The very first US Equestrian Open Dressage Final lands in Thermal and it already feels like a proper championship moment. Annie is with Noah Rattner and DiarmByrne to size up the field, the atmosphere and the storylines building as fourteen combinations head for the desert.

This one has everything. Top Americans hitting form at the right time. Felicitas Hendricks back on US soil. Jan and Ben Ebeling lining up together. Riders still tweaking floorplans, pushing their degree of difficulty and deciding where to take the risks. And a venue that gives you that big-stage feeling the minute you walk in.

Highlights

• Why Thermal delivers a true championship atmosphere
• The degree of difficulty choices that can swing the result
• Joker lines, late edits and the tactics behind a winning freestyle
• The combinations bringing serious momentum
• How this final feeds into Aachen 2026 and LA 2028
• Music, pressure and the feel of a first-ever title on the line

Guests

• Noah Rattner, international dressage commentator

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

It is Terranova week and there is a lot on the line. Annie and Diarm look ahead to a field stacked with returning stars, big step-ups, and the last chance to score crucial Open points before the winter break.

From Diabolo's long-awaited comeback, to Dyri's red-hot momentum, to the rise of Meg Pellegrini and the next wave of US riders, this is a weekend with stories everywhere you turn. They break down the Prediction Centre, the tactics at play, the form horses, and the key combinations shaping the early 2026 landscape.

Plus, a quick look at the four-long, where qualifications are on the line.

Highlights

• Why Terranova is the most influential late-season qualifier
• Diabolo's return and what Will Coleman needs heading into 2026
• Dyri's surge toward series leadership
• Meg Pellegrini's three-horse step-up and what it signals for the under-25 landscape
• Who could shake up the standings and who needs a result
• Tactical reads from the Prediction Centre and the form horses to watch
• A four-long with championship implications

Guests: Hosted by Annie Bishop and Diarm Byrne

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

The 2025–2026 U.S. Equestrian Open season is underway, and Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri have started on top. Annie and Diarm break down a win that reinforces Lucienne's 2025 form, makes it eight international victories this year, and gives her an early lead in the Open standings.

The team reviews the key results from Bouckaert, including Kate Sand and Top Shelf in second, Buck Davidson and Cerafino in third, and updates on Hot Bobo and Fernhill Salt Lake ahead of TerraNova. With points already on the board, the leaderboard is beginning to take shape.

Highlights:

• Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri open the season with a clear win
• Lucienne's 2025 record puts her ahead for international wins by a British rider
• Kate Sand and Top Shelf deliver a strong second-place finish
• Buck Davidson and Cerafino continue to build form
• Hot Bobo and Fernhill Salt Lake updates as riders plan their next runs
• Early leaderboard picture and what to expect at TerraNova

Guests: Hosted by Annie Bishop and Diarm Byrne

Listeners, we're back and can you believe the 2026 U.S. Equestrian Open season is officially underway. Annie Bishop and Diarm Byrne are diving into the first qualifier at Bouckaert, looking at the stories, the riders, and the horses that could shape the season ahead.

Lucienne Bellissimo's Dyri headlines the field, Hot Bobo is back for Karl Slezak and Canada, and Buck Davidson's Carafino D is one to keep an eye on. They talk form, predictions, and a Bouckaert track that's only seen four clear inside the time. It might be early in the year, but every point counts.

Highlights Include:

• Dyri back in business and looking sharp for Lucienne Bellissimo
• Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo return after 15 months away from the level
• Buck Davidson's Carafino D catches Annie's attention as one to watch
• The challenge of Bouckaert: who can make the time?
• Early-season tactics and the first points of the 2026 leaderboard

Guests: Hosted by Annie Bishop and Diarm Byrne, with a special message from Lucienne Bellissimo on Dyri, confidence, and what's ahead this winter.

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

At just 24, Germany's Felicitas Hendricks has already made her mark on the international dressage stage. From her first junior CDIs in Wellington to European medals and a standout U.S. Open season with her beloved Drombusch, her rise has been shaped by patience, partnership, and personality.

In this episode, Annie sits down with Felicitas to talk about the journey behind the results, building trust with a horse she's produced since six, how disco beats became the soundtrack to their freestyle, and what it means to take that partnership across the Atlantic for the U.S. Equestrian Open Final in Thermal, California.

Highlights Include

• From Wellington to Hagen: the rhythm of two continents
• Drombusch's personality and the story behind their 80s freestyle
• Lessons from a European gold and bronze medal season
• Preparing for Thermal and what it takes to travel horses worldwide
• How a pipeline of young horses shapes the future

Guests Felicitas Hendricks — German international dressage rider and U25 European medalist

Stay Connected Follow the US Equestrian Open for series updates, results, and highlights at usequestrianopen.org and on Instagram and Facebook.

The first-ever U.S. Equestrian Open Final delivered everything you could hope for from a season finale. From Boyd Martin's emotional win with Miks Master C to Will Coleman's class performances across his string, Morven Park set the stage for a weekend of real sport.

Annie and Diarm look back on the moments that defined it, Sharon White's standout test with Claus 63, Caroline Pamukcu once again proving her pace, and the depth of form that shows just how strong U.S. eventing has become.

Highlights Include

• Boyd Martin and Miks Master C making history
• Will Coleman's trio of top-level rides
• Sharon White's brilliant start with Claus 63
• Caroline Pamukcu and the rise of U.S. speed
• Why Morven Park delivered the perfect finish

Guests Annie Bishop and Diarm Byrne

For the most up-to-date series calendar and latest standings, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org.

Engage with us on Instagram and Facebook — and use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.