by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 21, 2022
Dressage star Charlotte Dujardin is expecting a baby girl early next year with Dean Golding, to whom she has been engaged and had an on-and-off relationship, which is very much “on” at the moment.
“Our hearts are already full of more love than we thought possible,” Charlotte stated on social media.
“A new chapter in our journey will begin; one that we have always hoped for, and we cannot wait to welcome our little girl into the world. I just hope she already knows how much she has been wished for and how much love awaits her, from ourselves and our excited families.”
Dean and Charlotte at the baby’s gender reveal party. (Photo by Jess Photography)
The timing is good, as Charlotte just completed the world championships on the British silver medal team, and the European Championships aren’t until later in 2023. The Paris Olympics are in 2024, so she should be all set for competition after the baby is born.
After Charlotte took her last gold medal ride on Valegro at the 2016 Olympics, Dean was photographed with a sign that said, “Now will you marry me?” But the couple broke up in 2019 before reuniting last year.
Charlotte became Britain’s golden girl with double gold at the 2012 Olympics in London on Valegro. They continued as a winning combination through Rio, after which Valegro retired.
But Charlotte continued bringing in the medals, taking individual bronze in the Special on Mount St. John Freestyle at the 2018 world championships, and individual bronze on Gio at the Tokyo Olympics. Riding the very inexperienced Imhotep this month at the world championships in Denmark, she missed an individual medal but contributed to the team’s silver.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 19, 2022
The answer to the question above is not just “airplanes.”
It was time for a re-think after the team failed to finish in the top five at the FEI World Show Jumping Championships last week, which would have been an automatic ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The American show jumpers didn’t even make it to the line-up of 10 teams that battled it out for the medals in Herning, Denmark, but coach Robert Ridland has a plan that should land his squad in Paris at the right time. As he pointed out, there are other opportunities upcoming to make the cut for the Olympics.
Coach Robert Ridland began his winning streak with the U.S. show jumping team eight years ago. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
First is the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, Spain, in the autumn of 2023. The U.S. didn’t qualify for the final in Barcelona this year due to a variety of circumstances including the EHV-1 outbreak in California, but will go all out for next year. The highest-placed nation that is not already qualified for the Olympics can manage it through this route. But that’s only one available spot.
Then there are the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2023.
They are the final qualifier for the Olympics. Three of the highest-placing teams not previously qualified would become eligible for the Olympics. However, this time all the teams (unless one from the Western Hemisphere gets lucky in Barcelona) will be vying for an Olympic spot, since only Europeans were in the top five group at the championships in Denmark. That means the qualifiers for Paris will be the Pan Am medalists.
In the years when the U.S. qualified for the Olympics at the World Championships, the Pan Ams presented an opportunity for less-experienced riders to gain championship mileage.
But it’s a different story for 2023. Robert sees the Pan Ams not only as a must-do for a top team, but also “a dress rehearsal for the Olympics.”
Because Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere, the Pan Ams will be held later than its customary schedule. It’s our autumn but South America’s spring. Pan Ams usually are held in the Northern Hemisphere’s mid-summer.
“I want to take advantage of the fact it’s quite close to the Olympic Games, which is important,” Robert said of the Pan Ams.
“That was the plan we’ve been hatching for some time now. It makes a lot of sense in the lead up to Paris.”
So the U.S. squad will include A-team riders, as well as “one or two of the younger horses we want to see in a championship before you hit them with a big time world championship or the Olympic Games. It’s a perfect opportunity for that,” commented Robert.
Robert Ridland is planning on how the U.S. flag can be raised high for show jumpers on the podium at future championships. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“Hopefully, it will work out and a similar type team will be in Paris eight months later.”
Putting things in perspective, Robert suggested, “You have to look back on the last two Olympic cycles and what we did. And a lot of things we were consistent with. The first Olympic cycle, Normandy (the 2014 world championships), Toronto (the 2015 Pan Ams) and Rio (the 2016 Olympics), we had a podium finish all three, which is rare in one Olympic cycle. We repeated the same thing in two cycles,” the next being Tryon, Lima and Tokyo.
“That’s unprecedented. No team I’m aware of in the last 50-60 years has ever done that. That’s a pretty good winning streak.”
At the same time, he pointed out, “As with all winning streaks in sport, the Lakers, the Yankees–at some point, they come to an end, and what do you do? Start a new one.”
