By Alice Collins for Wellington International
Wellington, Fla.-February 20, 2026—German dressage megastar Isabell Werth stamped her own brand of riding magic on the Zen Elite Equestrian FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle, producing a mesmerizing 82.66% performance. She and Special Blend 3 were making their CDI freestyle debut during the ‘Friday Night Stars’ sold-out evening showcase at the 2026 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.
Isabell Werth & Special Blend 3. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Flipping the second and third places from the qualifying grand prix class, Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu landed the runner-up spot with a massive new personal best on Jill Irving’s 12-year-old, Jaccardo. The Desperado x Jazz gelding scored 79.25% with a high-energy, maximum throttle performance. Ecuadorian rider Julio Mendoza Loor finished third, meaning the top three athletes represented three different continents. Mendoza Loor rode his 2024 Paris Olympics mount Jewel’s Goldstrike to 78.165%. Riders from six different nations filled the top six places in the high-scoring class.
Special Blend 3, who is still registered to former owner Helgstrand Dressage but was recently sold to Werth’s student Natalie Stickling-Morzynski, belied his inexperience in the freestyle, dancing enthusiastically to a classical compilation originally designed for Werth’s Olympic team gold medal-winning horse, Emilio. Special Blend only got the call-up to fly to Florida a few days before the show after Werth’s intended horse, DSP Quantaz, got a small swelling on one leg.
“This freestyle is really, really difficult and I was not sure what Special would do because he’s not experienced in these kinds of atmospheres, but he was very focused,” said Werth, who was delighted to hear 2,000 spectators clapping along to her final centerline. “This crowd was so supportive and started to clap, which is something special. That end to a test is a feeling I really enjoy, and it’s how you know why you’re still in the saddle in a competition.”
Isabell Werth & Special Blend 3 are presented as winners of the Zen Elite Equestrian CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle by (left to right): Adrienne Lyle; Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite Equestrian Center; Judge at C Dr. Evi Eisenhardt; Christian Simonson; FEI Director of Dressage Ronan Murphy; Endel Ots; Danielle Linder; Bryan Humphries; and Nicole Humphries. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Watch The Winning Test
Werth’s test showcased a full piaffe pirouette right after the entry halt and 22 one-time changes on a curving line between canter pirouettes. It was a masterclass in her signature fusion of extreme technical difficulty and jaw-dropping ease of execution. Hundreds of people were filming her performance on their phones, and then showed their appreciation with a standing ovation.
“I’d like to thank the show team because it was pretty impressive here,” continued the seven-time Olympian, who last competed in Wellington a decade and a half ago. “I didn’t expect that it would be like this. There’s a huge improvement in the whole environment here—the horses, the riding—which is great to see. We have to make dressage more global and for sure here there is a lot of energy and enthusiasm, which I love to see and be a part of. I’m pretty sure that I’ll come back next year.”
Isabell Werth, mounted on Special Blend 3, is presented with the Frank & Eileen Leading Lady Award by Thomas Baur. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Werth earned week seven’s Leading Lady Freestyle Rider Award, sponsored by Frank & Eileen. The senior show groom from her barn in Rheinberg, Germany, Steffi Wiegard, scooped the groom’s award, presented by The Horse of Course.
Groom for Isabell Werth, Steffi Wiegard, was awarded The Horse of Course Groom’s Award for her care of Special Blend 3. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Fraser-Beaulieu entered the arena on a mission to finish as the highest-placed rider in the FEI Dressage World Cup™ – North American League in her quest to qualify for the Final in Texas in April—and achieved it with aplomb. She punched the air in delight on completion of her Britney Spears-themed freestyle put together by Tom Hunt.
“I couldn’t leave anything hanging because I had a lot on the line,” said Fraser-Beaulieu, who trains with Ashley Holzer. “This was Jac’s first Friday night, and he’d never been into an atmosphere like this, so I was a bit nervous because there were so many people, but he came into the arena and was like, ‘Let’s go!’. He was on my aids the whole time.”
Last-minute tweaks to her floorplan added to Fraser-Beaulieu’s apprehension, but the test came together beautifully, with 16 one-time changes down the centerline and piaffe between the two walk sections.
