Simone Pearce and Will Marq delivered an impressive performance in the Mannheim CDI4*, finishing second in the Grand Prix behind Isabell Werth and Viva Gold OLD with a personal best score of 72.087%. Their previous best mark was 71.130%, recorded when they won in Bordeaux in February.
Simone and Will Marq are consistently producing top scores coming into the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen, but still need one more score in the Grand Prix Special to meet the Australian selection criteria. Their only Grand Prix Special appearance to date at Ornago in March yielded a strong score of 70.277%.
For Viva Gold OLD (Vivaldi x For Romance OLD) and Isabell Werth, it was their debut at CDI4* with the combination wowing for 77.087% in the Grand Prix.
Simone and 10-year-old Will Marq (Rio Marq x Lanciano) continued their strong form in the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle, onca again finishing second with a score of 74.180%. The mark was just shy of their best, 74.830%, achieved in Bordeaux in February.
Germany’s Lisa Müller won the CDI4* Grand Prix Freestyle with 75.815% with Gut Wettlkam’s d’Avie FRH.
Rose Oatley shines with Alive and Kicking
Nineteen-year-old Rose Oatley and Alive and Kicking won the Prize of Liselott-Schindling-Stiftung Piaff-Förderpreis Intermediate II with 74.118%.
The pair also placed third in the Prize of Liselott-Schindling-Stiftung Piaff-Förderpreis Under 25 Grand Prix with 70.308%, with a couple costly mistakes. It was a tightly contested class, with combinations placed second through seventh all scoring within the 70% range. The winner of the class was World Cup rider Moritz Treffinger with stallion, Morricone (Millennium x Rubin Royale OLD) on 71.128%.
Formerly trained and competed by Charlotte Dujardin, Alive and Kicking was sold to Bollmoor Partner Gmbh – a company of Rose’s mother, Australian Olympian Kristy Oatley – and Kristy’s mother, Rosalind Oatley in April this year.
With Mannheim being only the combination’s second competition together, Rose and “Audrey” are already shaping up as an exciting partnership to watch.
Following her success in Mannheim, Rose shared her appreciation for the mare, as well as the foundations laid before she took over the reins.
Notably, in the past two weeks, five Grand Prix horses trained by Charlotte Dujardin have competed successfully across Europe. Times Kismet ridden by Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl for second with 72.304% and Imhotep ridden by Diana Porsche for fourth with 71.370% performed in Hungary in the CDI-W at Mariakalnok, while Mount St John Freestyle (the current FEI #1 horse) ridden by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour finished first at Hagen in the CDI4* with 82.391%. Gio also competed in Hagen ridden by Annabella Pidgley, finishing eighth with 71.717% and now Alive and Kicking has added to the momentum in Mannheim – it is an incredible feat. Additionally, in the USA, Hawtins San Floriana who Dujardin competed in national classes up to Intermediate II was third in the CDI4* Grand Prix at Ocala with 69.152%.
For full results from Mannheim, click here.
Simone’s success follows recent Grand Prix debut with ‘Queenie’
At the recent Saarlouis Dressage Festival in Germany, Simone Pearce made a winning S*** Grand Prix debut (German national level) with nine-year-old mare Daenerys Targaryen 4 (Desperado x Gribaldi).
The striking mare – known at home as Queenie – claimed victory in her first Grand Prix start with a score of 71.633%, immediately marking herself as one to watch for the future. While the test included a couple of costly mistakes, the mare’s quality was undeniable, particularly in the collected work. Judges rewarded the piaffe and passage with scores of 8 and 8.5, underlining the mare’s natural talent and expressive ability.
Pearce was pleased with the mare’s first outing at the level, describing it as an encouraging starting point.
“I was really happy to get out there and feel how she handled this next big level and she was really great,” Simone said. “It was a bit of a spontaneous decision to go to the show, so the test was a bit unpolished and too many big baby mistakes crept in for higher marks. But I thought it was a really super starting point, and at the end of the month we’ll go out again and try to iron out the mistakes and produce a more polished test with hopefully the same highlights.”
Fellow Australian Hayley Beresford also featured in the Grand Prix class, finishing sixth aboard the eight-year-old gelding Javino S (Davino x Briljant). The pair posted a score of 68.367%, with a few mistakes proving costly, but an exceptional score for another very green and promising combination.
Hayley enjoyed additional success in the national Prix St Georges, where she partnered Daintree 5 (Diamond Hit x Heraldik xx) to score a 68.947%, finishing seventh in a competitive field.
The combination also contested the Intermediate I Freestyle to finish on a score of 70.125% for sixth.
With both Australians presenting young horses for the higher levels, the results offer an encouraging glimpse into the next generation of Grand Prix prospects emerging on the European circuit.
For full results click, here.
