by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 3, 2024
They’re a hard-working power couple who rode away from Dressage at Devon with several blue ribbons last weekend.
But the story of Shannon Stevens and her husband, Olympic team member Marcus Orlob, is about more than victories. Behind each of the successful moments are years of struggle, hard work and disappointments, all building blocks for constructing success.
They work out of Elite Expression Dressage in Annandale, N.J., a former hunter/jumper establishment previously known as Fairwin Farm, when it was run by trainer Nanci Urban. Before that, it was an Arabian farm, and a horse owned by actor Patrick Swayze was one of the boarders.
Shannon Stevens and Marcus Orlob in the outdoor ring as Amit Kovos rides one of the horses at Elite Expressions. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Adjacent to an area dominated by suburban housing, the wooded farm of nearly 60 acres is a contrast to the nearby development, with a long driveway that runs along pastures. Retired horses lounge happily together under the trees, there’s a lovely pond and the whole impression is of being out in the country, with the property backing up into the Amwell trail system.
Marcus Orlob and Shannon Stevens like to take a break from training by the pond on their property. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
When she was looking for a farm in 2013 and Fairwin came up, Shannon was told by the Realtor that she would hate the place, that there was a freight train which ran through the property several times a day, and the whole thing was dilapidated.
It takes a lot to discourage Shannon, so she wasn’t discouraged.
“I’ll never forget it,” said Shannon of her initial visit. “I pulled halfway down the driveway and didn’t even see the barn. I called Marcus and said, `I’ve found the facility.’ It sounds crazy, but this was the facility.”
The problem was that the couple needed to move 25 horses to the new barn within two weeks, because their previous stable had been leased to someone else. Although the owner of the Annandale farm deemed it impossible to comply with Shannon’s deadline for rehoming her horses, a relative of the woman said he would talk to Shannon about the sale. He warned, however, that he needed her to “convince me why I should somehow let this happen.”
Thriving on challenges is routine for Shannon, who trained in upstate New York with the late Carol Quinn and the legendary Centered Riding founder, Sally Swift. When her conversation about the property with the relative ended, it was determined that the owner not only would hold the mortgage so the couple could close the transaction, but Shannon and Marcus also were given money for renovations. Those include a complete re-do of the main barn, with gleaming pale wood and black cast iron accents along the rows of stalls.
The main barn at Elite Expression. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
You can understand why Marcus calls Shannon, “the Alpha Mare, the fighter.”
The couple has 30 or so horses at the farm, where they base during the spring, summer and part of the fall. For the winter, they are in business on 10 acres in Loxahatchee, Fla.
Both facilities have plenty of paddocks. Not every dressage trainer gives horses pasture time, but Shannon and Marcus are staunch believers in turnout and hacking in addition to the ring work because each of their animals “deserves to be a horse,” rather than spending most of their time in a stall.
“Everyone’s on their own program, they get whatever would make them super healthy and happy,” while being safe, said Marcus.
Marcus and Shannon met at Warendorf, the German riding school that is the home of Germany’s state stud. Marcus, already a well-trained rider, was there for two weeks simply to get his Bereiter certification. Shannon was the first American to be accepted at Warendorf, where she pursued a three-month Bereiter program.
When applying for admission, “I sent a riding video and my bio,” Shannon recalled, noting she got accepted contingent on coming to Germany within two weeks.
“I spoke no German,” said Shannon, who kept playing the Rosetta Stone language CDs in the little time she had to prepare.
“It was an incredible opportunity. They didn’t have a set program,” she reported, and her guess was that they didn’t know what to do with an American.
Like the other Bereiter candidates, she started the day cleaning stalls, then was assigned a horse to ride (often one of the naughtier stallions) and got instruction. Her ability was obvious. Hannes Müller, who ran the Warendorf program from 1994 to 2023, asked her, “Would you like to ride my horse after hours and warm it up for me?”
Of course she would.
Marcus’ family ran a funeral home in Dusseldorf, Germany, and it seemed likely he could take over eventually. But his father agreed that it would be good for Marcus first to go to the U.S., visit Shannon and see how things worked out.
Dressage became Marcus’ career, the couple got married in 2008 and the funeral home was sold.
