Coming off a U.S. team gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Anna Marek and her partner Fire Fly started their campaign at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) with a win in the CDI3* Grand Prix, presented by Olympia Footing on Thursday.

The pair that was also the highest-placed individual U.S. combination in Chile were awarded a 70.652% for the victory on opening day of AGDF.

“We’re becoming more of a partnership every day,” said Marek of her 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Briar Junior x OO Seven) owned by Janet Simile. “It seems like with each show we go in, I can relax and trust that he’s going to do what I want.”

Marek noted that her number-one goal for the 2024 season is to make the shortlist for the Paris Olympic Games and travel to Europe for the first time for the selection trials.

The top three places in the grand prix were a further celebration of the nations represented at AGDF this season. Great Britain’s Susan Pape on the 10-year-old Oldenburg stallion Harmony’s V-Plus owned together with Harmony Sporthorses was runner-up with a 68.196% for Pape’s second podium of the day. Christoph Koschel (GER) and the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Eddieni, owned by Masahiro Kosaka, took third by a tight margin on a 68.109%. Canada’s Denielle Gallagher scored 67.217% with Come Back de Massa to finish fourth.

Results