2026 US Dressage Grand Prix Championship Set for Spring

The 2026 US dressage Grand Prix championship will take place as a standalone event in the spring, moving away from the traditional summer schedule that coincides with the Festival of Champions. This change aims to better prepare athletes for the World Championships. Historically, the Grand Prix championship has been part of a larger annual event that includes various levels of competition during the summer.

This scheduling often leads to conflicts with top rider and horse combinations competing in Europe after extensive winter circuits in Florida and California. Laura Roberts, Managing Director of Dressage at US Equestrian, stated that rescheduling the Grand Prix Championship to an earlier date offers U.S. athletes a chance to compete before their European tour leading up to the FEI Dressage World Championships. She noted that this championship could play a crucial role in the pursuit of medals at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The World Championships are set for August 11-15, 2026, in Aachen, Germany, recognized as one of the most prestigious events in the equestrian calendar and a key destination for U.S. competitors in both dressage and jumping. US Equestrian announced that the Grand Prix championship will function as an official observation event for the World Championships, while also confirming that the 2026 World Championship results will not affect America's automatic qualification for the 2028 Olympics as the host nation.

The U.S. high performance dressage scene is currently in a phase of rebuilding following the retirement of notable horses that contributed to the team's successes at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018 and the Tokyo Olympics.