USEF on Wednesday announced the launch of a new competition series, the US Equestrian Open, which will feature the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing and jumping. Each discipline’s series will consist of qualifying events that lead up to a final that names a US Equestrian Open champion.

The US Equestrian Open aims to build toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and build support for the sports among mainstream audiences. The prize money will total more than $1 million across the series finals, with each discipline final hosted at a different premier venue across the country. In order to elevate the visibility of equestrian sport within the U.S. and globally, all three finals will be broadcast on ESPN.

The concept for the US Equestrian Open, came out of a USEF board of directors meeting in July 2023, where the board made a commitment to invest in growing awareness, exposure and engagement. After a year of initial planning, the Fédération Equestre International approved the dressage and eventing series in June 2024 (the jumping series did not require FEI approval). The US Equestrian Open series will begin with the first eventing qualifying competition this fall.

“The launch of the US Equestrian Open series has been a priority for us. There’s a purpose-driven need for equestrian sport to produce a more commercially significant and identifiable championship model within the United States, particularly focused around the Olympic disciplines,” said David O’Connor, USEF chief of sport.

“We’ve seen new and creative branded series introduced across other mainstream sports, such as golf and tennis, which have experienced tremendous success, both from an athlete and spectator perspective,” he continued. “As an organization, we felt strongly we needed to move the needle forward in our sport by providing access to significant prize money and standing behind a unique model for each discipline, which encourages participation at the highest levels.”

Eventing Series Details

The US Equestrian Open of Eventing will include multiple qualifying events throughout the year, culminating in the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final taking place at the Morven Park CCI4*-L (Virginia) in 2025. USEF will award $200,000 in total prize money at the final, and competitors will qualify through results at the CCI4*-S level.

Qualifying competitions will include CCI4*-S events around the country, eliminating geographical restrictions for participation, and providing a more structured championship model at the CCI4* level for international eventing athletes in the United States. A $50,000 series award will be distributed based on rankings across the qualifiers leading up to the final. 

“Morven Park is thrilled to welcome the US Equestrian Open to our grounds,” said Stacey Metcalfe, executive director and CEO of Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, Inc. and Morven Park. “For over 50 years, our cross-country courses have maintained a legacy of eventing excellence at all levels of the sport, and as one of five venues in the United States to host a [CCI]4*-L we welcome the opportunity to continue this legacy into the future as part of the US Equestrian Open.”

Dressage Series Details

The US Equestrian Open of Dressage will be formatted based on points accumulated through qualification via the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle test at the CDI level, with the top athletes in the overall standings moving forward to contest the US Equestrian Open Dressage Final in qualifying events taking place throughout 2025.

The final will be hosted at Desert International Horse Park (California) with $200,000 in prize money to be distributed to participating combinations and a $50,000 high point series incentive across the qualifiers. Athletes must complete a minimum of two Grand Prix freestyles at designated US Open series qualifying CDIs within the U.S. during 2025 to be eligible for the series final. 

“We are excited to be a part of this new US Equestrian initiative, which supports and enhances the top of all three disciplines,” said Steve Hankin, president and CEO of Desert International Horse Park. “We are proud to have been selected as one of the premier venues to host such a prestigious event and we look forward to welcoming athletes to our horse park. It has been an important priority for us to help rebuild the sport of dressage on the West Coast, and we see this is another positive step forward.”

Jumping Series Details

USEF and the organizers of Wellington International will commit $250,000 in additional prize money to the existing CSI5* during the final week of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida), to establish the US Equestrian Open of Jumping Final. The FEI invitation system will be used leading into two qualifying events during the final week of CSI5* competition culminating with the $750,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix, a Rolex Series event. 

“We are thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative that aligns with our commitment to elevating equestrian sport across the world,” said Michael Stone, president of Wellington International. “The US Equestrian Open Jumping Final, hosted during the Rolex Finale Week of the Winter Equestrian Festival, not only celebrates the incredible Olympic-level talent within our sport but also showcases it on a global stage. This series is a testament to the growing momentum and mainstream appeal of equestrian disciplines, and we are proud to play a pivotal role in its success.”

The full calendar of qualifying events will be available in the coming weeks.