This time, “the pendulum swung with the injuries, that affects the depth,” he said. The injuries ruled out two Olympic team silver medal mounts, Laura Kraut’s ride Baloutinue and Jessie Springsteen’s, Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, who weren’t available for the world championships, as as well as Jessie’s world championships reserve horse, RMF Zecilie.
“The bottom line is, we didn’t have the horsepower” said Will Connell, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s director of sport, quickly adding that at the same time, “there isn’t a need to panic. This needs to be looked at as a catalyst for launching forward, for stepping up again, not getting depressed and looking back.”
After the experience in Herning, Robert said, “You wake up the next morning and plan for the next winning streak. I have been planning our lead-up to Paris and hope we’ll end up with a successful result there.”
On the bright side, the dressage team qualified for Paris by finishing sixth in its championships in Denmark, while the para dressage squad qualified for the Paralympics with a team bronze medal.The eventing squad will go for its qualification next month at the FEI World Championships in Pratoni, Italy.
“Herning shouldn’t be all about the jumping team,” Will pointed out, citing the successes.
He mentioned that competing in Europe is a big deal convenience-wise for riders from the U.S., while the Europeans often can just load their horses on a van and drive to their next stop, then head home. Think about the proximity of France, Germany and Switzerland, for instance.
“Our people compete and train and take themselves away from home,” he said.
That makes for “a hard three years,” during the Olympic cycle, as Will put it. He added that there were “no (U.S.) athlete horse/combinations that didn’t want to go to Herning but should have gone to Herning. We had the best available. The pride in team among the top U.S. athletes is as strong as any other nation in the West.”
The reality was that Lillie Keenan and Brian Moggre (at 21 the youngest in the competition but who finished ahead of the other riders on the team) were on their first championship squad, while Adrienne Sternlicht, a member of the 2018 gold medal world championships squa, hadn’t competed at this level for several years with Cristalline. All three are in their 20s. Robert usually puts just one younger rider on his teams, but no veterans were available this time around except McLain, who had only one fault-free trip in the team competition.
Robert noted the teams “more in contention in Herning than others were the ones with two superstar riders, who had serious championship success. We had a team with one of those riders,” he said, referring to McLain.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 20, 2022
Brendan Furlong bought a horse off a video a month ago, and what a winner he turned out to be.
The veterinarian from Pittstown, N.J., finally saw the gelding in person this week at the Dublin Horse Show, where the Irishbred Bloomfield Watergate won the Three-Year-Old Middle Weight class, then the Three-Year-Old Championship and the Supreme Young Horse Championship.
As if those weren’t enough awards, he also won the championship for horses bred by an exhibitor. Percy, as he is known, was shown by Michael Lyons.
Brendan Furlong and his new purchase, Percy, with Michaell Lyons, who showed him. (Photo courtesy Brendan Furlong)
Brendan isn’t bringing Percy home quite yet, though. He’s leaving him in Ireland to be produced for the Hunters Under Saddle Class at next year’s Dublin show.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 19, 2022
It was an intensely exciting equestrian encounter that made history today: Ireland winning the Aga Khan trophy in a jump-off for its home Nations Cup at the Dublin Horse Show.
The crowd in the packed stands around the emerald grass arena at the Royal Dublin Society grounds was treated to an epic equestrian battle. Cian O’Connor, last to go for the Irish in the second round, put in a perfect trip aboard Kilkenny that tied the Irish with the French, each on 4 penalties. (The Irish had zero penalties in the first round, the French 4; in the second round, the scores were switched, leaving each nation on 4 total when taking into account the drop scores).
That necessitated a one-on-one tie-breaker, with France’s Marc Dilasser on Arioto de Gevres starting out first, putting in a clear round in 31.81 seconds.
Conor Swail was picked to represent Ireland in the jump-off. As he had been the first to go in the previous two rounds with Count Me In, it was judged that his horse was not only the most rested, but also fast enough to be equal to the task of breaking the tie. He lived up to chef d’equipe Michael Blake’s faith in him, taking the title with his perfect trip in 30.31 seconds as the crowd roared its approval.
This was the fourth time that Ireland had won the most prestigious trophy in the Nations Cup series, but the first time since 2015.
Conor Swail with the Aga Khan trophy.
Coming on the heels of Ireland qualifying last week for the 2024 Paris Olympics by finishing fourth in the Ecco FEI World Championships, it put an ecstatic Michael over the top.
