WAYNE, Illinois, Aug. 24, 2022–Alice Tarjan and the American-bred Serenade MF won the Festival of Champions Grand Prix Wednesday, the first stage of the national Big Tour championships.
Alice of Oldwick, New Jersey and the a nine-year-old Hanoverian mare, was awarded 73.869% for the win. The pair was on the Rotterdam Nations Cup silver medal team two months ago and was reserve for the USA team at the world championships earlier this month.
Emily Miles of La Cygne, Kansas and Java Dulce, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, was second on 70.260%.
Nora Batchelder of Willison, Florida on Faro SQF, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, was third on 70.064%.
Alice said she did not have good preparation as Serenade was in Europe all summer so “it was not nearly as good as it should be.
“The horse is super honest and just goes out and does her job.”
Alice Tarjan competes nationally as an amateur. She and Serenade won the US Dressage Finals Grand Prix last November on a score of 74.928%, their highest score so far.
Alice won this Festival of Champions national Grand Prix title on Candescent in 2021.
None of the four combinations on the American team at the world championships three weeks ago competed in the national championships, similar to the past four years in which the top team riders are at the Olympics or international championships at about the same time.
Scores from the Grand Prix count for 40% of the championship total, 45% from the Grand Prix Special Thursday and 15% from the Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday.
Results:
Grand Prix
| Judges: | Lilo Fore | Sarah Geikie | Michael Osinski | Kari McClain | Janet Lee Foy | ||||||||
| Place | Score | Athlete | Horse | E | H | C | M | B | |||||
| 1. | 73.869 | Alice Tarjan | Serenade MF | 71.847 | 74.565 | 73.260 | 75.434 | 74.239 | |||||
| 2. | 70.260 | Emily Miles | Java Dulce | 69.347 | 70.652 | 71.195 | 69.891 | 70.217 | |||||
| 3. | 70.064 | Nora Batchelder | Faro SQF | 69.347 | 68.804 | 70.000 | 70.543 | 71.630 | |||||
| 4. | 68.695 | Michael Bragdell | Qredit Hilltop | 69.239 | 66.847 | 71.630 | 68.586 | 67.173 | |||||
| 5. | 68.173 | Katie Duerrhammer | Paxton | 68.043 | 72.065 | 67.065 | 65.978 | 67.717 | |||||
| 6. | 67.608 | Melissa Taylor | Dixie WRF | 68.804 | 68.478 | 64.891 | 65.760 | 70.108 | |||||
| 7. | 67.456 | Kevin Kohmann | Inshallah | 68.478 | 67.934 | 64.891 | 68.586 | 67.391 | |||||
| 8. | 67.304 | Bridget Hay | Faolan | 68.695 | 66.956 | 67.065 | 66.304 | 67.500 | |||||
| 9. | 67.151 | Allison Carmichael | Figaro | 64.130 | 69.565 | 68.478 | 67.826 | 65.760 | |||||
| 10. | 66.912 | Abraham Pugh | Elfenperfekt | 65.978 | 69.673 | 65.652 | 63.695 | 69.565 | |||||
| 11. | 66.499 | Daniela Groenke | Bardolino | 66.521 | 67.282 | 66.521 | 67.391 | 64.782 | |||||
| 12. | 64.238 | Shannon Stevens | Ferrari | 66.739 | 67.391 | 61.413 | 64.347 | 61.304 |
