Serena Ireland and Royalty R
Australian combination Serena and ‘Rusty’ (Regardez Moi x Jive Magic) started the Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup Final Grand Prix Freestyle with a superb test! The combination had a powerful entry to their freestyle, featuring music inspired by Men At Work’s Down Under, and put together by Maddi Foster. Rusty was stronger in the piaffe today as well as producing lovely expressive extended trots. Their extended canter into a double pirouette, and then into tempis on a curved line were executed seamlessly. They received a massive applause from the audience on their final centreline, with a canter pirouette into a piaffe pirouette, and finishing with an expressive extended trot up the centreline.
A final score of 68.545% for fifteenth.
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View the results from the FEI Dressage World Cup Final Grand Prix Freestyle here.
Read more: Serena Ireland and Royalty R make their FEI World Cup Final debut
Yessin Rahmouni and Kind of Magic
Magic (All At Once x Jazz) was electric circling the arena. This was one of the most expressive and powerful horses in the field, with Morrocan rider Rahmouni having to be very careful to manage the eleven-year-old gelding. Unfortunately, tension in the atmosphere affected majority of the movements, which affected the score. Credit to Rahmouni’s riding for staying in time with the music throughout the test and taking moments where possible to reassure Magic. For Magic, Thursday’s test was his fifth ever Grand Prix and his fourth international show, making him one of the more inexperienced combinations in the field – if Rahmouni can start to develop more relaxation in the ring it will certainly be an exciting combination for the future.
A final score of 64.635% for sixteenth.
Benjamin Ebeling and Bellena
The first American competitor entered the arena with massive cheers from their home crowd. Their test was set to pop music, making it a fun accompaniment to their freestyle. The canter half-pass into a double pirouette, then into two-tempis, was expertly ridden and showed Benella’s strength in that work. The combination produced a very technically challenging test with Bellena (Belissimo M x Welser) looking in top form. One mistake in the one-tempis, but a joker line was used for a successful clean second attempt. Bellena got a little overwhelmed with the final transition from canter pirouette into piaffe pirouette, but quickly recovered. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the test with many rounds of applause being given during the test.
A final score of 74.965% for tenth.
Bettina Kendlbacher and Broadmoars Don Alfredo AWO
The Austrian combination was in top form with more energy across their test, and Don Alfredo (Destano x His Highness) was really trying in every movement. Unfortunately, still just losing the diagonal stepping in the piaffe at times affected the score. The start of the canter tour saw some tension creeping in but Kendlbacher quickly recovered with very difficult lines, featuring double pirouettes in the canter half-pass zig-zag and tempis on curved lines, which were all well ridden.
A final score of 72.010% for fourteenth.
Raphael Netz and DSP Dieudonne
The German combination had hip hop music for their freestyle, beginning with very correct piaffe before opening up into a massive extended trot down the centreline. The walk could have had more relaxation, with Dieudonne (Dante Weltino OLD x Sir Donnerhall) wanting to take in the crowd rather than relax into the contact, but the stallion was back on the job for the canter work. They executed the canter pirouette into the piaffe pirouette seamlessly, with Dieudonne not missing a stride.
A final score of 79.245% with an artistic mark of 85.640% for fifth.
Justina Vanagaite-Samuile and Nabab
Vanagaite-Samuile and Nabab (Sir Donovan x Krack C) had massive fun in their freestyle. They had a bold entry to Universal’s movie introduction, followed by music from Star Wars, which had the crowd cheering. Nabab stayed right with his Lithuanian rider and her smile was evident throughout the entire test. Music from Indiana Jones was the backing for her powerful extended trots, which once again received massive applause. A well ridden piaffe pirouette into a very relaxed extended walk increased their degree of difficulty whilst showing Nabab’s relaxation in the electric environment. There was a mistake in the final change when going from two-tempis to one-tempis, but a great passage up the centreline with one hand to finish and Vanagaite-Samuile looked thrilled with her test.
A final score of 73.245% for twelfth.
Morgan Barbançon and Sir Donnerhall II OLD
You would think at 20 years old, Sir Donnerhall II OLD (Sandro Hit x Donnerhall), known as Gus, would be slowing down, but he was very fresh coming into the arena. The French combination began their test with a massive extended canter from the halt, up the centreline into a pirouette right at the end. Two-tempis were executed on a half circle into one-tempis on the diagonal, with Barbançon riding with one hand and signalling for cheers from the audience. Gus has a massive reach from his shoulders, which at times means the hinds seem to struggle to keep, however he shows great elasticity and sit in the pirouettes. Barbançon rode the final centreline one-handed with so much joy. This was their final competition ride together, with Gus being retired from sport – having being partnered with Gus for 14 years (with ten of those years being at Grand Prix) it was a superb freestyle for this incredible partnership to finish on.
A final score of 70.375% for thirteenth.
Thamar Zweistra and Kingsdale
The Netherlands combination drew inspiration for their freestyle music from the upcoming FIFA World Cup Final. Kingsdale (Everdale x Negro) once again showed lovely passage. His canter tour was a highlight, in particular the pirouettes and expressive and bold tempi changes. A massive extended trot up the centreline into a perfect square halt to finish.