“It was a lot of drama for me,” said the chef d’equipe, radiating joy.
“It was a good fight from Cian to keep us in the Games,” he continued, then added, “Wasn’t Conor just amazing?”
Comparing Count Me In to “just a big pony,” he cited all the winning that horse has done this year, and then praised his team.
“I can’t be thankful enough to be able to work with these guys. They were so good, so professional. When we had to fight back, we fought back. You have no idea how much this means to me, to get the Olympic Games qualification and the Aga Khan in seven days. That’s just the stuff of dreams.”
There’s one reason he’s dedicating himself to the team.
“I’m doing it because I love the sport. I breathe it. There’s no other feeling like it. Team jumping is just the most amazing thing. The excitement that was here today–where would you see that anywhere else? We’re jumping all day, and with a competition at the end between two horses.”
Chef D’Equipe Michel Blake hoists the Aga Khan trophy with his team, Cian O’Connor, Shane Sweetnam, Conor Swail and Max Wachman. (Photo courtesy FEI)
Dublin, which has been absent for two years in the wake of Covid, is the most amazing show. Those who haven’t been should go if they’re interested in the essence of international show jumping in a very special venue. The enthusiasm of fans is magnificent, and they were more avid than ever celebrating the show’s return.
“The crowd to get behind you, it does lift you,” said Michael.
Conor Swail greets the crowd after clinching the Irish Aga Khan victory.
“To see the crowd that were here today and how they appreciated that. They probably enjoyed having to go to a third round, but it wasn’t enjoyable for me,” he said, and with the tension the jump-off generated, that was understandable.
The U.S. finished sixth of seven teams, with only Laura Kraut (Confu) going double-clear over the brawny course.
Lillie Keenan (Queensland E) and Katherine Dinan (Brego R’N B) were fault-free in the second round after knockdowns in the first. Spencer Smith had nine penalties in the second round and 12 in the first with Untouchable 32 after he lost a stirrup.
Putting in three clears in the second round was “a tremendous comeback effort for our team,” said Coach Robert Ridland.
“We went over what didn’t work one-on-one and each combination had a different area to fix, but they were fixes that were easy for them to address. Each of them executed what we discussed in their second rounds.
“Laura just needed to do the same thing in the second round and it went to plan. The grit and the determination, and the ability to turn the switch, fix the problem, and not get down with the result or where we were, but to come back and fight was just amazing. It was a tremendous second- round effort on everyone’s part and it was great to see from this team.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 21, 2022
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association International Hunter Derby was dominated by Hunt Tosh, who won Friday’s Classic round with Cannon Creek, then went on to top the Handy round Saturday and take the big prize for the second year in a row.
Cannon Creek, owned by the Wheeler farmily, received a total of 606 over two days from the six judges, while Hunt also took third place with the Devon Horse Show’s derby winner, Ceil Wheeler’s Autograph (583.25), behind runner-up Hannah Isop and the 18-year-old Red Ryder (586.5), owned by her aunt, Tracy Freels. Hunt also was the Leading Rider of the International Hunter Derby Member Event, earning $83,239 after competing in six derbies.
Hunt Tosh and Cannon Creek. (Photo USHJA)
It was the third time overall Hunt had won the competition. The only other riders ever to achieve that were Liza Boyd and Tori Colvin.
Cannon Creek’s exacting execution of all the challenges is what put him miles ahead in competition, as the only horse in the derby to break the 600 barrier in his score.
“The horse tries so hard every time we show him. He’s super careful, brave and he’s kind of everything you look for in a hunter,” his rider said.
“His balance is wonderful. We show him sparingly, but he comes out and he’s just phenomenal.”
The International victory at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington carried $42,643.04 in prize money for Cannon Creek.
The courses designed by Alan Lohman and Danny Moore heightened the interest of the competition. For the Handy round, a unique bounce of material that resembled tangled branches was reminiscent of an obstacle you’d find out hunting, which added a bit of authenticity stemming from the roots of show hunters. It could be taken in either direction, and some exhibitors even rode between the elements on their way to the next fence after they jumped it.
There were thought-provoking options, and the final obstacle after a long gallop offered the possibility of earning more points for those who chose a high-side jump that stood 4-feet, 6-inches.
