James Koford Claims Emotional Victory on Opening Day of 2024 US Dressage Finals Presented by Adequan®

By Alice Collins for Jump Media/US Dressage Finals

November 7, 2024 – Lexington, KY – 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.

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.

James Koford rode Emily Brollier’s six-year-old Secret Royal 3 to the Open Third Level Championship with 72.375%. Photo by SusanJStickle.com.

“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.

“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!”

Finals Specialist Delivers Again

Kate Fleming-Kuhn of Star West Dressage in New Berlin, IL, continued her sparkling run of form from the Regionals with her own eight-year-old gelding Franzsis HSR (by Franziskus x Sandro Hit). They topped the leaderboard in the Prix St. Georges Open even though she described him as “a bit of an imp” at home. Their 70.931% was the only score over 70% in the class of 15 starters, and it also secured them the Miki Christophersen Perpetual Trophy, presented by USDF Region 4.

Kate Fleming-Kuhn and Franzsis HSR produced the only plus-70% score to capture the Prix St. Georges Open Championship. Photo by SusanJStickle.com.

“Today he was really on my aids,” affirmed Fleming-Kuhn. “We’ve been working throughout the summer to continue to increase his degree of engagement, and I really felt like today that came together. That’s exciting for what the future holds for him. The dream is always to make it to big tour, and he has the stuff for that – no doubt.”

Franzsis was bred in the U.S. by Anita Nardine at Hidden Springs Ranch, and Fleming-Kuhn bought him at two weeks old after seeing him “move like a cat” in his foal video. She has produced him herself throughout his career, and he has a great record at Finals in recent years, having been a champion in 2022 and a reserve champion in 2023.

“I’ve never ridden a horse with his athleticism and sensitivity, so it’s been a learning process to be the best partner to him and to access his energy and his concentration within that sensitivity,” she explained.

“He’s a bit of a playboy; he’s a sweet horse, but he has a lot of personality and can be a handful on the ground – he’s notorious for going to turnout on his hind legs, but he’s wonderful to ride,” added Fleming-Kuhn who named “Franzie” after both his sire Fraziskus and her grandfather Francis.

“It All Clicked Today”

Another rider for whom everything aligned at the right moment was the young Ella Fruchterman, who at 20 years old already has her USDF bronze, silver, and gold medals. She rode her and her father Todd’s 15-year-old Danish mare Hannah Montana W, by Blue Hors Doolittle, to the Open Intermediate II title.

Ella Fruchterman described her Intermediate II Open Champion Hannah Montana W as "a horse of a lifetime." Photo by SusanJStickle.com.

“I came in tonight as the only junior in the class, so I was really focused on just riding to the best of our ability,” said Fruchterman. “This is my first year at this level, so I wanted to take my time and set things up. To win is the cherry on the top, and we were not expecting it.

“Hannah felt the best I’ve ever felt her in the ring. This is a personal best in a championship setting. We did some CDIs in Florida in the spring, and we were just finding our feet. It felt like it all clicked today, which is a great time for it to all come together. I started in Juniors with her, so she’s taken me all the way through. She’s a horse of a lifetime,” she added.

The family bought Hannah Montana sight unseen in 2021 from Denmark, where she had been competing at grand prix level with Sanne Svendsen. Trainer Angela Jackson flew over to try her and was convinced she was the one.

Jackson said, “Hannah has her quirks and doesn’t give anything for free. If you do it right, she will do it right and if not, you have to try again — but she doesn’t get upset. That’s [the nature of] a beautiful schoolmaster, and we owe this horse a lot.”

Fruchterman concluded, “I put all my trust in Angela, and I couldn’t be more grateful to her for taking us both through this journey and teaching me the ropes.”

First-Drawn Pressure on Defending Champion

It was the pathfinders in the Intermediate II Adult Amateur Championship who held the lead from start to finish. Rebecca Lord was also the defending champion with her 15-year-old Hanoverian Demetrius, and their 66.569% fended off all challengers.

Rebecca Lord and the 15-year-old Hanoverian Demetrius retained their Intermediate II AA Championship crown. Photo by SusanJStickle.com.

Lord, who is 59, took a 31-year break from riding, picking it back up a decade ago. She has made monumental progress in that time, including with Demetrius, by De Niro, whom she bought in 2020. She also finished fifth in the class with Luke Skywalker, clocking up 63.137%.

“It was very overwhelming to win two years in a row — and have two such lovely horses placing so well,” enthused Lord, who splits her time between Ocala, FL, where she trains with Franziska Seidl and Cochranville, PA, where her trainer is Alex Robertson. “I felt nervous, but I am grateful that I stayed present, calm, and focused to maintain access to the skills I’ve worked so hard to develop.  

“Demi is always ready for more and so enthusiastic,” she continued. “I finished and thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t mess up!’ I’m overjoyed that the judge at M gave me 69.5% because we are all hoping, dreaming, and yearning to push 70%. With Luke I had one mistake cantering coming out of passage, but he’s really coming into his own. They’re glorious horses, and it’s exciting to love doing something so much.”

Lord has three horses in Friday morning’s AA Grand Prix championship, in which she finished reserve champion with Demetrius in 2023.

Out and About at Finals

Behind-the-scenes photos by Chelsey Burris.

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.

Along with presenting sponsor Adequan®, the US Dressage Finals is supported by Great American Insurance Group, SmartPak® Equine, Platinum Performance, and LeMieux. Contributing sponsors include Cryostride, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Premier Equestrian, Sterling Thompson Equine, The Dressage Foundation, and Uvex.

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.