Expanded Classes at 2024 US Dressage Finals and Return of Renamed Dressage in the Bluegrass

August 13, 2024 – Lexington, KY – The 2024 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® at the Kentucky Horse Park, held on November 7-10, in Lexington, KY, is a national championship competition for riders in youth, adult amateur, and open divisions at Training Level through Grand Prix. New for 2024, the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) has added two classes for juniors and young riders to the roster, one at Prix St. Georges level and the other an Intermediate I class. The show, which is in its 11th year, offers more than $125,000 in prize money.

USDF has included the new junior and young rider classes at the 2024 Finals for the first time to open up opportunities for emerging U.S. talent.

“These classes have been added due to the growing participation levels of the juniors and young riders at both the Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I levels,” said USDF Competitions Director Krystina Wright. “USDF is very excited to offer these classes to our junior and young riders so they have the opportunity to compete in FEI-level tests at the US Dressage Finals.”

Entries for Finals open on Thursday, September 12, 2024, and close at midnight ET on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

Lyndsey Bailey and Kasparov Toja receiving their winner's prizes in 2023 after topping the Adult Amateur Intermediate I Freestyle. Photo by SusanJStickle.com.

This year, the popular United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) rated competition that runs alongside the Finals — formerly known as Dressage in the Bluegrass — is added back in to the schedule and has been renamed the USDF Fall Classic. The USDF Fall Classic, which runs on the same dates, is open to both Finals and non-Finals horses, allowing riders to bring more horses along to enjoy the facilities at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Riders competing at the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® qualify through nine different Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Dressage Championships. As per all other Finals classes, in the new divisions qualified and eligible horse/rider combinations may enter one or both of the Prix St. Georges Junior/Young Rider and the Intermediate I Junior/Young Rider classes.

Emily Donaldson and the five-year-old Supersonic stood out from the crowd in the 2023 First Level Open Championship. Photo by SusanJStickle.com.

In 2024, there are five weekends of Regional Championships action:

WEEKEND 1
Region 2
September 12-15 – Lexington, KY

WEEKEND 2
Region 3
September 18-22 – Ocala, FL

Region 5
September 19-22 – Parker, CO

Region 8
September 19-22 – Saugerties, NY 

WEEKEND 3
Region 7
September 26-29 – Burbank, CA 

WEEKEND 4
Region 6
October 3-6 – Sherwood, OR

Region 9
October 3-6 – Katy, TX

WEEKEND 5
Region 1
October 10-13 – Lexington, VA

Region 4
October 10-13 – Lake Saint Louis, MO

The high-caliber competitors at Finals will make their way to Kentucky from every corner of the U.S., aiming to capture the sashes, ribbons, and a slice of the generous prize money on offer. The show also offers a vast array of vendors, providing the ideal opportunity to restock your favorite items, browse the latest styles, or snap up a bargain before the holiday season. 

For those who cannot be there in person, the Finals are live streamed free on USEF Network. Along with presenting sponsor Adequan®, the US Dressage Finals is supported by Great American Insurance Group, SmartPak, and Platinum Performance. Contributing sponsors include Cryostride, Hygain, Premier Equestrian, Sterling Thompson Equine, and Uvex.

Learn more at www.usdf.org/usdressagefinals/index.asp.

About USDF

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedication to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, e-mail [email protected], or call (859) 971-2277.