Day one of intense competition in the four-day 2024 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® began on Thursday, November 7, and yielded the first four new champions of the year. Each one came away with a winner’s blanket, a sash, and a slice of the $125,000 prize money on offer at the Kentucky Horse Park. The US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® runs through Sunday, November 10.

Photo – James Koford rode Emily Brollier’s six-year-old Secret Royal 3 to the Open Third Level Championship with 72.375%. (Sue Stickle Photography)

James Koford’s delight at winning the Open Third Level Championship was palpable, and the experienced rider choked back tears as he explained why his 72.375% performance with his good friend Emily Brollier’s six-year-old Secret Royal 3 (by Secret x Rubin Royal) was so poignant. Brollier had a bad fall in the spring of 2024 that resulted in an emergency craniotomy, two fractured vertebrae, broken ribs, and two weeks in a coma on a ventilator.

Anything She Needs

“She woke up from the coma, and I felt like I got a call from beyond the grave because we didn’t know if she was going to be okay,” explained Koford, who started competing the horse in May. “She asked if I would take ‘Roy,’ which of course I would — anything she needed — so she shipped him to me in Florida.

“It started out as altruistic to help a friend, but it turns out that I love this horse and riding him is so fun,” added Koford, who had to go out and buy a new short jacket as it has been so long since he competed below small tour. “He’s unbelievable and sometimes, like today in the warm-up, I get chill bumps. He’s whetted my appetite to sit on a horse of this caliber again. He trots around and you think he’s nice, but the mechanics when you close him up are extraordinary.

Smack Talk

“I just wanted to do a good job for Emily, so it’s great to share this with her and her family. I blew a walk pirouette, which I was afraid would be an opening opportunity for Kassie [Barteau, who finished second on Fiorenzo MLW with 71.792%], but I managed to find some points elsewhere. At shows I usually just go round the warm-up talking smack to people half my age, and then they really enjoy beating me,” concluded the 62-year-old with a grin. “They may be younger and have more physicality, but I’m old and sneaky and I’ll find those points!”

Competition resumes on Friday, November 8, with nine championship titles up for grabs from Training Level to Grand Prix. The full digital show program is available here. Follow the action via the USDF Facebook page and the US Dressage Finals website, plus live online streaming of all the action from the Alltech Arena on USEF Network. To learn more about the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® and read daily news releases, visit the official US Dressage Finals event website. Start times and results can be found on www.horseshowoffice.com.