With Donatella M, the warm-up is the hardest part of competing.
“She’s completely terrified of the other horses,” said her owner/rider, Alice Tarjan, who is competing at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
“It’s been a problem her whole life. She’s really honest about it. but you’ll go down and try to do a line of changes and if there’s another horse even coming across, she just shuts down. There’s nothing you can do, except stop and try to get out of the way. it makes the warm-up a little worrisome.”
Alice Tarjan is an expert at keeping her cool in the warmup, no matter what happens. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
But there’s a plus side to the equation, as we saw today when Donatella was marked at an impressive 74.347 percent for the FEI grand prix performance on the national side of this week’s show in Wellington, Fla. The score was by far the highest in the class, but because Alice rode as an amateur, she was marked only against one other amateur rider for her blue ribbon.
With Donatella, “The good thing is, if she’s so terrified in the warm-up, by the time you get in the ring, she’s really happy,” since she’s alone at that point, explained Alice, who is based in Oldwick, N.J., but spends four months in Loxahatchee, Fla., every year.
“If you put her in the stadium, she’s relaxed in there compared to the warm-up. I’ve learned if I can’t get my changes in the warm-up not to panic, because she’ll do it in the ring. They all have their own thing. When she goes in the ring, she does her job.”
Alice bought the 11-year-old Oldenburg as a 4-year-old. The mare, who is by Furstenball out of a Jazz Time mare, had a foal a few years ago, but now has settled into a performance career. Trainer Marcus Orlob of Annandale, N.J., was on hand to offer comments during the warm-up, where I was impressed at the way Alice handled Donatella’s little quirks, not looking the least bit flustered.
That’s Alice, who doesn’t let a horse’s mood faze her.
Donatella behaves once competition is under way. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Whatever it is, you’ve got to ride it. Emotion plays no part in this sport. It’s just wasted energy,” Alice believes.
“It doesn’t change the situation. Whatever the situation is ,you’ve got to deal with it so you might as well think rationally and keep your head on your shoulders.”
Lars Petersen, a Danish Olympian (now an American citizen) who also has had a hand in training Alice, admires the way she handles her horses, no matter how challenging.
“She’s on them if they’re wild or not wild, she’s not a wimp,” he said.
“She’s amazing. She makes her own horses; she rides them from young horses and trains them up to Grand Prix.”
Alice calls Donatella, “A work in progress.” She wanted to compete her in international classes this week, but the mare developed hives (“it’s a Florida thing, they all get hives at some point”) and couldn’t give her the requisite medication for the skin problem if she went in the 3-star CDI. So she will wait until next week and enter her in World Cup classes.
Donatella is a star when it’s time to perform. ( Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
She’s not planning on trying for the World Cup finals this year; it’s too late in the season to think of it. But she’s interested in the prospect next year, when the finals will be in Omaha.
Alice isn’t one to plan too far ahead, though. She just enjoys being in the moment and having the opportunity to spend time in Florida during the winter.l
“It’s beautiful weather and you get to ride horses and that’s what I love to do,” she said.
“So life is good.”