Anna Marek and Fayvel Top Four-Star Dressage Grand Prix at World Equestrian Center – Ocala
Ocala (WEC) hosted its third international dressage competition of the year, the WEC March Dressage CDI4* presented by Hampton Green Farms, with opening competition on Thursday, March 6, 2025. Hometown hero Anna Marek of Dunnellon, FL, piloted Cynthia Davila’s Fayvel to victory in the Grand Prix CDI4* presented by Dover Saddlery.
Marek and Fayvel topped the class with a score of 70.522%. This is their third competition since June 2024 when they ended their year with a show in Germany. They had a strong outing last month, and their momentum continued this week with a harmonious test.
“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 continued. “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 explained. “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 and Fayvel will return to the ring on Friday evening for the Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4* presented by Dover Saddlery. While their plan will remain virtually the same, Marek 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 of the 15-year-old KWPN gelding by Zizi Top x Houston. “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. Marek also plans to compete at WEC’s April and May dressage shows.
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