Steffen Peters, who taught Marcus in a 2013 clinic, urged him to become a U.S. citizen, saying he foresaw being on a team with Marcus someday. That actually happened last summer, when both were on the U.S. squad at the Olympics in Versailles.
The fairytale dissolved in an unhappy ending, however, when Marcus was eliminated with his mount, Jane.
The Olympic riders had been given a diagram showing “how we should go in the arena and how we should go out,” said Marcus, explaining that the rider before him “didn’t follow the rules. We had to go out on the long side by the judge at E; (instead) he went out by H, where we should go in. Jane saw the horse leaving and she’s like, `Okay, I’m coming with you.’
“She made a U-turn and scratched herself.”
The mare was upset, but under Marcus’ guidance as they began their test, “Step by step, she started relaxing more,” recalled the rider, who was receiving marks as high as 7.6 for the half-pass.
“That was like, `Wow, I actually have a chance now of performing.”
Then an insignificant scratch on Jane’s white right hind fetlock caught the eye of the ground jury’s president, who rang the bell because of the blood rule.
Although Marcus got an apology, that didn’t make up for what happened. While comparing the scratch to “a mosquito bite,” he conceded, “it’s a tough call. I don’t blame them. The most important thing is the welfare of the horse.”
But he added, “When you can clearly see it was an accident, let the test finish.” Then a veterinarian can make a decision afterwards about whether the horse should be eliminated.
As he pointed out, everyone is on edge because of public scrutiny in the wake of horse abuse cases, and the fear that equestrian competition will be dropped from the Olympics. However, it would have been impossible for anyone in the stands to see a scratch that was so small (and, which, by the way, would not have been visible at all on a black leg).
In the aftermath, he observed, it was, understandably “one of the first times I was ever depressed for a few days.”
Marcus and Jane. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Marcus was hoping to finish riding the Grand Prix test at Dressage at Devon, but he and Jane’s owner, Alice Tarjan, were disappointed yet again when the mare wasn’t ready to compete after slipping as she exited the van on her arrival at the showgrounds. Although Marcus went on to win two classes with another of Alice’s horses, JJ Glory Day, the disappointment remained.
There was a bright moment for Shannon when she won her Prix St. Georges test with a personal best on Kathryn Williams’ All of Harmony, marked at 71.912. That was quite an achievement, since the Dutchbred horse hadn’t shown for two years and Shannon had only recently finished her recovery from a broken hip. She was sidelined as Marcus prepared for the Olympics, so they brought in Amit Kovos, a member of the Israeli dressage team based in England, in order to fill the gap before Shannon started her strenuous training routine again.
Still hoping to make his Olympic dream come true (Jane is only 10 years old), Marcus continues to work hard with lessons, training and clinics, as does Shannon, who also is training her own 4-year-old, King, by For Gribaldi.
“This is our own place, we don’t have big sponsors,” said Marcus, who would like to have more backing as he looks toward the 2026 world championships and the 2028 Olympics.
“I love the farm and want to bring it to what I dreamed of it to be,” said Shannon.
“But step by step, we can only do it when we sell horses.”
Marcus had one horse of his own, but sold it. While that “was painful,” he sighed, he’s practical.
“Now it’s time again to put some money into the property.”
He would like to have his own horse at some point.
“It’s nice to make your own decisions,” he said His relationship with Alice, however, is unique.
“She’s a true horsewoman, so she understands what it takes. There is zero pressure. You cannot pressure the rider or the horse.”
Marcus notes it’s hard to train horses for the big European competitions while in America, since there are so few experiences that can be compared with being in a European stadium, though Dressage at Devon is one.
But he likes the fact that horses at his New Jersey farm get accustomed to activity around them, which pays off when they get to an atmospheric show.
“When the trains come through and the geese are flying off the pond near the outdoor ring, clients are apprehensive,” Marcus observed.
They’re far more worried than the horses, who take it in stride.
He knows all the activity is good for getting the horses accustomed to different circumstances, and they don’t turn a hair over that or the wildlife, including deer and fox.
Shannon Stevens and Marcus Orlob take a ride between the paddocks on their farm. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
As for the trains, “The horses graze next to the tracks and don’t even lift their heads,” he said with a smile.
