Marcus Orlob and Jane Find Their Stride to Post Second Win in AGDF 10
Marcus Orlob & Jane. Photo ©susanjstickle.com
Marcus Orlob (USA) made it two for two when he won the Prestige Italia USA Grand Prix Special CDI3* on Saturday, March 15, during week 10 of the 2025 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. He rode Alice Tarjan’s 11-year-old Desperado x Metall mare Jane to 72.043% and the unanimous win from the five judges out of a starting line-up of 15 combinations. They also won the qualifying grand prix on Thursday with over 72%.
Orlob’s compatriot Anna Marek scored 68.085% for second place in the Special aboard Janet Simile’s Briar Junior x OO Seven 15-year-old gelding, Fire Fly. Australian athlete Jemma Heran rode her own Total Recall, a 13-year-old gelding by Totilas x Sandro Hit, into third with 67.957%.
Five-star week offers a total prize purse of $150,000 and attracts riders from all around the world as well as thousands of spectators, bringing a bustling atmosphere to all the classes in the main stadium.
For Orlob and Jane, a disorganized strike-off to canter from passage on the serpentine was the only blip in an otherwise smooth and pleasing test, which was rewarded with a peppering of eights. Their high score of 74.468% came from the judge at M, Germany’s Tina Viebahn.
Orlob picked up the ride on Jane at the beginning of 2024 after owner Alice Tarjan — an international grand prix rider herself — found her too strong. The pair quickly gelled and travelled to the 2024 Paris Olympics as part of the US team. They were, however, eliminated moments into their test when the judge spotted a speck of blood on the mare’s leg.
They have overcome Olympic heartbreak, and Orlob is assiduously working to build up the powerful and sensitive mare’s trust and confidence. As a result, he rode the Special with relaxation and flow at the forefront of his mind, rather than maximum expression and marks.
“Today she felt a touch more relaxed than in the grand prix and I was really happy because she was breathing, so I could soften my hands,” said Orlob, who was born in Germany and now rides for the U.S. “It’s baby steps, but this was a good confidence-building round for her. I didn’t put any pressure on her; I just let her do the job and tried to keep the relaxation as the priority. She’s a good horse and now it’s just about [giving her] time.”
by Alice Collins
Wellington International
news@wellingtoninternational.com
www.wellingtoninternational.com
gdf.coth.com
