Good weather, good competition and good fun! This is the perfect way to describe the 2026 Great American/USDF and California Dressage Society’s dual Championship.
One rider who definitely had a “good” show, was Carrie O’Neill (Villa Park, CA). Riding her chestnut, Oldenberg gelding, Dynamic Design, Carrie made it a hat-trick, winning high score three days in a row for her CDS, USDF and Futurity rides. “Desi” is such a sweet boy,” Carrie said. With four firsts and a second place, scores never dropped below 70%. “He tries very hard to do whatever I ask. I bought him from the Verden stallion auction at 2 1/2 (unbroken), had him gelded and flown home, and he has just been the best boy ever since. I couldn’t be happier.”
In a hat-trick of another kind, Willy Arts (Hanford, CA) won the CDS Six-Year-Old Futurity riding the striking chestnut stallion, Pharaoh DG, owned by DG Bar Ranch. Last year Willy guided the stallion to the Five-Year-Old title (79.236%) and back in 2024, they captured the Four-Year-Old Futurity with a 79.620%.
In Saturday night’s exciting CDS Grand Prix freestyle, Josh Peter Albrecht (Oroville, CA) riding Coalcyn Equestrian LLC’s KWPN chestnut gelding, Goldenboy Vinckenburgh won the competition tie with higher artistic scores over Jaclyn Pepper-Millard (Santa Rosa, CA) on her KWPN mare, Limited Edition. The Freestyle victory driven by music from Cold Play and the earlier Reserve Champion placing in the Grand Prix earned Josh and “G-Boy” the overall Grand Prix Grand Champion title. “It was a great finish to the season,” Josh explained. “This is my home now. I qualified for this Championship and Festival in this area. To finish in this arena was truly special.”
Earlier in the day, the Intermediaire I Grand Championship was awarded to Alix Curry (Pescadero, CA) and her Hanoverian gelding, Dante Liebe FH with a combined score of 68.930%.
On Sunday, amateur rider, Gretta Williams (Salinas, CA) was awarded the First/Second Level Grand Champion title on her Dutch Warmblood mare, Priyanka, with a very impressive, combined score of 69.854%. Gretta and Priyanka also won the high-point NAWPN Dutch Warmblood and Cantada (mare) high score awards with her72.639%. “She is very settled for a six-year-old,” explained Gretta. “This is a big show. I am very excited about how she handles herself.” Gretta plans to move Priya up to Second Level next year and continue to concentrate on the Freestyles.
Velantis N, owned and bred by Christiana Noelting, now showing Fourth Level, won the overall CDS HOY Lower-Level Freestyle title, and the overall Grand-Champion title for Third/Fourth Level. The striking 17H chestnut Hanoverian stallion, ridden by Christian Hartung (Vacaville, CA) brought home the same awards in 2025 showing at Third Level.
Sunday’s High-Point award went to Sandy Savage (Sacramento, CA) for her ride in the Great American/USDF.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO QUALIFIED AND COMPETED!
For complete results of the day’s classes click on the link.