He’d like to see more spectators and activities at the U.S. shows, so horses will not to be afraid when a loose dog is barking or running around. In Ermelo (Holland) “You see 10, 20 Jack Russells running between the stallions, and nobody cares. Everything in the U.S. is about liability, it doesn’t help us to be always careful and shy,” Marcus maintained.
Here’s his idea: In Ocala and TerraNova (Myakka City, Fla.), during a dressage show, “invite the town for free beer and hot dogs. Don’t just have horse people there. Maybe make it a farmers’ market.”
He suggests the organizer could offer everything from face painting for kids to free popcorn, just asking spectators in return to “sit in the stands for one hour and clap” as they watch the horses perform.
“Maybe you can attract more people into dressage.” But first, he points out “You need a reason to go there.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 27, 2024
How does she do it?
Silva Martin has three rambunctious little boys at home (and an energetic eventer husband, Boyd Martin). At Dressage at Devon she is riding five horses.
No, make that six, because five wasn’t enough.
Friday night, Silva got on her retired mare, Rosa Cha W, dressed the horse and herself in colorful hippie garb (complete with lights and a giant (fake) joint, produced what amounted to an impressive little freestyle and won the second edition of the Devon Dance-Off.
Who’s that hippe? Silva Martin! (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
So back to the question, how does she do it?
Silva said her only responsibility was to “put on the outfit and ride the horse. So it didn’t take much for me.”
The costume that charmed the judges (which included breakers Nemesis and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Phil Kim — better known as Phil Wizard—as well as dressage rider J.J. Tate), took weeks for Silva’s friend Cheryl Griffith to make and design. Why did she pick flower power for her outfit?
Competitors were asked to select a decade for their theme, and Cheryl said the hippie era was the best.
“The costumes were totally over the top,” said Nemesis.
“It’s such an iconic show. We always say there’s special energy in the Dixon Oval, and our horses feel it,” J.J. commented.
“It’s such a great thing to have everybody celebrate dressage and celebrate horses and have some kind of fun across two different genres. Dressage really is dancing on horseback and so it kind of makes sense to bring dancing into it.”
It was Phil’s first time at a dressage show. He called it “super fun,” noting “the energy was amazing. and an interesting and different fusion It was cool to incorporate elements you find in breaking, which was dancing and freestyling and them interpreting it in their way, which was very cool.”
“I thought it was so fun,” said Silva.
“Dressage is very serious and a little stuck up sometimes, and I thought this was awesome and great for the sport. I had a great time doing it.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 29, 2024
It’s been 15 years since Kevin Kohmann last rode at Dressage at Devon, and now he’s busy making up for lost time.
The Floridian won Friday’s Prix St. Georges and Saturday’s Intermediate I, both with scores over 70 percent on Scala, an intriguing black mare, originally bought for resale but who now has a home with Kevin and his wife, Devon Kane (named after a soap opera character and not the show).
Friday night, Kevin took the Grand Prix for Freestyle riding Dunensee, a stunning black gelding, ending up on 69.761 percent. Saturday night was the high point of a successful weekend with a victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle (77.540), featuring 15 starters who earned cheers from a crowd undaunted by the occasional drizzle. They clapped along to Kevin’s music, a compilation of tunes, including Wake Me Up, from his favorites DJs.
“Nowhere else in the country is there an atmosphere like this,” said Kevin, who was among the riders characterizing Devon as similar to a European show in its ambience. The idea of his “happy music” is to “engage the crowd a little bit.”
Kevin, who is coached by Christoph Koschel, said he was worried “until the very last minute of the class” about whether his score would be surpassed. Coming closest, as she did in the Grand Prix for Freestyle 24 hours earlier, was Canadian Olympian Camille Carier Bergeron with her Finnlanderin. That combination was just short of victory with a percentage of 77.280.
The freestyle was a qualifier for the 2025 FEI World Cup final in Switzerland. Kevin rode in the 2024 final last spring in Saudi Arabia, and now has his sights sent on the 2025 edition in Switzerland.
“I’m more than thrilled. This horse was fantastic today. I’m a little bit overwhelmed right now,” Kevin recounted after a victory pass punctuated by raising his arm high in triumph.
“The horse didn’t let me down,” he said.
A change he made in his freestyle a week ago paid off. It formerly included a canter to piaffe transition.
