The USA’s Fiona Howard and mare Vianne have rewritten the Para Dressage Grade II world records across all three tests during week nine (5-8 March) of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, Florida.
At the same show in 2025, Howard stormed to a new Grade II Freestyle world record of 83.276% on Diamond Dunes. This year, the gifted 27-year-old rider stepped into the stirrups of Kate Shoemaker’s Paralympic bronze medallist Vianne just days before the CPEDI, and produced dazzling Grade II world records in each of their three appearances.
They logged a winning 78.85% in the CPEDI3* Para Grand Prix A Test, following it up a day later with an 80.444% Grand Prix B Test, with all three judges awarding at least 80%. They scored a perfect 10 from every judge for the stretching walk half circle.
On the final of AGDF 9, the duo notched their third world record in as many days, laying down 84.934% in the Grade II Freestyle — with a winning margin of more than 18 percentage points over the second-placed combination.
The duo spearheaded the all-female, all-conquering US Para Dressage Team, who bagged the gold medal with a team total of 446.238 points.
The results would have been a spectacular achievement for any combination, let alone for a horse and rider making their competition debut. Moreover, Howard, who won triple gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, was hospitalised for seven weeks this winter after undergoing kidney surgery in December 2025.
Until now, the 10-year-old Vianne (Vitalis x Ramiro’s Bube) has been campaigned by owner Shoemaker, including in able-bodied big tour international classes. Shoemaker — who was on the winning U.S. Team in Wellington with her own 10-year-old Sezuan gelding, Supreme — is Howard’s long-time coach, and these astonishing results were proof of the detail-oriented relationship the two talented athletes have forged.
“Because I’d never shown Vianne before, I didn’t know what to expect, but Kate told me that I can totally trust her, and I trust Kate,” said Howard, who has dystonia, a neuromuscular disease that causes her muscles to contract and twist involuntarily. “I’m super grateful to Kate for the opportunity to ride this horse. It was an incredible week, and it’s all testament to her training, her coaching and the team of the three of us coming together. To walk away with three world records is incredible.
“Kate has known me for a long time now and she’s helped prep my horses, ride them and coach me. She knows me and my disability very well and that shows in her ability to make this team of me with Vianne so quickly. Each day, our confidence together grew, and that was reflected in the scores. I was having so much fun,” added Howard, who is the World No. 1 para dressage rider across all grades. “We didn’t know what this whole season was going to look like, and I’m taking it day by day and feeling grateful and thankful that I can do this.”
Howard will return to Europe — where her own competition horses are based — at the end of March to resume her campaign for selection for this summer’s FEI World Championship in Aachen, Germany.
Vianne’s Australian connection
Ten-year-old Vianne (Vitalis x Ramiro’s Bube) was previously trained and campaigned by Australian Hope Beerling while owned by NorCordia. Beerling broke the mare in as a three-year-old and developed her through the levels under the guidance of renowned American Grand Prix rider Catherine Haddad Staller, who also bred Vianne. Among their successes, Beerling and Vianne achieved a top-10 finish at the 2023 FEI/WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses. Beerling is also involved in coaching Vianne’s current owner, Paralympian Kate Shoemaker.
Read more: NEW CHAPTER BEGINS FOR HOPE BEERLING – Equestrian Life, June 2025
Source: Wellington International press release edited by EQ Life
