Anna Marek & Duvel Win Ocala CDI3* St. Georges, Laura Graves Debuts Sensation at CDI

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Anna Marek celebrating victory on Duvel at World Equestrian Center CDI3* Prix St. Georges. © 2022 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

OCALA, Florida, April 15, 2022–Anna Marek riding Duvel in their second CDI Small Tour competition won the World Equestrian Center 3* Friday while Laura Graves made her international debut on Sensation HW for runner-up.

Anna of the nearby community of Dunnellon and the 14-year-old KWPN gelding were awarded 73.088% for the win. It was only their second international competition, the first a year ago.

Laura of Geneva, Florida and the nine-year-old Westfalen gelding scored 72.353% for second place. Laura took over the ride on Sensation two years ago after the horse was competed by Michael Bragdell to capture the U.S. championship at both five and six years of age.

Duvel was returning to competition after a year’s break because Anna was pregnant.

She described Duvel as “a very sensitive horse, and he was scared of some of the movements.”

But at this show, she said, “What was really fun is that he was very relaxed but just got a little bit pumped up by the atmosphere. It totally worked for him. Everything was really solid, and he was with me the whole time. He got through a clean test. I know that when he does, he can score very well.”

Laura Graves on Sensation HW at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala for the first international event for the partnership. © 2022 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Laura said she was impressed by Sensation’s first CDI and the horse was “very impressed with the arena,” large and in front of the imposing Equestrian Hotel with flags flapping in the breeze and a giant video display.

“We didn’t get a chance to show in Wellington, but got a chance to school,” she said. “This is certainly a lot more atmosphere than the stadium in Wellington we’re used to.”

The duo need one more score to qualify for the U.S. Intermediate 1 Championship later this summer and then plans to move up to Intermediate II.

Lillie Keenan on Ferrari competing in the American jumper rider’s first CDI, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. © 2022 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Lillie Keenan, at the age of 25 a veteran of the American jumping Nations Cup team including two finals of the global circuit including a medal-winning performance in 2016, competed in her first international dressage competition Friday.

Lillie rode as an amateur on Ferrari, a 19-year-old Oldenburg gelding, and placed third on a score of 62.794%.

Christina Devine of Sweden on Slæbækgård’s Santino won the class on 65.588% with America’s Olga Hartsock on Jinta runer-up on 65.441%.

Results:

CDI3* Prix St. Georges

Judges: William Warren Omar Zayrik Sarah Geikie
Place Score Nation Athlete Horse H C B
1. 73.088 USA Anna Marek Duvel 72.794 73.382 73.088
2. 72.353 USA Laura Graves Sensation HW 73.529 74.412 69.118
3. 69.510 USA Rebecca Cohen Tuschomie 70.735 69.559 68.235
4. 69.412 USA Kyle Mc Iver Gigi 69.706 70.588 67.941
5. 67.990 MEX Carlos Maldonado Lara Frans 68.529 67.206 68.235
6. 67.794 NED Ivo Jührend Leon de Matecana 67.353 67.353 68.676
7. 67.745 USA Lauren Knopp Amadeus de Massa 68.529 66.471 68.235
8. 67.206 COL Raúl Corchuelo Harley N 67.059 68.529 66.029
9. 67.157 CAN Katherine Page Cimmiek 67.206 66.765 67.5
10. 66.814 CAN Denielle Gallagher-Legriffon Come Back de Massa 66.912 67.353 66.176
11. 66.618 GEO Joanne Vaughan Forbes 67.794 64.853 67.206
12. 66.373 USA Leah Tenney Enghavegaard’s Tebaldi 66.765 65.147 67.206
13. 63.382 USA Emily Anderson Geronimo R 61.912 64.706 63.529
14. 61.912 GUA Alexandra Dominguez Thomas Beijing A 62.059 60.735 62.941
15. 60.392 NED Ivo Jührend Black Diamond 60.147 60.441 60.588