2016 United States Dressage Finals Underway in Kentucky

Divine Comedy and Jessica Keating, USDF First Level Freestyle Open

The United States Dressage Finals kicked off today, November 10, at the Kentucky Horse Park. The show brings in regional qualifiers from around the country from training level to grand prix, and by the end of the weekend, national champions will be crowned for all levels in the amateur and open categories.

As one of the last big events on the Kentucky Horse Park’s annual calendar, US Dressage Finals is a great spectator show. Competition takes place across five different show rings, and vendors in the park’s Alltech Arena are an added draw for equestrians. If you can’t be in Kentucky in person, classes in the Alltech Arena are being streamed online at USEFNetwork..com. Among the highlights are the grand prix championships on Friday evening and the grand prix freestyle championship on Saturday night.

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Check out more photos from day one of the competition below, and find out more about the competition at www.usdf.org/usdressagefinals.

New York City Slicker and Jody Swimmer, FEI Intermediate I

MSU Supersticious+ ridden by Valarie Boatman in the USDF First Level Freestyle Open

Palladium Vt and Allison Jones, USEF Second Level Test Three

Wanesa and Elma Garcia, FEI Intermediate I

Thor and Amy Sletten, USDF First Level Freestyle Open

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com

7 years ago

Leslie Potter

Leslie Potter is a graduate of William Woods University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Equestrian Science with a concentration in saddle seat riding and a minor in Journalism/Mass Communications. She is currently a writer and photographer in Lexington, Ky.Potter worked as a barn manager and riding instructor and was a freelance reporter and photographer for the Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar and Saddle Horse Report before moving to Lexington to join Horse Illustrated as Web Editor from 2008 to 2019. Her current equestrian pursuits include being a grown-up lesson kid at an eventing barn and trail riding with her senior Morgan gelding, Snoopy.