Held at Malaspina Stables, CDI Ornago saw a strong field of 23 combinations line up for the CDI3* Grand Prix. With the score of 70.717%, Simone Pearce and Will Marq were clear winners, finishing ahead of France’s Alexandre Ayache and Ruling Olivia on 69.739%.
Judges Vincenzo Truppa (H), Ulrike Nivelle (C), and Raphael Saleh (M) had the Australian combination in first, while Alice Schwab (E) placed them third and Kurt Christensen (B) placed them second.
In the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, Simone and the stallion placed second on 70.277%, finishing just behind Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Times Kismet on 73.234%.
Judges Vincenzo Truppa (E), Kurt Christensen (H), Alice Schwab (C), and Ulrike Nivelle (M) were unanimous in placing the Australian combination second, with Miguel Goncalves (B) placing them fifth.
First CDI Grand Prix Special
Ornago marked Simone and Will Marq’s first CDI Grand Prix Special.
The test was an important milestone in terms of potential selection for the FEI World Championships later this year in Aachen, Germany, as the competition criteria section of Australia’s selection policy requires “demonstrated experience in a minimum of two Grand Prix Special tests at CDI3* or higher events.”
In addition, “combinations must be consistently achieving scores approaching or exceeding 68% in at least two Grand Prix tests at CDI3* or above.”
Simone and Will Marq have already ticked the box in terms of their Grand Prix test scores. The duo completed their first CDI3* Grand Prix in October at Troisdorf in Germany, where they scored 69.413%. They then contested the CDI4* Grand Prix tests at Stuttgart (Germany) in November and Bordeaux (France) in February with scores of 69.130% and 71.130% respectively.
In Bordeaux, the combination also contested the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle for a score of 74.830%.
The duo now requires one more CDI Grand Prix Special score to satisfy the competition criteria section of the selection policy – noting that the competition component of the policy is considered alongside other criteria.
Found on an island
Will Marq, a ten-year-old stallion by Rio Marq out of Louisiana (Lanciano), is owned by Martin Fuchs and Antonio Seguí Sintes. He was discovered on a tiny island off the coast of Spain, and though his pedigree suggested promise, Simone wasn’t initially convinced he was the right horse for her at first.
“I didn’t think he was the horse for me,” Simone told Equestrian Life last year. “But every day he impresses me more and more. His attitude, his work ethic — he’s just blown me away. He’s an absolute joy to ride.”
Read more: SIMONE PEARCE JUMP-STARTS TEAM FUCHS CAMPAIGN – Equestrian Life, July 2025
