The Season's Standouts So Far: Top 10 Dressage Scores of 2025
As we come to the mid-point of the 2025 season, let's take a look at the scores that have topped the charts.
From Baborowko to Badminton, this season's dressage arena's have witnessed some truly extraordinary performances so far. These are the top 10 tests that stopped the crowd, excited the EquiRatings analysts, and rewrote the record books.
1. Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau & Cadorico - 18.1 at Luhmühlen CCI2*-S
Leading our list is the young German rider who's been making waves across Europe. This 18.1 represents not just Schäfer-Gehrau's best test to date, but also the second-best German dressage test at CCI2*-S level since 2008. Brandon, at 25 years old, did you ever expect you would be sitting on a record list AHEAD of Laura Collett and Michael Jung?
2. Laura Collett & London 52 - 18.5 at Bicton CCI4*-S
Laura's 18.5 was the second-best dressage score of her career (only behind their 17.5 at the Paris Olympics) and the best-ever seen at Bicton. Only one test at CCI4*-S on British soil has ever gone lower - Ros Canter & Izilot DHI's 18.0 at Chatsworth 2023. Having won this class in each of the last three runnings and knowing Laura and London, tune in to Bicton 2026 for an even lower score.
3. Michael Jung & fischerChipmunk FRH - 18.6 at Kentucky CCI5*-L
With an extraordinary score of 18.6, Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH delivered the best CCI5* dressage score at Kentucky since records began in 2008. The score knocked Bettina Hoy's 19.2 with Ringwood Cockatoo (2009) off the top of the Kentucky leaderboard. This marked the 15th time that fischerChipmunk FRH has gone sub-20 in international competition - 2.5 times more than the next best combination. .
4. William Coleman & Chin Tonic HS - 19.0 at TerraNova CCI3*-S
Will Coleman and Chin Tonic have started all 22 of their international starts, on a sub-30 score. This 19.0 was their second-best dressage test together (behind a 15.7 in 2022 CCI3*-S at Stable View). Coleman and Chin Tonic HS continue to be one of the most consistent dressage partnerships in the sport.
5. Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau & Cadorico - 19.5 at Baborowko CCI2*-S
The second appearance on our list for this partnership - this score helped them to win the class on a score of 13.1. With his 8-year-old partner Cadorico, Brandon has achieved something remarkable - 14 international starts, all sub-30 dressage tests, two of which being sub-20 tests, and an impressive 5 wins from those 14 starts. Is this the big name of the future?
6. Anna Siemer & Kiss Me RZH - 19.9 at Westerstede CCI2*-S
After 474 international runs, Anna Siemer finally broke the 20-point barrier with her best test ever. This 19.9 represents a dramatic improvement from their previous outing at Marbach CCI2*-S where they scored 31.8. Sometimes persistence pays off in the most spectacular way.
7. Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau & Luxury From Second Life Z - 20.2 at Luhmühlen CCI2*-S
Brandon's third appearance on our list - a trend that's hard to ignore. Brandon finished second to who? Himself on Cadorico. You're doing something right when your only competition is yourself.
8. Julia Krajewski & Nickel 21 - 20.4 at Baborowko CCI4*-S
Two names you probably know well. Nickel 21 is one of the sport's riding stars - the highest-rated 11-year-old in the world based on EquiRatings Elo (780). This score and win marked their first international competition of the 2025 season. They then went on to dominate the Luhmühlen CCI4*-S which is the German national championship, leading from start to finish with a dressage score of 25.3.
9. Jillian Giessen & Slim Shady Van't Castaneahof - 21.1 at Ostbevern CCI2*-S
This score came on just their third international run. It represents the second-best dressage test by a Dutch rider at all levels since 2008. A breakthrough performance that announced this seven-year-old gelding as one to watch.
10. Oliver Townend & Cooley Rosalent - 21.1 at Badminton CCI5*-L
The Kentucky winner Cooley Rosalent delivered a 21.1 to top the leaderboard, with Oliver now holding four of the best seven dressage scores ever recorded at Badminton. Since 2008, this was his third time to lead after the dressage phase since 2008. Despite this brilliance, he hasn't won at Badminton since 2009, and a knocked pole on Sunday saw him finish second behind Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo.
What stands out most about 2025's top scores?
The emergence of Brandon Schäfer-Gehrau as a dressage force, appearing three times on our list with two different horses. The consistency of his young horses are what most of the sport's stars showed when they were rising through the ranks - watch this space.
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