Marisa Festerling Earns Her Pan Am Spot With Patience And Perseverance

And despite dreaming of the day when she would finally wear her country’s flag, Marisa doesn’t feel like much has changed. “It’s happened over such a long period of time and so gradually that it just feels really natural how it’s all happened,” she said. “There hasn’t been one giant moment in particular when I knew ‘I’d arrived.’ It’s been an ongoing series of small achievements to get here. This whole process has been an inspiration to ME, especially how many people have been so kind and willing to help me along the way.”

Staff writer Mollie Bailey will be in Guadalajara for the start of dressage on Oct. 16 and will be posting daily reports from the Pan American Games from all three equestrian disciplines on www.chronofhorse.com.