The FEI Dressage Nations Cup series has a new, one-test structure this year that debuted Thursday at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup USA CDIO3*, but the result was the same, with Germany taking its fourth consecutive victory while the U.S. again finished a close second.

Two combinations returned from last year’s winning squad in Anna-Christina Abbelen (Sam Donnerhall) and Felicitas Hendricks (Drombusch). Frederic Wandres (Total Recall) and Michael Klimke (Domino 957) completed the winning team, with Klimke also serving as chef d’equipe for the event, held during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida.

A year ago, Hendricks was making her senior team debut when she led Germany to victory with the top score in the Grand Prix Special. A restructured format made the Nations Cup a one-round competition in 2024, with results solely derived from the Grand Prix test. Still, 23-year-old Hendricks and Drombusch, her own 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Destano—Wicomaggia, Dimaggio), produced the best individual score of the competition (72.08%).

“It’s been a great journey, and it’s great to be back on the senior German team,” Hendricks said. “I had a fantastic team with great teammates and great team spirit.

“I think the scores are reflecting our improvement, but it’s not just about the scores,” she added. “I think I was able to do a more detailed test today than last year, for example. …There are still things to work on, and it’s far away from being perfect, but when is it ever perfect? We just keep working on it, and it’s just getting better and better.”

The impressive pair has begun their 2024 season with five straight individual victories, including their first World Cup win, also in Wellington. Hendricks acquired Drombusch as a 6-year-old, when she was just 16 years old herself, and they’ve climbed the ranks together.

“The season can’t really be going any better for me right now,” she said. “It’s a great honor to be showing this horse in this fantastic venue. He’s so happy to be here, and he’s always happy to be showing. That’s just the best feeling in the world, when they’re so happy and willing to give their all in the ring.”

In the new format this year, each country puts forth a team of three or four riders who all must ride one test, the Grand Prix, rather than fielding both Big Tour and Small Tour combinations. 

Each team’s top three scores were combined to make up the team total. Germany’s best three riders all finished among the top five individually, including Abbelen (70.82%) and Wandres (70.45%). Wandres was competing the 12-year-old Oldenburg Total Recall (Totilas—Weihevoll, Sandro Hit) for the first time, as Australian athlete Jemma Heran loaned him the horse to compete when he didn’t have an ideal mount lined up.

“When we saw we’d need four Grand Prix horses, for us, it meant that we had to bring four good [horses],” Wandres said. “I really liked that ride, and it was our first competition. … There is a lot more in that horse.”

Germany’s final score of 213.69 points gave it the edge over the Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team, which finished a close second on 210.97 points. Sweden took third on 198.95.

Strong U.S. Effort

The U.S. team of Jan Ebeling and Jubi’s Tenacity, Kevin Kohmann and Duenensee, Erin Nichols and Elian Royale, and Jennifer Williams and Joppe K—all residents of Wellington, Florida—put forth strong efforts under the guidance of Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig, with several riders earning personal best scores in the Grand Prix to earn silver.

Kohmann and Duenensee were the anchor combination for The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team and delivered a lovely test to earn a personal-best score of 71.32%. The pair had excellent canter work from extensions to pirouettes, clinching second place individually in the class.

“I’m just thrilled to even be here right now,” Kohmann said. “And to be the anchor rider for my team makes me even more proud and to get the top score, what else can I say other than I am just thrilled.”

While Kohmann and the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Dancier—Doublette, Davignon I) owned by Diamante Farms have only been showing together for a year, they have continued to develop and improved their scores.

“Every show I feel more comfortable riding these movements and pushing a little bit more,” he said. “Every time I do it, it is a bit better.”

Ebeling laid down a quality test with Jubi’s Tenacity to earn a score of 70.08% and finish seventh in the class. He and the 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Tailormade Temptation—Jubi’s Cadeau, Blue Hors Don Schufro) owned by Ann Romney had impressive extended canter and canter pirouette movements as the highlights of their test.

Nichols made her senior Nations Cup debut a memorable one with a personal-best score of 69.56% with Elian Royale. She and the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Johnson—Zafradine, Amidou) owned by Premiere Sport Horses nailed their one-tempi changes on their way to finishing eighth in the class.

Williams and Joppe K were the first U.S. pair down centerline, and they set a positive tone for the team. Williams and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Harmony’s Rousseau—Dadina K, Santano) owned by Joppe Partners, LLC, had solid trot work throughout their test to finish ninth on a score of 68.65%.

“I’m really proud of them,” Traurig said Thursday of the team she coached. “I’m proud of Erin, the youngster, for going in there and putting in a mistake-free test, which is rare. Kevin’s horse has gotten better and better now, and Jan’s horse also has shown improvement. Jennifer’s horse has a lot of quality that has continued to develop. I’m very happy with how the team performed today.”

See complete results here.

The competition continues today with the CDIO3* FEI Grand Prix Freestyle starting at 6:10 p.m.