USA Olympic Dressage Team to be Announced Tuesday, Appears to be Down to 2 Riders & Horses to Join Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper in Paris
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June 24, 2024
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
The United States dressage team for the Olympics is scheduled to be announced Tuesday that appears to be down to which two riders and horses will join Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper in Paris a month from now.
Based on the results of the short list of riders who have competed in Europe in June, Adrienne Lyle and the 12-year-old Helix and Marcus Orlob on the 10-year-old Jane appear likeliest to get the nod for Paris.
Adrienne and Helix were ranked second highest American behind Steffen and Suppenkasper in Hagen, Germany in early June. At the Schafhof Dressurfestival in Kronberg last weekend the duo were again second in both the Grand Prix and the Special this time to Marcus and Jane.
Marcus, who has never represented the United States since the German-born rider switched to show for the Stars ‘n’ Stripes in 2015, began competing Jane at international level Grand Prix at the end of March this year. That was the same event for the debut of Adrienne on Helix, but the horse had performed at Big Tour CDIs with another rider for a year before the Helix was bought by Heidi Humphries’ Zen Elite Equestrian Center.
Jane with owner Alice Tarjan in the saddle had won all 11 Mid Tour CDIs in which they competed over the course of a year. Then, Alice decided that Jane was too strong for her and turned the mare over to Marcus, her long-time trainer with no pressure of expectations. But Marcus and Jane became a duo to watch along with other new combinations with just four months to the Olympics and were selected for the short list to compete in Europe.
Adrienne who rode the now retired Salvino on both the Tokyo Olympics and Tryon World Equestrian Games silver medal teams along with Steffen and Suppenkasper and with support from her long-time mentor Debbie McDonald was a definite contender for the three-member Paris team.
After the last qualifier at Kronberg, she told dressage-news.com: “I am thrilled with Helix’s performance all weekend here. I feel like he really stepped up to the plate this week and is starting to show the world the beginnings of what he is capable of.
“Minus a rider error in our right pirouette (in the Special), the rest of the test felt super. I was able to ride with a bit more power and risk in the extensions and changes, and his piaffe/passage tour felt super honest and very powerful.
“He is a horse that tries so incredibly hard, it really makes my heart melt. I am very lucky to get to work with such an amazing horse.”
For Marcus and Jane that he first rode when the horse was in quarantine as a three-year-old newly imported by Alice from the Netherlands he has quickly made the mare his own ride.
The final two qualifying performances in Kronberg were amazing–73.913% as the second highest Grand Prix score by an American combination this year and then 75.340% in the Special that was the highest result by an American.
When he heard the score for the Special, he told dressage-news.com, “I was like, ‘Wow! that’s incredible, amazing.’ I was speechless. actually.
“Alice knows it’s a fantastic horse. So lucky me that I got this opportunity because I’ve obviously seen over the years the quality of this horse.
“And, of course, Alice did an amazing job to bring Jane to this level where she is. What I’m doing now, I would say, is the easy part, to finesse it a little bit. But she did the main work. I think she now really enjoys this, to see her like this in the ring.
“She was amazed because after the Grand Prix she actually cried.”
Jane, he said, “really wants to work, the energy level is always great, especially for the Grand Prix. You don’t need to whip her, you don’t need to spur her, you don’t need to give her strong half-halts.
“She’s a super sensitive mare that I think likes doing her job. And I think this is a big bonus for the horse, that she literally wants to work for you.”
Steffen and Suppenkasper were excused from further qualifications after the initial European event in Hagen, Germany.
He will, however, ride next week in the World Equestrian Festival CDI4* at Aachen, Germany, the world’s premier horse show and where he is popular as a frequent competitor over the years including as Dressage Champion on Ravel in 2009.
Marcus on Jane has been named to the CDIO5* Nations Cup team along with Anna Buffini on Fiontini, Anna Marek on Fire Fly and Endel Ots on Zen Elite’s Bohemian,