“This was the first time I actually went through the newer pattern,” she admitted. “I just wanted to be on my music, mistake-free, and show power. I think I accomplished that today. Jill and Ashley insisted on the Britney [Spears] music, and I was a little shy about it at first, but everybody seems to like it, and the crowd gets involved.”
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu & Jaccardo. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Mendoza Loor—who became the first dressage rider ever to represent Ecuador at the Olympics in 2024—wiped away a tear and pointed down at Jewel’s Goldstrike in gratitude after his final halt.
“Riding ‘Goldie’ is a joy every time,” said the rider from Columbus, NC, who co-owns the Bretton Woods 15-year-old gelding with his wife Jessica Mendoza. “I paid $20 for this horse, and he’s taken me to the Olympics, taken me here—and every time he gives me 100%. He never lets me down, and that’s why I cry all the time because this horse has made me who I am. There aren’t enough words to explain how good he is and how much I love him.”
Julio Mendoza Loor & Jewel’s Goldstrike. Photo ©Centre Line Media
The freestyle class doubled as a qualifier for the US Equestrian Open of Dressage series, now in its second season. This year, it features 24 qualifiers—seven of which are at AGDF—before the final in California in November. Christian Simonson (USA) remains top of the standings with 40 points, and Fraser-Beaulieu is now sitting in second with 35. Great Britain’s Susan Pape is third with 32. Pape is also atop the standings in the Leading International Freestyle Rider rankings, presented by Stillpoint Dressage.
Alongside the competitive dressage—the second of three World Cup™ qualifiers on the 2026 AGDF calendar—the team of Zen Elite Equestrian riders presented a stallion showcase featuring My Vitality, One Million, Zaunkönig, Fortunato H2O OLD, Rosebank VH, Fleau De Baian, and the pony Branley Ash Nautilus. There was also a music concert by Grammy Award-winning artist, Lady A.
Ahead of the evening’s competition, the team of Zen Elite Equestrian riders presented a stallion showcase featuring My Vitality, One Million, Zaunkönig, Fortunato H2O OLD, Rosebank VH, Fleau De Baian, and the pony Branley Ash Nautilus. Photo ©Ashley Neuhof
Heidi Humphries, owner of Zen Elite Equestrian, said, “On behalf of the entire Zen Elite Equestrian family, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has come out to support such an incredible week of top sport at AGDF. From the riders and owners to the grooms, sponsors, organizers, and passionate fans in the stands, your energy made this evening a truly unforgettable one. Congratulations to Isabell and all the other competitors for delivering a beautiful night of top sport under the lights.”
Click for full results from the Zen Elite Equestrian FEI Dressage World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle.
Also highlighting Friday’s competition in the Lövsta Future Challenge, a series for developing grand prix horses aged 8 to 11, two U.S. athletes punched their tickets to the final, which takes place on March 20 during AGDF 11. Ben Ebeling, the current US Open Dressage champion, booked his place with a win in the qualifier, riding ACR Enterprises Inc.’s nine-year-old Frank Jacques (Franklin x Don Schufro) to 69.853%.
Benjamin Ebeling & Frank Jacques. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Benjamin Ebeling & Frank Jacques are presented as winners of the Lövsta Future Challenge FEI Intermediate II. Photo ©Centre Line Media
Sarah Tubman piloted The Barton Group’s 10-year-old stallion Barton VDL (Bordeaux x Sir Donnerhall) into the other qualification spot, occupying second place with 69.176%. Canada’s Shannon Dueck rounded out the top three with 68.647% on Caleb Scroggins’s nine-year-old Materos JV, by High Five US.
Click for full results from the Lövsta Future Challenge.
Dressage competition during AGDF 7 continues on Saturday, February 21, with the day’s headline class, the Dutta Corp CDI3* Grand Prix Special, starting at 11:35 a.m. ET. AGDF, which hosts seven weeks of CDI competition over three months, runs through March 29. For more information, results, and to watch all the classes in the International Arena live or on catch-up, visit www.wellingtoninternational.com
