Christian Simonson and Indian Rock Lead the Way After Grand Prix Test at 2026 USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship
By: US Equestrian
May 13, 2026 – Ocala, FL – The US Equestrian (USEF) Grand Prix Dressage National Championship opened with a morning of competition on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, featuring 16 entries vying for top scores in the Grand Prix test. The USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship is held at World Equestrian Center – Ocala in Ocala, FL.
The national championship, which has traditionally been included in the annual USEF Festival of Champions hosted later in the summer, will be featured for the first time in more than 10 years as a standalone championship, while also serving as a preparation event ahead of the 2026 FEI Dressage World Championship Aachen in August.
Christian Simonson (Ventura, CA) and Indian Rock, a 13-year-old KWPN stallion (Apache x Vivaldi) owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center and cared for by Marina Lemay, led the field with a score of 75.196%. It was a return to the top for the pair that recently finished second in the Zen Elite FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final in Fort Worth, TX, in April.
“I think the piaffe/passage tour is what I was really, really proud about today,” smiled Simonson. “Adrienne Lyle, my coach who guides me each step of the way, we had a specific game plan for today. Rocky really understood what exactly we were trying to do and just gave such an amazing feeling. To have Adrienne’s guidance through each step, especially while we get ready for a championship like this one, feels so special. That was one part I was happy with.”
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