Wellington, Fla. – January 8, 2026—Nine riders from five different countries lined up for the first of the three FEI World Cup™ qualifiers set to be held during the 2026 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) season in Wellington, FL. AGDF is the only dressage circuit of its kind in the world and hosts seven weeks of CDI competition running through March 29.
Locally based U.S. rider Christian Simonson, who recently vaulted up the FEI Dressage World Ranking to no. 15, extended his unbeaten streak on Indian Rock to seven wins when claiming the IDA Development FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix with 76.043% on the opening day of AGDF, Lloyd Landkamer Memorial Week. The score represented a new personal best for the 23-year-old Simonson and Zen Elite Equestrian Center’s 13-year-old Apache x Vivaldi stallion, a pair that has become a formidable team in their year together.
Geñay Vaughn (USA) made the trip from her California home base and claimed the runner-up spot on her mother Michele Vaughn’s 15-year-old Gino (Bretton Woods x Haarlem). The duo, who competed at the 2025 FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final in Switzerland, scored 70.87% and will be seeking qualification once again. Swedish rider Caroline Darcourt piloted Lövsta Stuteri’s 16-year-old Lord Django (Stalypso x Londonderry) into third place with 69.196%.
Points towards qualification for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final will be determined in Friday evening’s FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle. A victory for Simonson would set him atop the North American League with 60 points, the maximum available, and likely hand him a starting berth at the final, set for April 8-12 in Fort Worth, Texas.
“The test today felt amazing,” enthused Simonson, who was awarded a handful of nines for the piaffe/passage work and one for the right pirouette. “This was the first time he and I were both in this ring at Global and each time we’re showing him, I’m learning little bits and pieces. He and I have such a great relationship together and the bond feels really special.”