It’s too bad that this wonderful class never draws much of a crowd. The stands in the Rolex stadium had many more spectators for the dressage phase of April’s Land Rover Kentucky 5-star Three-Day Event than for the derby, which offers the type of action that can appeal to a general audience.
Other finishers in the top 10 were fourth-place Front Page, ridden by Colin Syquia, (582.35); 5) In The Know, Samantha Schaefer (568.65); 6) MTM Hand Him Over, Elizabeth Boyd ( 568.50); 7) Lafitte De Muze, Amanda Steege (568.35); 8) Milagro, John French (566.5); 9) Zanziebar R Z, Greg Crolick (556.85); 10) Attendu De Lannois Z, Augusta Iwasaki (555.25).
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 24, 2022
Alice Tarjan, the alternate rider for the USA’s FEI world championships dressage squad, got an opportunity that she missed earlier this month in Herning, Denmark, to show what she and Serenade MF can do.
They topped the Grand Prix at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions at Lamplight Farm in Illinois today, marked at 73.869 percent. If they had ridden at the world championships and gotten that score, they would have finished ahead of two riders who were on the team.
Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF. (Photo U.S. Equestrian by Susan Stickle)
Adding her scores to those of the top two U.S. finishers, Steffen Peters (Suppenkasper) and Adrienne Lyle (Salvino), the U.S. would have had a team total of 223.030. It still would not have been enough to move into the medals, however, since Germany won the bronze with 230.79. The U.S. would have remained sixth. But that placing was enough to qualify for the Paris Olympics, which was the goal.
Alice, who lives in OIdwick, N.J., spent so much time in Germany training with the team that she wasn’t able to focus on the national championships in the lead-up to the show.
“It’s not been very good preparation because the horse was in Europe all summer,” said Alice, noting the mare didn’t get back to New Jersey until last week, which meant she was only able to ride her three times before coming to Illinois.
“I didn’t quite know what as I was going to get,” said Alice, but at least, “it’s going in the right direction.”
She said the balance is better explaining that now, “If I lose the balance, I’m able to get it back.
FEI competition started Monday with the Prix St. Georges and continued yesterday with the Intermediate I. Both were won by Laura Graves on SenSation HW, who will start Thursday looking for a clean sweep by taking the freestyle. After that, the horse will move up to Grand Prix.
Laura was once the world’s number one ranked rider with Verdades, her medal mount for the Olympics and world championships. He retired in 2020.
Her score in the I-1 was 74.793 percent. She said the test was a little more tense than her Prix St. Georges, but noted it was a bit more difficult. She cited “a little mistake in the two-time tempis. But I think other than that, it was really a clean test.”
Quinn Iverson rode Beckham 19 to victory in the first leg of the Brentina Cup, the Intermediate II, for riders 25 and under. Quinn started as a working student with Adrienne Lyle.
Speaking about her ride that earned 67.676 percent, she said, “We came in, started a little bit shaky, but he settled and actually let me ride him. He was very honest in there. A few bobbles we’ll clean up, but overall, I’m so happy with him.”
The para dressage championship went to Californian Mia Rodier-Dawallo and Jayden, known as Pudding.
“I am very proud of our work. In general, I don’t chase scores and I think comparison is the thief of joy, so I do my best not compare myself to anyone else,” she said. Her score was a total of 69.094 percent after three tests.
“It’s an honor. It is so validating that all of the blood, sweat, and tears that we put into this have come to fruition,” she mused.
“In this sport in a matter of a week you can have a humbling of a lifetime or feel like you are on top of the world or everything in between. It is such an emotional roller coaster, mentally, physically, everything. When you get an opportunity to come out on a national stage, and first of all have the time of your life, and second of all, win.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 17, 2022
Jack Pemberton, a true gentleman who had a huge influence on the sport of driving, has died at age 99.
He was a leader who always delighted in sharing his knowledge. Jack competed against and became friends with royalty, but anyone involved in the sport, whether they were beginners or elite drivers, enjoyed his friendship and help. More than 20 equine-related organizations benefited from his involvement over the years.
The inaugural recipient of the Equine Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, he was a past president of the Carriage Association of America and a past director of the Canadian Horse Shows Association.
“When I first got involved with the Canadian Horse Shows Association, there were only two employees. Now you can see how equestrian sport in Canada has grown,” he once recollected, “I am fortunate enough to have stayed on the right side of the grass to see it grow to its present state.”
