U.S. Riders Marek and Kohmann Dominate a Chilly Night in Wellington

A strong field of 15 riders took to the stage in Wellington this weekend on a chilly, windy night. Despite temperatures in the 40s, the competition was fierce, with 13 pairs scoring above 70% and the US Open of Dressage leaderboard finally breaking out of a three-way tie.

“They were a high standard. I didn’t even feel the cold anymore because I was so excited.”

Monique Peutz-Vegter, the Judge at C, praised the evening’s performances, saying, “They were a high standard. I didn’t even feel the cold anymore because I was so excited.”

Anna Marek and Fire Fly Ignite the Night

Ocala-based Anna Marek and her 15-year-old KWPN gelding, Fire Fly, eeked out a win with a score of 77.755% for her electrifying performance set to the Stranger Things soundtrack, featuring a cinematic arrangement of Running Up That Hill by Samuel Kim. Marek’s routine earned an average degree of difficulty of 9, with a standout 80.075% from the judge at B.

“I feel like he’d give me his all.”

“This freestyle is really fun to ride, and I love the dramatic music,” Marek said. “This is my favorite freestyle venue; you can feel the atmosphere, and the horses get excited in a really good way.” Marek, who’s had the ride on Fire Fly for three and a half years, noted that he’s a sensitive horse, but now that they’re on the same page, she feels like they’re unstoppable together. “I feel like he’d give me his all,” she added.

Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee Steal the Show

“It wasn’t our highest score, but it was my best ride on him.”

Kevin Kohmann and 16-year-old Dünensee delivered an innovative test set to Kygo’s Stole the Show and Avicii’s Wake Me Up. Deviating from tradition, they opened with canter pirouettes after the halt and later performed a piaffe pirouette during the walk section. His crowd-pleasing creativity was rewarded by spectators as he topped the spectator voting with 80.067%. The judges rewarded him with a 77.545% – just 0.21 percentage points behind Marek.

“It wasn’t our highest score, but it was my best ride on him,” Kohmann said. “I love riding the freestyle, and I love riding here under the lights.” The pair currently sits at the top of the FEI World Cup™ North American League rankings, solidifying their status as serious contenders this season.

Felicitas Hendricks Rounds Out the Podium

Felicitas Hendricks and Drombusch OLD claimed third with 76.365%, despite the evening chill taking its toll. “I think the cold got to us a little today,” she admitted. “There was some spiciness that I didn’t expect, so I had to back off a bit, which made me maybe a little too shy with my aids and led to a couple of mistakes.” Still, Hendricks sits firmly on top of the U.S. Open Leaderboard with 37 points, trailed by Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén at 32 points.

The Series Standings after Qualifier 4 at the AGDF3:

See the full series standings, updated after each qualifier, here.

What’s Ahead

The series heads to Ocala next weekend, with freestyles set to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 1.

For continual updates, visit the official US Equestrian Open Series hub at usequestrianopen.org. Stay connected with the latest news and standings on Facebook and Instagram, and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (Twitter). Use #USEquestrianOpen to join the conversation.

For Sport Department questions, please contact Christy Hawkins at USEquestrianOpen@usef.org.

For media inquiries about the US Equestrian Open Series, please contact Carly Weilminster at cweilminster@usef.org. 

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