After a mammoth seven hours of competition in the 36-strong Second Level Adult Amateur Championship at the 2025 US Dressage Finals, detective Alexa Briscoe and her seven-year-old Lincolntime nosed ahead to claim victory with 71.032%.

Photo – Alexa Briscoe topped the huge Second Level AA Championship with 71.032% on her seven-year-old Lincolntime, by Londontime.  (Sue Stickle Photography)

She has owned the Londontime x Weltmeyer gelding since he was three, but his propensity to add his own moves meant they avoided rated competition until he was six.

“We had one of those more ‘creative’ tests yesterday as a warm-up class,” said Briscoe, who has trained with Becky Langwost-Barlow for three decades. “Today, there were a few points that I had to leave on the table to get through it and avoid a bigger issue, so I’m proud we managed the tension and pulled it off when it counted.”

A Good Fit

She bought Lincolntime from Germany off a video during the COVID-19 pandemic after Langwost-Barlow suggested he would be a good fit for her.

“I had no intention of buying off video. He looked a bit hot and tight, but he was so reasonably priced and vetted so well, that I figured if he didn’t work for me, I could sell him on,” she added. “He’s worked out beautifully, and he’s definitely not for sale. I tend to keep my horses — my 29-year-old former grand prix horse who I took to the very first US Dressage Finals in Kentucky in 2013 is still at the farm in Maryland.”

Fun Place to Be

Briscoe particularly appreciated WEC’s facilities as Lincolntime is barefoot. “The place is beautiful and very barefoot friendly — there’s no gravel,” she pointed out. “We’re really happy with the footing, and stabling is nice. It’s fun to be in a new place.”

Competition continues on Saturday, November 1, with 14 championship titles to be decided across the day and evening gala sessions. The full digital show program is available here. Follow the action via the USDF Facebook page, USDF Instagram page, and the US Dressage Finals website, plus live online streaming from the Sanctuary Arena on USEF Network with expert commentary from Kathy Connelly.

Check out the latest coverage of the 2025 Finals, including behind-the-scenes photos and daily releases here. Live results and start times can be found here.