Tag Archives: Alice Tarjan

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage

Alice Tarjan and Long-Time Partner Candescent Grab Glory at AGDF

Alice Tarjan & Candescent. Photo © SusanJStickle.com.

Alice Tarjan (USA) came out on top of the 15 combinations forward in the Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Iron Spring Farm, on Saturday of Week 7 at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.

Tarjan was competing her own 13-year-old mare Candescent (Christ x Falkenstern), and the pair netted a winning score of 72.638%. This was just 0.06 percentage points shy of their best performance ever in this test, achieved in the very same arena at AGDF in 2021.

Tarjan explained that although she has been training Candescent since she was a four-year-old, she hasn’t been the most straightforward horse despite her attractive, expressive movement.

“Overall, everything’s going in the right direction,” said the 43-year-old from Oldwick, NJ, who has a clutch of prolific horses at grand prix level. “It’s been a long road and she hasn’t been the easiest. I’ve had her for nine years and she’s always been a real challenge.

“I don’t think anyone wrote a book on how to train this horse. She’s been doing grand prix now for a few years but what I’ve learned is that being able to do the movements in the grand prix and then putting everything together in a cohesive and harmonious test are two very different things,” added Tarjan, who has been coming to Wellington for almost a decade. “Now I finally feel like I have a horse that’s on my side and we’re finally starting to form a partnership.”

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage

Barbançon Claims Grand Prix Special Victory with New Personal Best Score in AGDF Week 3

Morgan Barbançon & Habana Libre A. Photo © SusanJStickle.com.

Week 3 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) continued this weekend, with a victory for France’s Morgan Barbançon and her own Habana Libre A in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI4*, presented by Palm Beach Equine Clinic.

Barbançon’s 74.404% performance aboard the Dutch Warmblood gelding by Zizi Top marked the pair’s highest Grand Prix Special score to date. At 11 years old, Habana Libre A was the youngest horse in the class. The pair finished more than three percentage points clear of second-placed Anna-Christina Abbelen (GER), who rode her own and Silke Abbelen-Mooren’s Sam Donnerhall to 71.234%. Spain’s Pablo Gómez Molina claimed third on the 13-year-old PRE gelding Ulises De Ymas with 69.915%.

“I’m super happy,” said the 30-year-old Barbançon, who is competing at AGDF for the first time. “I’m on cloud nine. Honestly, I thought we would get a 72% or maybe 73%, and I would have been super happy with that. Today, I had such a floaty, fluid ride, and I didn’t push.”

Tarjan Claims Ticket to Lövsta Future Challenge Final

The second qualifiers in the Lövsta Future Challenge Young Horse Grand Prix Series and the Future Challenge Young Horse Prix St. Georges Series sent two more combinations through to the Grand Final (which takes place in AGDF 11) from each class. These classes aim to identify and nurture talented, up-and-coming young FEI horses.

In the Lövsta Future Challenge FEI Intermediate II Qualifier, Alice Tarjan rode her own Summersby II (by Sezuan x Sandro Hit) to 70.833%. Ali Potasky rode Inxs into second place with 69.558%, claiming the second qualifying slot.

“It’s a great division,” enthused Tarjan, who rides as an amateur. “I’ve been here the last three years and it’s a super way to get the greener horses into the CDI stadium and in front of the CDI judges without the pressure of a CDI.

“Summersby is a really great horse, and only eight years old. I’m just happy that she stayed with me through the whole test. The horse has to get stronger in the work, but she’s really honest and the atmosphere didn’t seem to affect her at all.”

Pape Posts Second Win of the Week

In the CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Special, presented by ProElite®, Great Britain’s Susan Pape and Harmony’s Eclectisch notched up another victory, adding a 70.021% win to their blue ribbon in the qualifying Grand Prix class.

“Our ride felt nice and powerful today,” said Pape. “Unfortunately, I had a mistake in the twos and the ones on the centerline. But other than that, it was very good. The passage on the left lead was very good for him and expressive. In the canter work, the ones were beautiful, and so was the extended canter.”

Pape and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion by Zenon, owned by Pape and Harmony Amateur Sports Foundation, have been partnered for a few years, and she reflected on what taking the ride over on the well-trained horse has been like.

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Phelps Media Group

Micaela Mabragana Earns CDI3* Grand Prix Special Win at Dressage at Devon

Leave a comment

Micaela Mabragana and Diamond Rosso.

Alice Tarjan Wins CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle

Devon, Pa. – Oct. 1, 2022 – Dressage at Devon’s pinnacle classes of the week, the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, presented by BioStar Whole Food Supplements, and the CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by Kingsview Partners, were highlighted in the Dixon Oval on Saturday evening. Ready for a night of musical freestyle performances in the electric atmosphere of the Dixon Oval, competitors and spectators reconvened for the evening session of FEI competition, seeing Micaela Mabragana and Alice Tarjan once again earn top placings, this time in the CDI3* Grand Prix Special and CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle.

Read more.