He started working with the Canadian Equestrian Federation in 1975 and had been an honorary life director since 1981. He also was involved with the FEI as a driving judge and chairman of the FEI Driving Committee from 1995 through 2003.
Other organizations that would not have been the same without him are the Ontario Equine Research Center in Guelph and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. He was involved with establishing the Ontario Equine Research Center in 1981, and later served as a chairman of the Center’s Advisory Committee for six years.
His involvement with the Royal began in 1964, when he started competing in the coaching class. He became a director in 1974, and served as the Royal’s president in 1975, as well as from1978 through 1979.
Jack Pemberton with Sandra Banks at the Royal. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
He chaired the Canadian Pleasure Driving Championships and was a life member of the British Horse Society, the Canadian Combined Driving Association, Drive Canada, the Canadian Hackney Society and the Eastern Ontario Pleasure Driving Society, as well as many other organizations. Outside of the horse world, he had served as a reconnaissance pilot in the British air force.
Dozens of tributes to him poured in on social media.
Christine Reupke, the Royal’s director of equestrian and breed sport, paid tribute by saying, “It’s a sad moment for us at the Royal. A great man, a mentor and complete hero… Jack you’ll be missed.”
Carriage Association of America Past President Natasha Grigg called him “a towering, influential and incredibly sympathetic presence in the formative days of combined driving and subsequently during its heyday in the United States. I feel honored to have been a friend and enjoyed his guidance and humor in all the years that I was active in the ADS and afterwards.”
Pairs driver Tracey Morgan called him “such a wonderful man and horseman. I will always remember his wonderful stories of the early days of driving in North America and be grateful for his work to establish the first World Championship for ponies.”
Sherri Whitworth-Denoouden commented that everyone “will miss his knowledge, skills, dedication and involvement in the sport. A class act through and through.”
He did not want a funeral, so a celebration of his life will be planned for next spring.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 15, 2022
A new era is dawning for equestrian helmets.
Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab is close to announcing a star system that would rate riding helmet safety. The lab’s work began with football helmets but has now expanded to youth football, flag football, hockey, cycling, soccer, and snow sport.
Equestrian will be the newest addition, as the research is in its final phase. The test methods began with video analysis of 100 equestrian falls, followed by laboratory system comparison, on-site field testing and impactor surface comparison on both dirt and sand surfaces—the “extremes” of hard and soft footing. The last phase is in process and involves the final calculations of STAR values (Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk) and the publication of star ratings.
“We’ll often throw a football helmet in there. A football helmet is the most advanced and optimized helmet. We’ll also evaluate a ‘bare’ or no helmet situation to show what the helmet is doing (helping with),” Dr. Stefan Duma of the lab explained.
“If an equestrian helmet is producing similar numbers to a [highly rated] football helmet, it probably doesn’t need improvement.”
At an Equestrian Symposium held last week in Blacksburg, Va., those involved with the lab educated a group of equestrian stakeholders on the progress of their equestrian helmet research. The Helmet Lab began its study nearly four years ago, but the project was brought to fruition with support from the U.S. Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, the U.S. Eventing Association and Jacqueline Mars, a great supporter of eventing. The group raised more than $425,000 in research funds in December 2020.
“With the same impact, there can be very different biomechanical responses between helmets. We felt a responsibility that everyone should have this information,” said Dr. Steve Rowson, Helmet Lab director.
“Not all helmets are the same just because they meet a [pass/fail] standard. That’s true for skull damage, but not concussions.”
In 2003, Virginia Tech placed the first sensors inside football helmets to measure head acceleration data that could characterize concussions. Nearly two decades later, the Helmet Lab is on the cusp of adding equestrian sport to its arsenal of public safety information on helmet use and unveiling its STAR ratings system for helmets.
The STAR ratings for equestrian helmets are designed to complement existing helmet certifications and fill in the gaps relating to concussion risks. The information, set to be released by the end of the year, will allow the public to search helmets by certification type, helmet type, brand, and more to make more informed choices on the helmets they wear and purchase, as well as educate manufacturers on how to improve the safety of their helmets.
“The equestrian space has one of the noisier standard spaces, which makes it complicated for a manufacturer,” Dr. Duma said.
The Helmet Lab evaluated 26 helmet models and 104 helmets in 312 tests, quantifying elements like actual drop height (where a rider is positioned when parting ways with a horse), what body parts are impacted when falling, liner and rotational impacts, and surface, among other factors.
