April 5, 2025, Myakka City, Florida. Ben Ebeling (USA) scored his first ever international wins with Bellena at the TerraNova Dressage I CDI3* in Myakka City, Florida, topping both the Marsh McLennan Agency Grand Prix CDI3* and the Akerman LLP Grand Prix Special CDI3* at just their third international together.
The 15-year-old mare by Belissimo M was formerly ridden by Ben’s father, Jan Ebeling, with Ben taking on the ride six months ago. The pair scored 69.109% in the Grand Prix, and a new combination best of 68.107% in the Special despite errors in both sets of one-time changes.
The younger Ebeling credited the team around him at TerraNova for his and Bellena’s consistent performances. This included his mother Amy Ebeling, who made her CDI debut at the show in the small tour ranks.
“Today Bellena was so focused and with me,” said the 26-year-old. “The Special is long, it’s a true test of endurance and skill for the horse and they have to be listening throughout. We’re still a new partnership, but I feel like it’s going to gel, and this was really the first sign of that.
“This is a real team effort because my dad developed this horse since she was young, and my coach Christoph Koschel has also been helping me. I have my amazing groom Olivia, and I had my sports psychologist here. We’ve been working together for quite some time, and it’s been a game changer for me mentally. When something comes together like this, it’s not just one person. This show was a big step on our journey and it’s nice to be back at TerraNova because the horses love it.”
Ebeling employs a short warm-up with Bellena, just enough to get the hot mare soft and supple.
“She’s a very electric horse so typically we take her out for a hack in the morning which takes the edge off,” he explained. “Then it’s a very short warm-up with her, just a couple of trot and canter transitions to really loosen up her back. She always wants to push a lot, but today she stayed underneath and carrying the weight behind.”
The Ebelings, who were long-time California residents, are now based in Wellington, Florida. They will travel to Europe this summer with Koschel and stable at Hof Kasselmann in Germany to travel to shows in Europe.
“Being in Florida has been really fantastic,” added Ebeling. “It’s great that there’s not just the Wellington season, but now we’ve got this amazing show at TerraNova and then also WEC in Ocala. It all provides a great circuit for these horses to go out and see different things, which is very important in the development and training of top grand prix horses.”
Youth to the Fore
The 21-year-old Erin Nichols (USA) and Premiere Sport Horses’ Elian Royale nailed their first CDI win of the season, collecting the winner’s sash in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3* with 72.14%. Nichols, who rode to an upbeat disco music compilation by Karen Robinson, finished the test with a one-handed centerline and halt. Their high score of 74.15% came from judge at C, Great Britain’s Clive Halsall.
“I only started grand prix last season and I’ve been learning along the way with Elian,” said Nichols of the 16-year-old gelding by Johnson. “He’s been a great teacher. We started in the Young Riders, we went to Aachen, and we did U25. Now we’re solidly in the senior division, which is really cool. To experience all this at 21 is very valuable.
“This summer we’ll go to Europe and hopefully do some grand prix CDIs there,” she continued. “It’s so inspiring that riders like Isabell Werth have been in this sport for so long and that’s a goal of mine, to stay in the ring and get all the experience I can, and hopefully make some teams in the future.”
The Freestyle class was also a qualifier for the new US Equestrian Open of Dressage, which offers $200,000 in prize money. There are 24 qualifying events scheduled throughout 2025, with the inaugural season grand final set for mid-November in California. Anna Marek (USA) currently sits atop the rankings, with Germany’s Evelyn Eger in second and the USA’s Karen Lipp in third.
Eline Eckroth finished second to Nichols in the Freestyle riding Daphne, Connie Duff Wise’s 14-year-old Diamond Stud mare to 67.615%, bringing her up to fourth on the US Open standings.
Koschel Shows How It’s Done
In Saturday’s national grand prix class, Ebeling’s trainer, German open rider Christoph Koschel, topped the leaderboard riding his own 10-year-old Destare. The gelding by Danciano x Fürst Romancier was bred at Paul Schockemöhle’s Gestüt Lewitz and scored 72.12%, including an eight for general impression.
Adult amateur Charlotte Jorst laid down the next best two scores, slotting into overall second with 72.065% on Kastel Denmark’s 12-year-old Zonik x Stedinger gelding Zhaplin Langholt and claiming third with GPF’s S-Express (by Sezuan x Sir Donnerhall) with 66.957%.
Action at TerraNova continues on Sunday, April 6, and features Children, Young Riders and Amateurs in the CDI ring, as well as a full offering of USEF national classes, running from young horses to grand prix level. Dressage competition returns to TerraNova next month, with a CDI3*, CPEDI3* and USDF Level 5 show running May 1-4.
Words by Alice Collins for TerraNova Equestrian Center
