Marcus Fyffe Dressage Wraps Up

Stellar 2019 Winter Season  

Nicholas Fyffe and Fiero HGF

Throughout the season, Fyffe and Marcus achieved great milestones with their upper-level performance horses, Fiero HGF and Dean Martin. Fiero HGF, a PRE stallion Fyffe has developed from an unstarted 3-year-old to Grand Prix mount, earned a 68% in the Grand Prix with Fyffe during their first competition of the year, and picked up multiple top-three finishes throughout the season. During their last competition of the season for the pair, they won a competitive Grand Prix class with a personal best score of 71.087%.

Marcus also performed top tests aboard multiple horses throughout the AGDF season. During the third week of AGDF, Marcus competed his Grand Prix Hanoverian gelding Dean Martin to a score over 68% and a top three finish. Throughout the season, David also competed in the international small tour ring on Lily Zilo's Aron, developing the gelding's confidence in the stadium and placing fourth in a very competitive CDI1* division. Marcus was also undefeated on Kyle McIver's talented PRE youngster Rosé in all of their First Level classes with scores up to 68.79%. 

David Marcus and Dean Martin

"Competing our clients' horses allows me to better understand what the client is feeling and experiencing in the show ring," Marcus said. "That knowledge lets us better prepare the horse for the client, advance their riding careers and further develop their horses. It's a crucial aspect of our training." 

Not only did Marcus and Fyffe find su ccess in the show ring, their former MFD sale horses, Scobella and Illuster Van De Kampert, formed strong partnerships with their new riders.  Aboard Scobella, Hannah Irons earned many blue ribbons on the talented mare in the national Young Rider classes with scores up to 72.17%. MFD coached Ben Ebeling at the beginning of his time with Illuster Van De Kampert and the new pair  competed in both the CDI-Young Rider and CDI-U25 Grand Prix divisions, where they won three of their Young Rider classes with scores up to 72.825%. After their qualifying performances this season, Ebeling and Illuster Van De Kampert have been selected as combination for the U.S. Dressage Young Rider European Tour and MFD wishes the pair good luck as they represent the U.S. this summer.

David Marcus and Aron

Working alongside each other, Fyffe and Marcus coached many students to top placings and spectacular rides over the course of the season. MFD's strong group of young professionals, young riders and adult amateurs, which consisted of riders representing Israel, Hong Kong, Russia and the U.S., showed exponential growth during the 2019 season.

McIver was seen on her horses Afago, Churro and Vanilla Ice, which were all sourced through MFD, in both the CDI and national arenas, racking up numerous blue ribbons and receiving the title of USPRE National Adult Amateur High-Point Champion with Churro during multiple weeks of competition. Zilo on Aron, representing Hong Kong, as well as Russia's Diana Zakharova on Toress and Olga Hartsock on MFD's sale horse Sandro Man, earned solid CDI scores in both the Prix St. Georges and Intermediate 1.

Young professional and longtime client of MFD, Micah Deligdish, represented Israel in her successful international competition debut under Fyffe's coaching in the small tour on Santos. MFD also sourced and coordinated a lease for Deligdish to campaign an internationally proven Grand Prix mount, Destiny, with the goal of competing at the European Championships later this summer. The new pair earned a 69.674% in the Grand Prix during their first national show together and placed fourth in a very competitive Grand Prix Special at the Tryon Spring Dressage I CDI3*.

MFD's young riders also wowed the judges this year with Caroline Nicholson receiving a season-high score of 70.925% in the Young Rider Freestyle during Week Five on Diozar. The pair also finished in the top five in the Young Rider Freestyle during the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships. One of their new young riders, Kylie Dickinson rode her gelding Gazpacho du Caet to a sixth place finish in the Week 11 Young Rider Prix St. Georges Individual test. 

Katrina Sadis, MFD's working student, has trained her Lusitano gelding Zepelim up to the Grand Prix level under the guidance of Marcus and Fyffe. The pair have had a successful career together, winning many CDI Young Rider classes as well as winning a team gold medal at the North American Young Rider Championships in 2017. Sadis' drive and hard work can to fruition this year when she received the final scores needed for her USDF Gold Medal with a blue ribbon in the Week Nine Under 25 Grand Prix.

"We are incredibly proud of the dedication Katrina has shown throughout her time with us as our working student," Fyffe said. "She is a very talented rider with nerves of steel in competition, yet she marries that with such an empathy in her riding - it is very exciting to see how she is developing as a Grand Prix rider. Katrina is also developing her up and coming 7-year-old mare, Belloona, which we found for her in Europe, and they are a talented pair to keep an eye on in the future." 

Katrina Sadis and Zepelim

Longtime student, Karis Van Essen, stepped up this year to help coach a handful of MFD's valued riders and horses. In addition to her coaching, Van Essen rode Camistry J, her gelding she has developed up the levels with the help of MFD, in the Open Grand Prix, improving greatly throughout the season. Para-dressage rider Cynthia Screnci, coached by Van Essen, rode Sally L to numerous blue ribbons in the Para V Intro B classes with scores up to 69.792% and claimed another win during Week Nine's CPEDI3* in the Para Grade V Novice A test.

David Marcus with Lily Zilo, Kyle McIver and Diana Zakharova

In the national ring, MFD students racked up many blue ribbons with many scores over 70%, including new student Sarah Roda and Quintanillo JJ at First Level, Susan Maurais on Quebec Bertling at Fourth Level and Jen Griger on Casanova in the Prix St. Georges as well as on Waterford Blu at Training Level.

Karis Van Essen, Cristian Serna, Miranda Van Kol, and Katrina Sadis

"It is exciting to see each of our students achieving their goals and honing their skills," Marcus said. "We are proud of the success that this season brought us, and we are ready to work towards even greater things in the future. We also are extremely grateful for our team who provides the best care for the horses in our program, especially our barn manager, Miranda Van Kol, who keeps everything running so smoothly. It would not be possible without our team who supports our goals."

Marcus Fyffe Dressage would like to thank all of their sponsors and entire team for their continued support thus far throughout the 2019 winter and spring show season. The team at MFD will continue 2019 competition throughout the spring and summer, frequenting the national-level shows that Wellington offers. As highly sought-after clinicians, Marcus and Fyffe will also begin their travels across the country to lead symposiums at various venues for riders of all levels. Their clinic schedule kicks off with Fyffe headlining a clinic hosted by Double Stone Farm in Plainwell, Michigan, May 18 and 19, while Marcus will teach a symposium at Iron Rock Dressage in Fairfield, California June 1 and 2. MFD has clinic openings available periodically throughout the summer. If you are interested in hosting a clinic with MFD, please email [email protected].