Team PracOcala, Florida—Ellesse Gundersen and Quintessential 4 were crowned national champions under the lights at the World Equestrian Center this past Saturday, after topping the overall leaderboard of the US Equestrian (USEF) Grand Prix Dressage National Championship following three days of competition. The pair concluded their week with a score of 76.055% in the Grand Prix Freestyle to secure their title on a final combined championship score of 71.082%.
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana finished as reserve national champions with an overall total of 70.350%, and Meagan Davis and Toronto Lightfoot rounded out the podium with overall third place. Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baian topped the Grand Prix Freestyle with an impressive score of 76.240%.
The 2026 USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship saw 16 total combinations compete, with the overall champion determined by a calculation of their scores throughout the week. The Grand Prix counted for 45% of their overall total score, the Grand Prix Special counted for 40% and the Grand Prix Freestyle earned them the final 15% of their score.
Gundersen and Quintessential 4 Celebrate Career-Defining Week
Gundersen and Quintessential 4 have marked a career-defining week at WEC during these championships, securing three consecutive podium finishes, including two wins across the three days of competition. She developed “Q” herself and was thrilled with the duo’s ability to produce consistent and precise rides throughout the week, which resulted in three personal best scores at the level.
“Q again showed that he was reliable, and he was meant to be here,” Gundersen said about the 2014 Hanoverian gelding (Quaterback x Cordoba), who she owns with along with her husband Henrik Gundersen and Marcia Radosevich. “I’m really over the moon. He really deserves it, and my entire team deserves this more than anything because they’ve been a huge part of it. We’re going to enjoy it now and then make smart decisions as we look to the future for this horse.”
The pair drew positive attention from the judges, spectators and their peers for their harmonious picture and poise throughout their performances. The freestyle highlighted Q’s strengths, including his extended movements and fluid transitions between collected and extended work.
“My music ‘Never Give Up’ reminds us that we can’t ever give up and we fight every day, no matter what,” Gundersen said. “We show up, and we’re here for it. It’s very special to us.”
As the pair continue their journey together, aiming to gain more international experience is high on their priority list as they look ahead with aspirations over the next two years. “I think the U.S. has a great plan in place for us,” Gundersen noted. “We’re on the same page as to how we can further develop myself and Q for the future of U.S. dressage.”
Holzer and Davis Cruise Into Second and Third
Holzer and 2012 British Hanoverian mare Hawtins San Floriana (San Amour I x Florestan I), who Holzer owns with Diane Fellows, earned a 75.355% from the judging panel in their freestyle to ultimately take reserve champion honors and achieve another milestone in their partnership together.
“She’s worked very hard. I had to get her acclimated to events with a lot of atmosphere. She just kept improving, and now she walks to the ring, happy as a clam. I pick up the reins, she knows it’s her job and she goes off and does it,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of horses in my life, and I know when they want to go down that centerline and do the job for you. It is remarkable, and we have to cherish that.”
Holzer noted that it took time to build trust with the mare, but they’ve continued to form a stronger bond this season, which has been reflected in their performances.
“It was a tricky adjustment for me, and I had a difficult time when I first got her. We just spent a lot of time becoming partners,” she said. “It’s an amazing feeling to have a horse that you know is always going to be dependable. When you win over that trust, they really want to do it for you. I think that has been more and more obvious to me during this entire season.”
Aboard Toronto Lightfoot, Davis rounded out the top three combinations in the overall standings after a solid freestyle pushed them just ahead of Simonson and Fleau de Baian. The duo received a 74.390% from the panel for their freestyle, which earned them a final total championship score of 70.016%.
Davis ended up going last in the class due to rain delays, but she took it all in stride, as did her horse. “To go in and do a test as well as he did just shows how much heart and stamina he has, and how he loves to perform,” she said of the 2013 Oldenburg gelding (Totilas x Onassis) owned by Scott Durkin. “I was almost in tears at the end of my ride. It was the first time we’ve done that freestyle, so it was a lot of fun,” she said.
Simonson and Fleau de Baian Take Top Honors in Freestyle
Simonson and Fleau de Baian, a 2010 KWPN stallion (Broere Jazz x Ulft) owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center, won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, earning a class-high score of 76.240%. The duo finished fourth overall in the championship standings.
Jordan LaPlaca and Gold Play, a 2015 Oldenburg gelding (Grey Flanell x Sir Donnerhall II) owned by Nancy Hutson, earned fifth place, just ahead of Jodie Kelly-Baxley and Grayton Beach, a 2011 KWPN gelding (Negro x UB 40), who rounded out the top six finishers.