The STAR value is the theoretical number of concussions someone would sustain if their on-field exposure matched the laboratory impacts and is calculated by multiplying exposure (as a function of impact location and velocity) and concussion risk (as a function of linear and rotational headform acceleration). The ratings correlate with real world injury rates; the lower the STAR value, the better the star rating (one to five stars, with five stars being the highest-rated helmets).
“It’s similar to a new car assessment program. We took a system that works and translated it to the sports world,” Dr. Rowson said.
“Football is a multiple head impact sport,” he added. “In equestrian, exposures are very different, and we have much lower numbers.”
Trainer Joe Dotoli, who has been a key volunteer for promoting safety, said after the tour, “Two plus years of work on the Equestrian 5-star ratings are almost complete. The next giant step forward in safety. Thank you to USHJA, USEF, USEA, NEEC and the Mars Foundation for your support. A great example of working together to make our sport safer. And of course a a huge thank you to the brilliant scientists at VT.”
To learn more about the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, click here.To learn more about the USEF Helmet Safety Fund, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 15, 2022
From the biggest names in U.S. eventing, to competitors whose names you wouldn’t likely recognize, Richard Mark Picken, is being mourned and many show jumping rounds are being ridden in his memory.
The trainer bowed out at the age of 53 on August 13, after a courageous battle with cancer, dying peacefully at home at Four Schools Farm in Paris, Ky.
“The equestrian community lost an incredible horseman,” said Olympic medalist Phillip Dutton. Speaking for himself and his wife, Evie, he commented that they had “lost the best friend you can dream of having and an incredible coach.”
Boyd Martin, Phillip’s Olympic teammate, said of Richard, “There would not be too many people in the sport of Eventing that have touched so many riders here in the U.S.
“Richard was one of a kind with his training and coaching, often driving through the night to help riders at their farms and at the shows. He was so brilliant in his teaching and his support to so many of us. ”
Emily Hamel called Richard “a significant reason for our success to date,” while Allison Springer commented, “the world lost one of the greatest” in his passing.
Born in the United Kingdom, he emigrated to Kentucky in 2013 and became an instant fixture on the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s eventing and show jumping circuits. He traveled to competitions throughout the U.S. and overseas with his students. Richard enjoyed coaching young riders and training inexperienced horses as much as he thrived under the pressure of an international championship.
Richard Picken. (Photo by JJ Silliman)
With his wife Joanie (Morris), he built a successful training business at their farm. He traveled around the country teaching clinics, and the impact of the knowledge he shared will remain very profound.
The highlights of his coaching career included Phillip Dutton’s bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games and Alexandra Baugh’s Individual gold medal at the North American Young Riders Championships.
But he loved the day-to-day of training of horses as much as the big stage. Richard befriended so many people along the way. His kindness, profound understanding of horses and sense of humor resonated with everyone he met around the world.
Along with his wife, Joanie, he is survived by his father, David Picken (late mother Suzanne), sister Alexandra Tempest (Andy), aunt Joyce Mitchell (Ed), in-laws Beth, Steve and Amy Morris and his beloved dogs.
A celebration of his life will be held in Kentucky for friends and family in the autumn.
In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation to the U.S. Eventing Association Foundation (donate through this link), as a grant is being established in his name to educate the next generation of American equestrian athletes, or the Rick Herrema Foundation, P.O. Box 87146,Fayetteville, NC 28304 (donate on line here), which supports military families.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 19, 2022
Alice Tarjan, the alternate for the U.S. 2022 FEI World Championships dressage team, has been named to the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s list for its pre-elite program.
The Oldwick, N.J., resident was selected with Serenade MF and Donatella M. Serenade went to Germany to train with the championships team of Adrienne Lyle, Steffen Peters and Katie Duerrhammer.
Alice Tarjan and Donatella M. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Those three riders were named to the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s elite program, The trio rode to sixth place in the world championships. Adrienne and Steffen were named to the elite list with their championships mounts, Salvino and Suppenkasper. Katie, who rode Quartett in the championships, is on the list with Paxton. The placing in Denmark earned the U.S. a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The pre-elite program lists 10 riders in addition to Alice. Others include Katie with Quartett, Anna Buffini (Davinia La Douce), Sarah Tubman (First Apple) and Nick Wagman (Don John). Also on the list is Ashley Holzer with Valentine, who was on the world championships team but had the drop score.
