By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Jane, second ranked U.S. Grand Prix horse with rider Marcus Orlob, is sidelined with an injury that likely will keep the 12-year-old mare from the national Grand Prix championship next month.
Jane, owned by Alice Tarjan, may have injured herself in the paddock during a break after the Wellington, Florida CDI5* victory in January.
Marcus confirmed to DRESSAGE-NEWS.com that veterinary advice is to not resume working Jane until early May, that would be less than two weeks before the championship event.
The U.S. national Grand Prix competition is being held as a stand-alone event at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida May 13-17.
The championships comprise a Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle to be used to select as many as eight horses and riders to go to Europe on a short-list in preparation for the World Championships at Aachen, Germany in August.
Jane is second on the Dutta Corp. ranking list with an average of Grand Prix and Special results of 73.910%.
Christian Simonson on Indian Rock, competing in the World Cup Final in Fort Worth, Texas is atop the standings with an average of 75.424%, but no required Special score as of early April.
Marcus said that if Jane is able to return to work in early May the requirement of the three Grand Prix competitions could not be considered.
Jane was competed on the U.S. Olympic team in Paris in 2024 but when she nicked herself on the leg drawing blood was eliminated under the rules.
The horse is considered by many within the dressage community in both Europe and the United States as a prospect to be in the top tier of the sport, and already producing results at age 12 to be a candidate for the U.S. for the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. And Marcus Orlob is widely regarded as a highly skilled rider.
Alice Tarjan and Marcus have spent considerable time since the 2024 Games successfully acclimating Jane to different environments to help the horse deal with unexpected occurrences.
Although the horse may miss the Grand Prix championships, selection rules provide for consideration in exceptional circumstances that can be borne out by attaining qualifying scores within six months before the team is named in July.
Opportunities to do so on the East Coast of the U.S. are limited–with a single CDI3* in Saugerties, New York June 11-14.
Late additions have applied in past years but within the provisions when riders have produced scores after qualifying competitions.