Shannon Dueck Takes Home CDI1* Intermediate I Win; Camille Carier Bergeron Clinches FEI U25 Grand Prix with Sound of Silence 4

Performance competition continued at Dressage at Devon 2022 on Saturday morning, with energy still high from the festivities of the night before. Featuring the Junior, Young Rider, and Intermediate I tests for CDI1*, CDI3*, and Amateur competitors prior to another exciting evening of special exhibitions, parties, and FEI Grand Prix competition, the historic show’s top competition continued over the weekend.

Read more.

Emma Miller
em@phelpsmediagroup.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage

Tubman and Tarjan Win Golden Tickets for Future Challenge Finals during AGDF 8

Leave a comment

Sarah Tubman (USA) and Balia ©susanjstickle.com.

Wellington, FL – March 6, 2022 – Week eight of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) wrapped up on Sunday, March 6, with the penultimate qualifying rounds of both the Lövsta Future Challenge Young Horse Grand Prix Series and the Summit Farm Future Challenge Young Horse Prix St. Georges Series.

These classes aim to identify and nurture talented, up-and-coming young FEI horses, giving them exposure to benefit their development with the biggest of world stages in mind. Grand finals for both classes take place during AGDF 11.

It was the first to go in both classes who kept their noses in front. Sarah Tubman (USA) (née Lockman) piloted Summit Farm’s 10-year-old Bellissimo x Florestan mare Balia to 67.401%. Fellow American Devon Kane clinched second with 65.539% on another 10-year-old, Åsa Björklund’s Vivaldo gelding, Gyllebo’s Vamos.

Tubman, whose Summit Farm team bought Balia from Helgstrand Dressage where she was ridden by Ulf’s wife Eva Möller, said: “We showed small tour last year, so she’s really new to this level. She’s super fun to ride, very electric. I definitely like a mare; I think she would keep going until her legs fell off. She’s super fun, and I really think she has a lot of talent for the future.”

Summersby Blossoms under Alice Tarjan

Alice Tarjan (USA) continues to crank out winner after winner from her training program. The latest to grace the International Arena in Wellington was her own seven-year-old mare Summersby II, by Sezuan x Sandro Hit, who produced 71.617% to top the Summit Farm Future Challenge at Prix St. Georges level. Tarjan was the only rider of the seven starters to break the 70% barrier. Her big tour horse Jane has already qualified for the Lövsta Future Challenge final, courtesy of their win in AGDF 7.

Second-placed Susanne Benne (USA) picked up the second ticket on offer for the final in this qualifier, riding Liebling to 68.921%. Debbie Hill completed the all-American podium, scoring 66.519% on Jantasy Ashlanes.

Summersby, whom Tarjan has owned since she was a foal, is a former young horse in-hand champion and well placed in young horse classes. That latent talent has flourished into a talented competitive spirit under saddle.

Christian Simonson (USA) and Zeaball Diawind sealed their dominance of this week’s two-star small tour, posting their third win from three starts in the Intermediate I Freestyle CDI2*, presented by CabanaCoast. The 19-year-old rider has a harmonious bond with Christina Morgan’s 10-year-old gelding by Fürstenball, and together they posted 76.575%. Their high score, 78.75% from H judge Cesar Torrente, came courtesy of a nine for music and pepperings of eights throughout the test.

In the morning’s Intermediate II CDI2* class, Switzerland’s Barbara Bertschinger claimed the winner’s sash with 66.206% on Sonnenberg’s Solisco CH. Not only does the Swiss rider own the 15-year-old by Sancisco, but she bred him herself out of a Brentano II dam. This is the pair’s first season at big tour level after making their international debut together in 2017.

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Competitions, Dressage

Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF Are Double Winners in Debut CDI Week

Leave a comment

Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF © SusanJStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – March 5, 2022 – In an already thrilling week 8 of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), Saturday’s competition continued to deliver high-quality sport. Alice Tarjan (USA) and her own Serenade MF put the exclamation mark on the day, donning the blue ribbon sash for the Grand Prix Special CSI4*, presented by Mission Control.

From the 14 starting combinations, Saturday’s winning presentation mirrored that of Thursday’s qualifier, but all top three competitors improved upon their scores. Canada’s Naïma Moreira Laliberté entered the stadium with KML Inc’s Statesman, a 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Sandro Hit x Brentano II, for a lovely test scoring 70.851% to finish in third place. Last to go was Benjamin Ebeling (USA) and Indeed. Ebeling continued his successful week, guiding Vantage Equestrian Group II LLC’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Hofrat x De Niro) to a second-place finish with a score of 71.276%.

None could match Alice Tarjan, however, who laid down a beautiful test for a 73.149% to resoundingly lead the way with Serenade MF, a nine-year-old American Hanoverian mare by Sir Donnerhall I x Don Principe that Tarjan purchased as a foal and has brought along herself.

“I’m happy, but I’m also kind of surprised,” admitted Tarjan. “You know the horse has the ability to do it, but you don’t expect her to do it so soon maybe.”

Serenade MF was the youngest horse in the class, and this week marked the mare’s first CDI competition. While she has an obvious talent for the movements, her even-keeled character has been her strongest asset.

