OCALA, Fla.--Anna Marek of Dunnellon, Fla., on Fayvel won the Grand Prix CDI4* at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala on Thursday, March 6 during its third international dressage competition of the year.
Anna Marek on Fayvel (Photo by Susan Stickle)Marek won with a score of 70.522%.
“I love WEC. I feel like it’s my home base,” said Marek, who trains with Anne Gribbons. “It works schedule-wise for the horses, plus they have the US Equestrian Open for Dressage qualifiers. Any chance that I can show here, I do."
“I really wanted to go in and have a clean test, which is what Anne always tells me,” she said. “She’s coming from a judge’s perspective. Even with the World Cup and the US Equestrian Open where it’s the freestyle that matters, you have to lay down a clean, relaxed Grand Prix and prove yourself to the judges, so they know what to expect. That’s what he did today, so I was really happy.”
With two horses at the grand prix championship level, Fayvel and Fire Fly, Marek feels that their differences have helped her improve as a rider.
“Having two horses that are so different at this level and focusing on riding them in such precise tests has made me be able to mold myself to what I’m riding,” she said. “At this level, the tiniest details matter so much. I’ve been able to carry that into my other horses and work on making the horse that’s only done Prix St. Georges a few times more focused on the small things and the relaxation. When people tell me that the horse looks nice and relaxed, and that it was a fluid test, those compliments mean so much to me. That’s what I want to showcase and what I want people to think of when they see me ride.”
MAREK on Fayvel will compete on Friday evening in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4*, and she has made a few small adjustments to hopefully earn a few more points from the judges.
“He’s such a cool horse in that he’s very willing, and nothing is really that hard for him,” she said. “I’ve tweaked just a little bit to show off how well he piaffes to where the judges are sitting so they can see it better. Then we added in one little piaffe to a tricky exercise.”
Friday’s result will contribute to Marek’s goal of qualifying Fayvel for the US Equestrian Open for Dressage, as it is one of 23 qualifiers across the country ahead of the final in California this November.
Julio Mendoza Loor of Ecudor on Jewel’s Goldstrike placed second with a score of 69.587%.
After competing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games., Mendoza gave “Goldie” three months off from training and seven months off from competition.
Mendoza and Goldie spent their time trail riding and taking one and two hour hacks a few times a week.
Goldie, who is known for loving his 24/7 turnout life, reveled in his downtime by living outside and snoozing under a pile of shavings in his run-in shed despite the cold temperatures at his North Carolina farm.
“We let him be a horse. I decided to give him the time off so he could go and relax and calm down his brain,” said Mendoza. “We respected his time a lot, and if he was sleeping in the field, I wasn’t waking him up to ride. Before the Olympics was the European tour and everything, and it was a lot for the horse, for any horse.”
“Today was our first show back, and he was very hot,” he said. “This is what he is, and I love the spirit that he has. For the horse to love the job, they have to have the personality. He has that. He is 14 now, and he has plenty more energy to go. Every mistake is an opportunity, and it’s important that we come back and that we’re enjoying each other."
“I love him no matter what,” he said. “If he had mistakes today, he did them more for fun, not being naughty. His character is what drives me to ride him every day and wake up every morning with one point in mind. He’s not only a horse, he’s my best friend. I’m so grateful for him.”
Third place in Thursday’s Grand Prix CDI4* went to Denielle Gallagher of Canada on Come Back De Massa with a score of 67.065%.
