Four to Follow at the US Equestrian Open Final: Anna Marek
The Series leader brings her top horse to Thermal in search of a long-awaited win.
Perhaps the most anticipated freestyle of the weekend belongs to Series leader Anna Marek and her partner Fayvel, a 15-year-old KWPN gelding by Zizi Top. The pair have been one of the most consistent duos of the season, always scoring in the upper 70s, always placing in the top three. This weekend, they trade lush Florida palms for California desert palms as they step into a US Equestrian Open arena, one more time.
The Journey to Now
Fayvel wasn’t originally meant to be Marek’s mount. He came into her program as an amateur’s horse, owned and ridden by Cynthia Davila. But when Davila was sidelined by injury, Marek took over the ride. The fit wasn’t immediate. Fayvel had been brought along with someone else in mind, but over time, the partnership clicked into place.
Today, they’ve become reliably dominant, only finishing outside the top three once in their last 10 FEI freestyles. That one exception? The 2024 World Cup Final, where they finished 8th, the highest-ranked US pair at the championship.
For the 2025 US Equestrian Open season, Marek split her Series campaign between Fayvel and Fire Fly. That strategy worked. She finished the regular season with 105 points, topping the leaderboard and becoming the only rider to break the 100-point mark. But it also forced a tough decision. Which horse would travel to the Final?
Fire Fly delivered Marek’s only qualifier win of the season. But Fayvel brought more consistency and higher marks. Ultimately, she chose Fayvel.
Now the question is: did she choose right?
The Season of Almost
On paper, Fayvel looks strong. Among the horses entered in the Final, he has both the highest Series average (76.840%) and the highest Series score (78.765%). When you expand the lens to broader FEI results, he still ranks near the top, second only to Drombusch OLD in career personal best and career average among Final entries.
And yet, for all his scoring power, he hasn’t won a single qualifier. Marek’s only Series victory came aboard Fire Fly, the horse she ultimately chose not to bring. Fayvel has come close again and again. At WEC, he missed the win by just 0.040%, the narrowest margin in Series history.
He hasn’t won an FEI freestyle since February 2024, just before the World Cup Final. That’s not a knock— it’s a testament to how consistently, albeit heartbreakingly, close they’ve been. Marek has more second-place finishes than any other rider this season.
Statistically, he’s one of the best horses in the Series. But this weekend, metrics won’t win the class. Can Fayvel finally turn second into first?
The Final Wait
Marek is one of the most experienced riders in the field. She’s brought with her a horse peaking in power, expression, and precision. One who is capable of breaking the 80% barrier.
She tops the leaderboard, and in nearly every metric, the data is on her side. She just hasn’t had a win on this horse in over a year.
On Saturday night, as she exits the arena and the judges calculate the final score, we’ll hold our breath with her, because it might be the moment she finally breaks free of second place.
Catch every ride of the US Equestrian Open Final live on the USEF Network. Sign up for a free fan membership at usef.org to access the full broadcast from Thermal.
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.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Layson Griffin at lgriffin@usef.org.
