After transforming a Warmblood that struggled in dressage into one of North America’s top combined driving horses, Janelle Marshall has earned the chance to represent Australia at the 2026 FEI World Driving Championships for Single Horses in Munich, Germany, in September

Janelle Marshall representing Australia at the 2025 FEI World Driving Championships for Ponies in Le Pin France. ©maryphelps.com

Janelle Marshall, based in the Windsor community near Aiken, South Carolina, is one of the most accomplished combined-driving competitors in North America.

Best known for her success with ponies, she has represented Australia at five FEI World Championships. She has built a respected training and teaching program at her farm, Janelle Marshall Combined Driving, in Windsor, with a long list of drivers competing at all levels of Combined Driving, Pleasure shows, horses in training, and recreational drivers.

A New Partnership

Janelle Marshall’s “Fin” at FEI The Grand Oaks 2026 ©maryphelps.com

In 2026, an unexpected opportunity presented itself.

A Warmblood horse named Finsternis, aka “Finn” (2014 Westpalan X First Piccolo), came to her.  While bred for Dressage, he was not thriving and was “a bit naughty”. Rather than giving up on him, Janelle saw untapped potential. She began retraining Finn for combined driving and quickly realized he possessed exceptional talent for the sport.

The partnership developed rapidly, setting their sights on qualifying for the 2026 FEI World Driving Championships for Single Horses in Munich, Germany.

The First Qualifier – TerraNova

Their first Advanced competition together came in January at TerraNova.

Competing against experienced single-horse drivers, Janelle and Finn exceeded expectations by finishing fifth overall in their Advanced debut—a strong indication that the new partnership was capable of competing at the highest international level. But their dressage was a bit lackluster, as the two were getting to know each other, and Janelle was making the transition from ponies to the big warmblood.

A Chance Opportunity

FEI Single Horse World Champion 2024 Mario Gandolfo(SUI) coaching Janelle Marshall and Fin at Grand Oaks 2026 ©maryphelps.com

In February, fellow combined driver Mary Phelps contacted Janelle with an unexpected opportunity.

Reigning FEI Single Horse World Champion Mario Gandolfo would be visiting Florida and had a limited amount of time available to work with a few single-horse drivers before the Spring Fling competition.

Janelle immediately accepted the invitation.

She traveled to Florida, stayed at the farm of Mary Phelps and Wayne Humphreys, and spent several days training with Mario. The experience proved invaluable, providing insight and confidence just before one of the season’s most important qualifying competitions.

As luck would have it, Mario remained in Florida throughout the Spring Fling and continued coaching Janelle during the competition.

A Breakthrough at Spring Fling

Spring Fling became the defining performance of the season.

Mario Gandolfo (SUI) following Janelle Marshall on the marathon @maryphelps.com

Against one of the strongest fields of single-horse competitors in the country, Janelle and Finn dominated every phase of the event. Winning the Dressage, they drove a strong yet controlled marathon, with plenty of horse left at the finish.

Following her every step of the way, Gandofo, on a borrowed e-bike, continued to coach her throughout the course, which had its share of challenges with other drivers.

“I never had that before,” exclaimed a gleeful Janelle. “To have the world champion there for me every step of the way, it doesn’t get any better.” Janelle’s experience working with Mario, who plans to return to Florida in 2027, summed it up: “He had a friendly and easy approach to teaching. He knew just which buttons to push to encourage me to ‘step it up’ without being demeaning or intimidating.”

A double-clear round in Cones, the final phase of the competition on Sunday, clinched the win and the overall title in the Advanced Single Horse division.

The victory confirmed that Finn’s transition to combined driving had been an overwhelming success.

Winning Again at Live Oak

Janelle Marshall showing Fin’s warmblood movement at Live Oak ©maryphelps.com

The momentum continued just weeks later at Live Oak International.

Janelle and Finn once again captured the Advanced Single Horse division, earning another major victory and securing the qualifying scores needed to pursue selection for the FEI World Driving Championships.

Within a few months, a horse that had struggled in another discipline became one of the top combined driving horses in North America.

Representing Australia

Although she has built her career in the United States, Janelle competes internationally as an Australian citizen.

As an individual competitor, she has earned the opportunity to represent Australia at the 2026 FEI World Driving Championships in Munich, Germany.

The Challenge of Getting There

Cargo Plane for Flying Horses

Qualifying is only the beginning.

Unlike many athletes in Olympic and other international sports, combined driving athletes receive little financial assistance from their national federations.

For competitors based in the United States, simply getting to Europe represents a significant financial commitment.

Expenses include:

• International horse transportation
• Shipping carriage and equipment
• European stabling
• Housing
• Rental vehicle
• Grooms and support staff
• Veterinary and training expenses
• Competition fees
• Extended European preparation prior to the Championships

For a single horse competitor, the total investment can easily range from $25,000 to $35,000, and often considerably more.

Community Support

Janelle Marshall and Kerri Rochon completed their 2026 Love Oak Dressage, setting the stage for another overall victory. ©maryphelps.com

To help offset these costs, friends, students, clients, and supporters are coming together for a fundraising event at July 10th at the Gaston Livery Stable in Aiken from 6-8 pm.

The evening will celebrate Janelle and Finn’s remarkable journey while helping make their World Championship dream possible.

Every contribution helps support an athlete who has earned the opportunity to compete on the world stage through dedication, talent, and years of hard work.

Support Janelle Marshall’s Road to the FEI World Championships

Those who would like to support Janelle Marshall’s journey to represent Australia at the 2026 FEI World Driving Championships can make a tax-deductible donation through the Society for the Preservation of American Combined Driving Excellence (SPACDE), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All funds designated for Janelle will be used exclusively to support her championship campaign.

Donations may be made by:

• Venmo or PayPal: spacdedonations@gmail.com
• Zelle: SPACDE Donations
• Check: SPACDE, c/o Dan Rosenthal, 2820 Old 96 Indian Trail, Wagener, SC 29164

Please be sure to indicate that your donation is designated for Janelle Marshall.

For those interested in making a direct contribution or seeking additional information, Janelle can be contacted at jmdownunder@aol.com.