Marco Bernal, a junior at The Kings Academy, in West Palm Beach, competes in the equestrian sport of dressage, the art of riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility and balance. Bernal recently returned from Mexico where he competed for his native country of Colombia as the youngest competitor seeking to qualify for the 2015 Pan-American games, which leads to the Olympic Games. He qualified both as an individual and with his team, which includes his father, internationally acclaimed dressage rider Marco Bernal Sr.

“It was the most amazing experience to compete internationally with my dad. We missed the gold medal by only .04%, but we qualify to move on towards the Olympics. That is something I am very proud of.”

Marco and his horse Zalvador have only worked together for a few short months, a unique situation in a subtle sport where the relationship between horse and rider is crucial.]

Marco stated, “My goal is to graduate from The King’s Academy and study at Frei Universitat Berlin in Germany. This experience will serve me well as I pursue a career in international business.”