“My horse did not like it,” he explained. “It was a very expensive mistake I had over and over again.We decided to take it out and it worked out fantastically. It flows very, very nice.”
The first time he competed at Dressage at Devon 18 years ago, Kevin turned the wrong way at the beginning of his Young Rider test, prompting the judge to ring the bell. He lost first place by a half-percent from because of that. The incident is indelibly inscribed on his memory. Since then, he always reminds himself of where he needs to turn at the beginning of his test.
Kevin’s wife, Devon (named after a soap opera character, not the show) was seventh in the freestyle on Giulietta. She also is his business partner at Diamante Farms. Kevin was honored with the new “US Happy Horse” award from BioStar, given to those who “promote horse welfare and exhibit a partnership that showcases happiness and harmony in the ring, regardless of placing.”
Of course, being a Happy Horse means Dunensee gets all the right supplements and care, but in his case, it also includes enjoying a collection of stuffed animals by his stall, including a giant alligator (Florida!)
The freestyle turned out to be a great showcase for amateur riders. Christina Morin-Graham, who works as managing principal at Graham Partners Inc., a private equity firm, felt it was possible she wouldn’t even qualify for the freestyle. Her third-place finish there was a testimony to her talent and that of her horse, DSP Dauphin, as well as coaching by Heather Mason for the occasion.
Christina, a volunteer for the DAD board, was marked at 74.785, for her ride to a borrowed Beyonce freestyle.
But it was during the qualifier Friday night that she had “one of those Devon moments” and a great realization: ” Partway through, I looked around and I was like, `My horse is dancing and I’m under the Devon lights.’ It didn’t matter what the score was. I halted at the end and the judge in front of me stood up and smiled and I went, `Okay. We did it.'”
Christina Morin-Graham and DSP Dauphin. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Christina is married to Steve Graham, a breaking (break dancing) enthusiast who was able to get top breakers for judging and demonstrations in Friday night’s Dance-Off. (Read about that here).
The rider, who also trains with Silva Martin and Tracey Olsen and works with barn manager Laura Murphy, sees similarities in the athleticism needed for both breaking and riding. While she hasn’t done any breaking floor work, she has dabbled a bit in “top rock,” a beginning stage of breaking.
Another amateur, Connecticut resident Allison Carmichael, who trains with Jennifer Williams, finished fourth with 74.735 percent on Figaro. Her freestyle, put together by Tom Hunt, started off with an attention-getting “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro” vocal as she came to a four-square halt on entering the ring. (Figaro is a character in the opera, “The Barber of Seville. And since her horse is named Figaro, it couldn’t be more perfect.)
Allison Carmichael and Figaro (Figaro, Figaro). (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Although she only got the music on Wednesday, Allison was spot-on with her timing, going into an extended canter on the diagonal from her halt and ending, appropriately, with another “Figaro.”
click here for the freestyle results
In the Grand Prix Special held Saturday afternoon, Ali Potasky and Inxs moved ahead of the Grand Prix for Special winner Tina Konyot with Grover. That flipped the order of finish from the Grand Prix. (Interestingly, both horses are by Everdale).
Amazingly, not only was it Ali’s first CDI (international) Grand Prix, it was also the first for Inxs, who has done developing and national Grands Prix. He earned 69.638 percent, to 68.851 for Grover. And on top of that, neither Ali nor Inxs had shown previously at Dressage at Devon.
“I’m really surprised and wasn’t expecting it, even though I came in feeling ready. It feels surreal,” said Ali, a 33-year-old professional, who works for dressage trainer Kathy Priest, the horse’s co-owner, at Woodspring Farm in Kentucky. So they came a long way for a trip to the Philadelphia suburbs, but it was worth the trip.
The horse arrived from Europe as a six-year-old, and became the first Grand Prix horse that Ali trained.
“I’m having sort of a disbelief moment,” she said about her Dressage at Devon debut.
“It’s very surreal.”
Of the show, she commented, “I just think it’s really quaint and a fun atmosphere. It was also fun to ride with a crowd, I’ve never ridden with that atmosphere. I like it.”
Look at that smile! Ali Potasky was thrilled to win the Grand Pri Special. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Her horse, who originally was a resale project, adjusted well.
“He actually gave me confidence in there today. He didn’t bat an eye” when people clapped.
