Qualifier 19: Where the Arena Decides
Marek is poised to make history, but WEC has a way of writing its own ending.
Anna Marek stands to become the first rider to break 100 points in the US Equestrian Open of Dressage series.
She plans to do it at the World Equestrian Center (WEC), a pivotal venue that’s been the site of both triumph and heartbreak this season. While Marek enters the weekend as the clear favorite, she isn’t untouchable. Around her, others are chasing redemption, qualification, or the chance to matter in a crowded leaderboard.
Marek’s Moment
Marek rides Fayvel this weekend—a bold and reliable mount who carried her to ninth at the 2024 World Cup Finals, where they finished as the top-ranked American pair. Fayvel has stayed sharp in 2025, delivering scores that put him among the best in the series. He’s the third-highest scoring horse in the series, logging a 78.785% in Week 6. This weekend, he returns with the highest personal best and highest average freestyle score in the field.
But this ride is about more than just breaking 100 points.
WEC has been a pivotal stop in Marek’s 2025 season, and one that hasn’t always gone her way. In Week 4, she retired Fayvel from the Grand Prix qualifier, losing her chance to become the series’ first back-to-back winner. Then in Week 10, she was edged out of first by Ecuador’s Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel’s Goldstrike. Marek finished just 0.040% behind him—75.860 to 75.820—the smallest winning margin in series history. WEC has held that title ever since.
This weekend, Marek has the chance to rewrite that story. A win would make her the first to break 100 points, her first qualifier win aboard Fayvel, and only the fifth rider in the series to win multiple legs. With Fayvel’s personal best of 78.995%, she could also become just the second rider in the series to break 80%.
Enter the Disruptor
Benjamin Ebeling might be the most dangerous rider in the class, not due to a long campaign, but because he’s done more with two starts than most have with six. He partners with Bellena, a 14-year-old Hanoverian mare who began her career under his father, Olympian Jan Ebeling. Ben and Bellena debuted earlier this year, and have placed in the top five in every outing. They won their freestyle debut at WEC with a 75.740%—just 0.365 off the mare’s lifetime best.
That number matters. It’s one thing to inherit a proven horse; it’s another to bring out their best. We’ve seen that narrative play out all season—top-scoring horses handed to new riders, only to fall short. Ebeling is one of the few to flip the script by tapping into Bellena’s established potential.
Despite only two qualifying scores, his leaderboard position (23rd) is deceptively low. A fifth-place finish this weekend likely puts him within the top 18. Should he qualify, he’s a legit podium threat at the Finals in Thermal.
Based on averages and personal bests, Bellena is the second-highest rated horse in the field. But Ebeling can’t get complacent. Charlotte Jorst is close behind.
Jorst’s Jump
The US Equestrian Open of Dressage awards two prize pools: the $200,000 Final purse in Thermal and a $50,000 season standings payout. Charlotte Jorst has her eyes on both.
Currently in 12th, she stands to double her payout with a top-five finish and triple it with a win. Her mount, Zhaplin Langholt, has scored in the low-to-mid 70s all season. The exception? You guessed it—WEC. In Week 15, she finished fourth with an uncharacteristic 68%, while Ebeling scored his breakout win.
Jorst is a lock for Finals qualification, but this weekend is a chance to climb the standings and carry momentum into the summer break.
Riding the Math
While Marek, Ebeling, and Jorst lead this week’s narrative, a few riders on the edge still merit a mention:
● James Koford sits in 26th. A podium finish could sneak him into the Finals, but against this field, it’s a long shot. Still, if you’re a fan of an underdog bet, Koford deserves a nod.
● Anna Merritt needs a top-10 finish to crack back into the top 18. Her average (66.572%) doesn’t exactly signal Finals form, but she’s one of only nine riders in the field with FEI freestyle experience. With twelve entries and points awarded to just the top ten, there’s little room for error. If she does move up, it’ll be more a product of the math than the performance.
● Eline Eckroth will secure her sixth qualifying score with a top-10 finish. That would vault her into a tie for second place overall. Her placings suggest podium potential—three seconds, a fifth, and a seventh—but most of those came in small fields. This 12-rider roster is the largest she’s faced. She only broke into the 70% for the first time earlier this year (yes, at WEC), but has hovered in the upper 60s since. A podium would be a surprise. It would also be a sharp reply to those of us saying she’s coasted on small fields.
Tune In
From near misses to breakout wins, WEC has been the backdrop to some of the series’ most pivotal moments. It’s where Marek nearly made history, and where she now returns to finish the job. It’s where Ebeling made his series debut, and proved he belonged in the conversation. It’s where Jorst logged her lowest freestyle score of the season, an outlier in an otherwise consistent campaign. And it’s the last time this season anyone will ride here under the US Equestrian Open banner.
Whatever the outcome, this qualifier is no routine stop. Tune in to the USEF Network live on Saturday, May 24 at 6 p.m. EDT. Become a fan member and watch for free!
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.
