United States Eventing Association

Woodside, Calif.—Oct. 5— The CCI4*-S at the 2025 Woodside Fall International, held Oct. 3-4, served as the final of 20 qualifiers in the new US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series. However, the end of the series really represented the beginning of exciting possibilities ahead for the riders of the top finishers.

James Alliston and HMR Rolan followed up their victory in their four-star debut two weeks prior in the Twin Rivers Fall International with the win in the CCI4*-S at The Horse Park at Woodside. That now has Alliston and owner Anna Nicholas looking ahead to taking on the best on the East Coast in 2026, starting with the CCI4*-S that’s held at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. The long-term dream is the 2028 Olympics. The 9-year-old bay gelding (Tolan R x Aldatus Diamond) registered with the Warmblood Studbook of Ireland shares has the same sire, Tolan R, as 2024 U.S. Olympic horses HSH Blake and Cooley Nutcracker.

“What a bright future he has, so we’re just trying not to get ahead of ourselves and look after him and keep him healthy and pick the right classes for him,” Alliston said. “For all the owners, it’s so exciting to have [the Olympics] as a possibility when you have a horse with a lot of talent and potential.”

Alliston and “Rolan” took the lead with zero jumping penalties on William Robertson’s show jumping course at Woodside and then clinched the victory with the fastest round on Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course. Their final score was 37.2.

“He has that relaxed mind,” Alliston said. “He just has that great show mind where he obviously gets amped up for the jumping and running around, but it doesn’t seem to boil over when he needs to be relaxed in the dressage, which is a huge asset.”

Tamie Smith and Danito finished second, leading Smith to declare that “he’s back.” They turned in the best dressage score of 28.1 before judges Valerie Pride and Helen Christie. They added one rail in show jumping and just time on cross-country for a final a score of 48.1.

Danito was second in the 2022 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (Elkton, Maryland) and has represented the United States on Nations Cup teams in Europe. After missing more than a year of competition from May 2024 to August 2025, Smith is eyeing the summit of the sport again with the now 16-year-old chestnut Hanoverian gelding (Dancier x Wie Musik) owned by Ruth Bley.

“He feels great and so on it; he’s an old pro,” Smith said. “He’s feeling really strong and happy to be back.”

They’ll aim for the CCI4*-L at Galway Downs in Temecula, California, at the end of the month, and then “we want to keep trucking along,” she said.

Smith was scheduled to hop on a plane immediately after Woodside to be in Virginia for one of the biggest events of the year at Morven Park this coming week. She’ll partner with Kynan (Envoy x Danieta) in the CCI4*-L that will serve as the $200,000 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final. She’ll also ride Sumas Tina Turner (Quantino x Sumas Fanny Brice) in the CCI3*-S.

The Horse Park at Woodside brought the curtain down on the inaugural year of qualifiers for the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Series, with executive director Steve Roon saying, “To be part of all the other wonderful events that make up this series that is bringing so much positive recognition to equestrian sports is a tremendous honor.”

The teams at The Horse Park and Gray Area Events collaborated with US Equestrian (USEF) and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation (USET) to host a panel about the Eventing Pathway Program featuring Alliston, Smith, Molly Duda, and Ellen Ahearn during a Welcome Social Happy Hour on Thursday. The national team riders led a course walk for owners.

“Having USEF and USET come out and recognize the owners and do a course walk and get the recognition out there for everybody, I think it’s super important, and it’s really refreshing to see the effort they are putting in,” Smith said.

There was a VIP experience available to all that attended show jumping on Friday afternoon in conjunction with the FEI Happy Hour & Appetizers Presented by Harrell Design + Build held in the Bay Arena Viewing Tent.

“We love it; it’s awesome,” Alliston said. “The US Open in its first year, it’s great for the sport. I wish I could do [the finals at] Morven, but I plan to do it next year. It’s really nice that USEF and USET came out for this and made the owners feel special and maybe galvanized some new owners for Californian riders. We love having that presence here.”

Smith also captured the CCI3*-S with DHI Jump To Day D and the CCI2*-S with Solaguayre Cantata. This was the first FEI event together for Smith and Jump To Day D, an 11-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood gelding (Up To Date x Nicola D) owned by Jeanne Shigo. They had zero jumping penalties and finished on a score of 43.2.