Ali explained she entered the Special because Inxs does not yet have a freestyle. But you can bet he will soon. It’s a work in progress as she prepares for the winter circuit in Wellington, Fla.
Click here for Special results
During the afternoon, Marcus Orlob—who has had quite a streak of bad luck—turned the corner with a 74.470 percent victory on Alice Tarjan’s JJ Glory Day in the CDI 2-star Intermediate A, earning a couple of marks of 9 for piaffe and collected trot. It was black horse day at Devon — Glory was the third black horse to earn a blue ribbon on Saturday.
The Danish warmblood stallion is only eight and part of the U.S. developing program. He has not shown for a year because Marcus is focusing on training, but he hopes to start the stallion at Grand Prix next year.
Marcus Orlob and JJ Glory Day. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“He delivers every time I ask,” said Marcus, who was glad to get in the ring at the show. His ride for the Grand Prix, Jane, seemed to have pulled a muscle coming off the van on her arrival at Devon, so he withdrew her from competition. She’ll get a workup from her regular veterinarian on Monday.
Jane, also owned by Alice, was Marcus’ Olympic mount, but she never finished her Grand Prix test in Paris because she was eliminated for having a tiny scratch on her white hind leg.
Marcus takes it all philosophically, saying–as so many do–“You get used to it. That’s life with horses.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 27, 2024
“It’s a simple sport, but it’s hard to do,” mused Brett Parbery as he wrapped up the Jewel Court Stud USA’s Masterclass Thursday evening during Dressage at Devon, after giving short lessons to five riders involved in everything from western dressage to Grand Prix as the crowd in the grandstand watched intently.
He offered many other valuable bits of insight. Among them: noting that if you’re taking short cuts and training a horse with pressure, “the test will catch you out,” describing the way the passage in the Grand Prix test “links it all together” and noting it is better to ride toward the corner rather than the letter when stepping out on the diagonal.
Friday morning, it got more personal as Brett helped Silva Martin, the wife of eventer Boyd Martin, prepare for her Fourth Level Test 1 with Federman B. Bruno, as the horse is known, was Boyd’s mount at the Paris Olympics, where had a little kerfuffle with the flying changes in the dressage portion of the competition.
Bruno is heading for the Pau, France 5-star event next month and Silva is riding the horse in dressage shows to get him more relaxed and producing better changes.
Brett is an Australian (Boyd grew up in Australia and is a dual Australian/US. citizen) so the two not surprisingly are friends. Brett is staying at Boyd’s farm near Devon, where sleep is at a premium because Boyd and Silva have three very active young boys.
Brett Parbery and Boyd Martin. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Bruno showed a little tension when he entered the ring, but he went on to get more relaxed by the time he got to the tempi changes and finished fifth on 66.315 percent.
Silva also rode Commando 3, Boyd’s Olympic reserve horse, to fourth place on 66.942 percent. Commando will be competing with Boyd aboard at the Maryland 5-star in October
With a smile, I asked Silva whether she was getting paid extra for showing Boyd’s two event horses.
“Well, that’s the thing,” she replied with a good-natured grin, “He’s actually a bad pay.”
Bruno is staying another night so he can do the same test on Saturday.
Silva Maratin focuses on Federman B. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“In Paris, he was so good and then he just lost it a little bit we’re just get him to relax and take a breath in the ring. Doing this kind of thing is awesome for them” to steady the nerves, without having to handle a cross-country test afterwards.
Brett offered eyes on the ground in the warm-up and support from ringside.
Asked to share his impression of Dressage at Devon, which is presented by Kingsview Partners, he said, “I’m blown away.”
“This is my first American show, other than the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (2010) and the World Equestrian Games in Tryon (2018). Its just got a great vibe, the atmosphere is great, the show organizers are great, this particular show has that heritage feel about it. I really, really enjoy it.”
He had his work cut out for him with the Masterclass, because not only did he have to deal with horses at different levels of training, he also had to click with a crowd that included experts, as well as those just getting introduced to the discipline.”
Jewel Court Stud USA’s Montenegro, by Toto Jr. and a grandson of Totilas, ridden by Kamden Perno as Brett Parbery offers pointers. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“My theory is that if I speak to the audience as if they have never seen dressage before, even the most experienced rider in the crowd will get something from it. The more experience we get, sometimes the more we forget about the basics and the fundamentals. The most difficult problems in dressage are always solved through creating better fundamentals. If you explain the fundamentals. The great rider always picks up something.
