During week 10 in the big tour ranks, Marcus Orlob linked up with Alice Trajan’s 10-year-old Desperado x Metall mare, Jane, and won the Lövsta Future Challenge Intermediate II with 70.343%.

The German-born Orlob, who now rides for the USA, spearheaded a clean sweep of the top three places by the home nation. Nicholia Clarke rode the Komsi Komsa Syndicate LLC’s nine-year-old Apache gelding Komsi Komsa to 68.676% and the second qualifying place. The USA’s Hannah Bressler Jaques filled third with a 66.716% ride on her own 10-year-old Ferdeaux son, Jim.

Photo – Marcus Orlob & Jane, winners of the Lövsta Future Challenge Intermediate II. (© SusanJStickle.com)

Tarjan has been competing Jane herself and the pair are unbeaten in 11 CDI starts up to Intermediate II level, but she has handed the reins to Orlob, for now.

“Alice has ridden and trained Jane since she was three,” explained the Florida-based Orlob. “The last couple of shows she was quite a handful for her, so Alice said, ‘Why don’t you try to see if you can make it better in the ring?’ And here we are!

Marcus Orlob & Jane (Photo: © SusanJStickle.com)

“She is a horse with lots of quality; the piaffe/passage is a highlight and also the pirouettes usually — although she was a little bit spooky and tense today so she didn’t show as much quality as she can show. But overall I am happy and she did what I asked for.”

Orlob plans to keep the ride for a little while and step the mare up to grand prix level in the near future.

Full list of qualified combinations for the Lövsta Future Challenge final (listed in qualification order):

Andrea Woodard/Kaliber
Caroline Roffman/Libertee
Amanda Perkowski/Sonata MF
Tina Konyot/J Everdale
Christoph Koschel/Destare
Kelly Layne/Living Diamond
Beatrice Marienau/Issey
Charlotte Jorst/Straight Horse Cosmo
Marcus Orlob/Jane
Nicholia Clarke/Komsi Komsa

AGDF 12 (March 27-31) heralds the final CDI competition of the 2024 season and features a CDI4* at Equestrian Village, as well as a national show. For more information, results and to watch the live stream, visit the Global Dressage Festival website.

Click for full results from AGDF 10.