David Marcus of Campbellville, ON, and Chrevi’s Capital, recently nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee for review and naming to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team for dressage, have begun their journey to London. In preparation, the pair will compete at the CDI3* Hartpury international dressage competition in Great Britain from July 6 to 8.
Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital only began competing at the Olympic level of grand prix in January of this year, and have steadily improved throughout the season. Following back-to-back victories at CDI3* Burlington, ON, and CDI3* Lexington, KY, in May, Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital found themselves ranked second on the Canadian Olympic qualifying leader board.
“That is not where I thought I would find myself at the start of the Florida season,” said Marcus, 31, who contested the highly-competitive Florida circuit from January through to the end of April. “I am over the moon to have held that position over the final three qualifying competitions, and I am thrilled to be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Team.”
Once the standings were official, Marcus had five days to prepare and pack everything that he and his mount would need, both for their preparatory events as well as Olympic competition itself.
“It was a busy week!” recalled Marcus. “Because I was in second place in standings and feeling confident, I was able to do some of the paperwork and blood work while waiting for everything to become official. Trying to run my own business, train my horses and students, and prepare for a trip of this magnitude required a lot of coordination!”
The pair left David Marcus Dressage, their training facility in Campbellville, ON, on Saturday, June 29, and headed south of the border by trailer to catch a FedEx flight leaving Newark airport leaving at 3 a.m. Upon arrival at Stansted airport in England, Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital once again got on a trailer for the journey to Hartpury College, where the pair will be based until competing in the CDI3* Hartpury.
Luckily, Chrevi’s Capital, who originally came from Denmark, travelled well. A 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Chrevi’s Cavallo x Weinberg) owned by Deborah Miculinic (nee Kinzinger), Chrevi’s Capital was imported to Canada in 2010.
“We left home Saturday morning and arrived in Hartpury on Monday night,” said Marcus of their travel schedule. “Considering he had three days in transit, Capital barely lost any weight. He was happy and healthy and felt quite fresh the next morning.”
In preparation for the international event in Hartpury, Marcus will be joined by his coach, six-time American Olympian Robert Dover, on Monday, July 2.
“Capital enjoyed a few light days and now we are getting him back into a full working program again,” said Marcus of his horse’s conditioning. “Robert arrives on Monday and will be here all week to help me before the Hartpury competition. We will be getting back into show mode.”
Following CDI3* Hartpury, which will be Marcus’s final competition before the Games, Marcus, Chrevi’s Capital, and the other Canadian nominated dressage athletes will move to Stratford-Upon-Avon to begin training camp.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Marcus has lived in Canada since he began attending McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, at the age of 18. He obtained his Canadian citizenship on December 28, 2011, and made his Canadian Dressage Team debut riding in the CDIO3* Wellington Dressage Nations’ Cup in Florida in April.
For more information, visit http://www.davidmarcusdressage.com/.