“I spent the year getting his strength, and the three-star was very strong,” Smith said. “It was quite difficult—a typical Derek course. It was awesome to be able to have that kind of difficulty of a course and to have the confidence in Derek to know it can be done. You had to fight for it out there, and he was great. He was such an honest horse, and he absolutely loves his job. He was squealing the whole way and happy.”

Lauren Billys Shady and Clearsky were reserve champions, also with zero jumping penalties and finishing with a score of 45.3. This was the first completion in an FEI event for the Puerto Rican Olympian since giving birth to her first son, Ben, in March.

“I have a lot of gratitude when I get to ride,” Shady said. “I feel like having the baby made me more fierce of a competitor, which wasn’t what I expected, but is truly how I feel.”

Shady is hoping to return to the Olympics after representing Puerto Rico at the 2016 and 2020 Games, and Team Latoni’s 10-year-old grey Holsteiner gelding could be the partner to make those dreams come true.

“He’s beautiful to ride,” she said. “He’s so fun to ride because he’s all in. He’s very genuine in his character. He understands something, or he’s always trying to understand something. There’s never a moment when he’s not trying to be a part of the team, and it makes me have a lot of trust and faith in him and the future of our partnership.”

Solaguayre Cantata, an 8-year-old Argentine-bred mare (Canturo x Solaguyare Clarita) owned by Julianne Guariglia, followed up her win in the CCI2*-S at Twin Rivers with another victory at the level, finishing on a dressage score of 28.6 at Woodside. In six FEI events together at the one- and two-star levels, they’ve won three times and finished second three times. Their record is a testament to the partnership they’ve developed since the mare first came to the United States.

“She’s been really difficult,” Smith said, with a laugh. “As a really young horse, she was very difficult. This year she’s kind of come into her own. She’s very opinionated. She’s a ‘Latin Lady.’ I love it because you want them to have a little bit of fight in them, and now she really eats up courses and is really solid.”

Helen Alliston and Fary Prince were reserve champions with a score of 32.6 in the FEI debut for the 6-year-old bay British Sport Horse gelding (The After Party x Farytale Cooley) that was the 5-year-old reserve champion at the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) West Coast Championships last year.

Woodside’s CCI1*-S went to Stephanie Goodman and Cord Johnson with a score of 34.8. The 7-year-old bay Hanoverian gelding (Cordess 2 x Canstakkia) is well-traveled, competing in events in Florida, California, Washington, and Montana this year.

The Woodside Fall International was the final of three USEA-recognized events held at The Horse Park at Woodside in 2025.

The full list of winners from the 2025 Woodside Fall International:

• CCI4*-S: James Alliston and HMR Rolan (37.2)
• CCI3*-S: Tamie Smith and Jump To Day D (43.2)
• CCI2*-S: Tamie Smith and Solaguayre Cantata (28.6)
• CCI1*-S: Stephanie Goodman and Cord Johnson (34.8)
• Open Intermediate: James Alliston and Made by Leontine EB (35.0)
• Open Preliminary: India McEvoy-Chisholm and E’zara (38.7)
• Open Modified: James Alliston and Diassini (26.0)
• Open Training: Rebecca Braitling and Fernhill Heart Throb (29.5)
• Training Rider: Megan Bebb and Clara Bö (30.2)
• Open Novice: Josh Barnacle and Phineas (28.0)
• Junior Novice Rider: Elizabeth Bustos and Iluminada (28.9)
• Senior Novice Rider: Eri Takada and Jackpot VG (33.1)
• Novice Amateur: Dana Walsh and Duke’s Helios (28.6)
• Open Beginner Novice: Addison Martin and Abbeyside Waves (28.1)
• Junior Beginner Novice Rider: Delaney Willardson and Native Heart (25.9)
• Senior Beginner Novice Rider A: Robin Mooney and FE Daily Star (29.7)
• Senior Beginner Novice Rider B: Alysia DeLeeuw and Queen Elsa Z (34.1)
• Open Starter: MaryBeth Young and Smudge (25.7)
• Junior Starter Rider: Sofia Bresin and Longwood Diamond Supreme (31.1)
• Senior Starter Rider: Corinne Neuman and SD Fort I Valent (31.7)