“Maybe because I’m in Australia and maybe because we’re a long way away from the action, we often try and work by ourselves. We have to break it down. That’s why you see a lot of Australians out there in the education space…we have to figure it out ourselves. To be able to be repeating it every day, I have to make every concept very simple.”
Western dressage rider Lorna Nagel, who was aboard Janine Callen’s quarter horse Nigh Deposit Nic, declared, “Brett was awesome. He’s just right on target with everything I use to train.I was glad to get the same opportunities as the other riders and be treated the same.”
Brett had a goal he wanted to reach, not only for the riders who participated, but also for his audience.
“I want everyone to walk out of here and go, `You know what? That’s actually very simple. Maybe I can do it.’ That’s what you want people to go home with, that feeling.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 27, 2024
It was going to be a second chance, of sorts. Marcus Orlob’s Olympic ride on Jane in Paris was cut short after a judge spotted a tiny scratch on her white hind leg, a trifle she sustained after spooking when the horse before her left the ring. Jane had performed well as far as she got in the test, showing off her possibilities.
Marcus; Jane’s owner, Alice Tarjan and the mare’s many fans were looking forward to seeing Jane do her entire Grand Prix Friday night at Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon in the qualifier for Saturday night’s freestyle.
But Jane was withdrawn from the competition, having slipped as she got off the van at the Devon showgrounds. She wasn’t right, Marcus said, so that was the end of her Devon before it began.
That took some of the excitement out of the Friday night class, although It drew 20 horses, a very healthy number for the show. U.S. 2024 FEI World Cup Finals rider Kevin Kohmann won on Dunensee with a score of 69.761 percent, just edging Canadian Olympian Camille Carier Bergeron on Finnlanderin (69.435). Saturday night’s freestyle is a qualifier for the 2025 FEI World Cup finals.
The Grand Prix for Special, to be contested Saturday afternoon, was won by Tina Konyot on Grover with 70.087 percent.
Dressage at Devon’s Grand Prix for Freestyle winner Kevin Kohmann on Dunensee. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
On top of the enduring disappointment of the Olympics. Jane being unable to compete at Devon was a bitter pill for Marcus and Alice. The mare will be getting a thorough veterinary examination and if she is fit, she may get a chance to finish that Grand Prix one more time before the end of the year at TerraNova in Florida.
But there was a glimmer of happiness in the afternoon at Devon, as Marcus’ wife, Shannon Stevens, won the Prix St. Georges with the appropriately named All of Harmony. He was the only horse to break 70 percent in the show’s largest class, which included 25 horses. The 10-year-old Oldenburger’s score was 71.912, but amid the joy, Shannon thought about her husband’s situation.
“It’s tragic, honestly. He’s had a rough go. This is part of the sport. But I’m going to live in the moment today and hopefully Marcus will have his moment again — and he will.”
For her part, Shannon said of her mount’s performance, “I’m over the moon excited. I couldn’t be more proud. He put his heart and soul on the line.
Shannon Stevens and All of Harmony. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’m rusty for sure,” she continued.
“I’ve been out of the international ring for a little bit and he hasn’t shown in about two years. What a way to start off. I’m thrilled.”
Shannon explained the horse’s down time by saying he was working with his amateur owner, Kathryn Williams.
“He has the ability to teach somebody the movements.The owner handed over the reins to me less than three weeks ago,” Shannon recalled.
“I said, `this is a really ambitious goal. I’m going to throw him in Devon, let’s get back into it.’ He’s just so willing , he doesn’t say no–`You want more?’ He fights for you.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 20, 2024
They have been a pillar of U.S. dressage teams through more than 80 international competitions, with 59 victories over eight years. The career of Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper has included silver medals at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The horse known affectionately as Mopsie gained his greatest fame by being designated as “the Rave Horse,” after his freestyle at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics went viral. He had thousands of fans, including rapper Snoop Dogg, who made a point of meeting Suppenkasper at the Paris Olympics last month.