A final score of 74.685%, which is a personal best for this combination with an artistic mark of 80.520% for eleventh.
Moritz Treffinger and Fiderdance
An unfortunate loss of balance to start the extended trot today, but much better piaffe for Treffinger and Fiderdance (Fidertanz x Don Schufro). Lovely expressive half-passes and a very correct test from the German combination. They finished with one-handed passage up the centreline with a smile on both their faces! Whilst the pair didn’t take the most risks in their canter choreography, it was a lovely harmonious test. For Treffinger’s first World Cup Final at just 22 years of age, he is a promising rider for the future.
A final score of 77.360% with an artistic mark of 85.120% for eighth.
Kevin Kohmann and Duenensee
Duenensee (Dancier x Davignon I) was in top form with well-balanced pirouettes and expressive tempi changes. The American rider executed a very technical collected walk into a piaffe pirouette, into extended walk, before returning to the canter work. The work produced in the test was improved on what they showed in the Grand Prix with better piaffe and passage as well as strong extended paces. The pair finished with fluid passage half-passes up the centreline to finish a great freestyle. Like his teammate, Kohmann went for a pop medley of songs for his freestyle, which had the crowd cheering and dancing.
A final score of 76.730% with an artistic mark of 82.960% for ninth.
Alexa Fairchild and Fairplay
Fairchild opted for more dramatic music in the freestyle today. The Belgium combination once again showed great passage and expression in the trot half-passes but losing the activity in their piaffe work. Fairplay (Delatio x Krack C) produced a fault free canter tour, showing expressive changes, with a final piaffe pirouette producing the best piaffe of their test.
A final score of 78.005% with an artistic mark of 83.960% for seventh.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock
An almost foot perfect test for ‘Rocky’ (Apache x Vivaldi) and Christian today. Rocky just shone under the lights with the piaffe and passage, and has such an uphill and light way of going in all paces. there was one small mishap with an exuberant change at the end of the extended canter, but otherwise many 9s were awarded for the piaffe and passage. They also showed great elasticity in the half-pass and changes. Another young rider showing great promise for the future with a talented stallion to ride.
A final score of 83.810% for a new personal best with an artistic mark of 90.720% for second.
Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel’s Goldstrike
The Ecuadorian combination went for every stride tonight with super expressive piaffe and passage into sweeping half-passes. Jewel’s Goldstrike (Bretton Woods x Scandic) was another horse that really drew energy from the crowd. A small miscommunication in the collected walk affected their mark. The canter tour showed correct two tempis on a curved line and then a massive extended canter that had the crowd cheering. The combination finished with more super piaffe work, holding 15 steps on the spot then an expressive passage half-pass zig-zag into one-handed passage up the centreline.
A final score of 78.645% for sixth.
Patrik Kittel and Touchdown
Kittel and Touchdown (Quaterback x Sack) presented a strong start to their freestyle with massive extended trots. Touchdown is a little weaker in the piaffe, so Kittel was very deliberate as to where he chose to place the piaffe within his test. Music from Sweet Home Alabama started the Swedish combination’s canter tour, receiving cheers from the audience. The first line of tempi changes had an exuberant change to begin with, and Touchdown seemed a little tense in the atmosphere. The one-tempis were performed seamlessly on a very difficult curved line. A great centreline to finish with Kittel visibly pleased with Touchdown’s performance.
A final score of 80.260% with an artistic mark of 86.920% for fourth.
Sandra Sysojeva and Maxima Bella
It was an elegant square halt to begin the Polish combination’s freestyle set to French music. Maxima Bella (Millennium x Christ) showed a very light forehand and great expression and engagement in the piaffe and passage. The shoulder reach in the extended trot is massive, however the hind end struggled to keep up at times. The canter tour was very difficult like the trot tour, however Maxima Bella tended to lose energy in the canter pirouettes — but the one tempis were a highlight. The combination finished with an elegant piaffe pirouette to Beyonce’s Texas Hold ‘Em to the crowd’s delight. To achieve a podium finish on a mare that is just ten years old is very exciting and a credit Sysojeva’s training, having purchased Maxima Bella as a two-year-old.
A final score of 80.770% for third.
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb
Moody and Jagerbomb (Dante Weltino x Jazz) made an entrance in their freestyle! Scoring 9s and 10s for their entry, they backed it up by continuing down the centreline with a canter pirouette followed by one-tempis into another canter pirouette. The British combination gave it their all, with an incredibly difficult and harmonious freestyle. They perfectly executed two-tempis into one-tempis on a two different circle lines. The extended paces in both trot and canter were bold, and the entire test was harmonious to watch.
A final score of 88.330% with an artistic mark of 96.360%, for a personal best and first place to win the 2026 Zen Elite FEI Dressage World Cup Final.
Re-watch all the action from Fort Worth on-demand with ClipMyHorse.TV.
View the results from the FEI Dressage World Cup Final Grand Prix Freestyle here.