Steffen and Suppenkasper in Wellington. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
But when Suppenkasper’s owner, Akiko Yamizaki of Four Winds Farm, on Friday announced the retirement of 16-year-old Suppenkasper, she also revealed, “As we mark 20 years together as a team, the time has come to end this amazing journey and it is with deep gratitude to Steffen, the horses and everyone that has been part of this journey that we now end this excellent adventure and long ride with this team.”
She remarked, ““Today, I look out my window to catch Ravel (the winner of the 2009 FEI World Cup Finals) and Mopsie basking in the sun, the large crowds and long airplane rides now a distant memory.”
The Dutch-bred Suppenkasper, ranked number 46 in the world, reached the peak of his career with Steffen, a six-time Olympian who just turned 60.
“With Steffen as our rider, and with a number of horses, including Lombardi, Ravel, Legolas, Rosamunde, and Suppenkasper, our team has traveled around the world and had the honor of representing the USA in multiple international championships and events,” Akiko noted.
Through their partnership with Steffen, Four Winds Farm of Woodside, Calif., has represented the U.S. on the world stage for more than 20 years, including at five Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), four FEI World Championships (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), a Pan American Games (2019), and five FEI Dressage World Cup Finals.
For his part, Steffen said, “What a true honor it has been to be a part of Mopsie’s career and life. It’s hard to explain how much appreciation I have for Akiko for purchasing him eight years ago and then supporting us to compete around the world together. The historic silver medal in Tokyo was, of course, the highlight of our career together.
“For me,” the Californian continued, “it will always be one of the proudest moments of our partnership — to have Mopsie deliver for our team that night in Tokyo. The individual victories were amazing, but I always felt the proudest delivering for our team, and it meant the world when we accomplished that in Tokyo. Mopsie became the ‘Rave Horse’, that’s still special to me because he connected so many people. They recognize him and his accomplishments, and there’s really no reason to mention my name, but it’s Mopsie’s character and energy which made people gravitate to him.
A special moment for Steffen and Mopsie at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“The journey we’ve shared together is quite hard to put into words, but thoughts of gratitude, thankfulness, and friendship come to mind, both for Mopsie and Akiko, and I’m so privileged to have been a part of this journey with them.”
Akiko emphasized, “We have been fortunate to be part of so many teams with great riders, horses and owners over the years, and as anyone knows, there are countless hours of work and multiple shows to get to these culminating events and it truly takes a village to make things happen.
“We have had the amazing support of USEF staff, including Gil Merrick, Jim Wolf, Jenny van Wieren, Will Connell, Hallye Griffin, and Laura Roberts and knowledgeable Chef d’Equipes Klaus Balkenhol, Anne Gribbons, Robert Dover, Debbie McDonald, and Christine Traurig throughout the years, as well as the tremendous commitment of the team’s veterinarians Dr. Rick Mitchell, Dr. Cricket Rusillo, Dr. Paul McClellan, and Dr. Laura Faulkner and talented staff support.
“We’ve been lucky to have so many successful horses come through the U.S. Dressage Program, and we feel indebted with the deepest gratitude to the USET Foundation, led by Bonnie Jenkins, the competition organizers, and all the excellent service providers, including Dutta Corp, Klatte, JetPets, and Rockridge, among others, who have overseen the care and transportation of Mopsie and our other horses throughout their careers.”
Steffen and Mopsie in Tokyo.
“Mopsie’s career would not have been possible without the support and dedication of our home team, which includes Dr. Rodrigo Vazquez and physiotherapist Tom Meyers who both have been on this journey with us as a team for more than 20 years; Suppenkasper’s groom Eddie Garcia, and our other staff and supports Rafael Hernandez, Dawn White O’Connor and Haley Smith; our farriers Jim Carr, Stephan Tournier, Chuck Mundo; and the many staff at Arroyo Del Mar who have been a part of taking care of our horses, as well as my incredible staff at Four Winds Farm, Merced Huerta, Humberto Bejinez, Bryant Cruz and Artemio Cruz who look after and love our horses once they’re retired at the farm, as well as Alyson Hamilton, Greg Hardester, and CFM for all of their behind the scenes work.”
Akiko concluded, “Alongside Steffen and myself, Shannon (Steffen’s wife), Jerry (Yang, Akiko’s husband), Miki, and Emi (their children) have traveled the world together and shared the deep emotions that come with the highs and lows of being part of something so extraordinary.”