“The horse is the most reliable of all the horses I have. She goes in and does the job every time, and she’s so honest,” continued Tarjan. “She has the ability to do all the movements pretty well too. The pirouettes and the piaffe are good, and she has a nice trot and canter to start with.”

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Competitions, Dressage

Ebeling Scoops First CDI Big Tour Win with Prodigious Mare at AGDF

Leave a comment

Jan Ebeling (USA) and Bellena. ©susanjstickle.com.

Wellington, FL – March 3, 2022 – There were no fewer than three grand prix classes on Thursday, March 3, the opening day of week eight of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). At only their second big tour show together, Jan Ebeling (USA) and Ann Romney’s Bellena captured the winner’s sash in the Grand Prix CDI4* (for freestyle), presented by IDA Development, with the day’s highest score at the level. Spain’s Juan Matute Guimón rode into second place on Quantico with 69.848%, while Canadian rider Ariana Chia’s personal best of 69.087% on Fiderflame secured third place of the 11 starters.

Despite Bellena being the equal-youngest horse in the class and making a costly mistake in the pirouette right, she achieved 71.739% and a unanimous victory. Ebeling could not hide his excitement about the young Belissimo M daughter.

“I’m stoked,” grinned the 63-year-old. “She’s a super talented horse. Probably the most talented I’ve ever had in my whole career. She’s still green, so she does stuff that green horses do, but what a horse. I was really happy about my one tempis because we’ve been battling with those, and we’ve always had mistakes here and there. Today was really the first line of 15 without a mistake. We got her when she was nine and she already knew a lot, but she had big gaits and needed to find her balance first, and that’s taken a bit of time.”

Alice Tarjan Takes Top Spot on Youngest Horse

Riding Serenade MF, the youngest horse in the class of 14 starters, Alice Tarjan (USA) topped the Grand Prix CDI4* (for Special), presented by Mission Control. Benjamin Ebeling (USA) captured second with 69.87% on Indeed and Canadian Naïma Moreira Laliberte rounded out the podium with 69.587% for third on Statesman.

Serenade MF was making her CDI debut, and Tarjan has owned the nine-year-old Sir Donnerhall I daughter since she was a foal.

“I bought her — black with white socks — and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s pretty. If I don’t like her, I can sell.’ It turns out the horse moves really well and was super easy to train, so I kept it,” said Tarjan, who won the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage National Championship in 2021 with the mare. “But she’s little and downhill. She’s very pretty and super sweet and easy, just not the most impressive thing. However, when you put her together and clock around, that horse lights up.”

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Competitions, Dressage

Jorst and Tarjan Showcase Rising Stars in AGDF 7 to Claim Tickets for Future Challenge Finals

Leave a comment

Charlotte Jorst and Zhaplin Langholt. ©susanjstickle.com.

Wellington, FL – February 27, 2022 – Week seven of the 2022 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) wrapped up on Sunday, February 27, with further qualifying rounds of both the Lövsta Future Challenge Young Horse Grand Prix Series and the Summit Farm Future Challenge Young Horse Prix St. Georges Series.

Danish-born American rider Charlotte Jorst — who has enjoyed grand prix triumphs this season with her top horse Kastel’s Nintendo — proved that she has a worthy successor in her small tour horse Zhaplin Langholt. Jorst topped the Summit Farm Future Challenge riding the nine-year-old to 74.146%, almost five percentage points clear of the field.

Both Jorst and second-placed Michael Klimke (GER), who chalked up 69.264% on the Astrix son Harmony’s Astro, qualified for the final on March 25. Anna Marek (USA) filled third with 69.087% on Donauwelle P. Last to go of the seven contenders, Jorst produced a powerful yet harmonious performance on the leggy gelding by Zonik NOP. Under Danish Olympian Andreas Helgstrand, Zhaplin Langholt won the 2018 Danish young horse championship. Jorst bought him as a five-year-old but injuries and juggling international travel have meant that she has only been riding him consistently herself for the past 12 months or so.

“He’s just incredible,” she enthused. “He’s great in the ring, has a great mind and great gaits. He is the complete package. The past three months he’s been coming along like crazy. He’s so willing and already piaffes and passages, so I think he’s going to be my next [top] horse.

“The trot is always the easiest for him; you can just collect him, and he comes back in balance,” said Jorst, who amassed a smattering of nines in the test. “He’s so willing and wonderful. He really is like Nintendo: he likes being in the ring. He gets in there and he grows and looks at people and thinks they’re all there for him.”

Tarjan Brings Out New Star with a Flourish

In the big tour class, Alice Tarjan (USA) unveiled yet another superstar to come out of her stable. She rode her own eight-year-old Desperado NOP mare Jane to the top spot in the Lövsta Future Challenge with 71.529%. Frederic Wandres (GER) came second on Harrods 3 with 70.793%. The pair is qualified for the finals via their win in AGDF 1. Devon Kane (USA) rode Gyllebo’s Vamos, by Vivaldi, to 64.146% and third place.

“I haven’t really done anything with Jane because it took a little while to bring her along,” said 42-year-old Tarjan. “Usually, we do young horse classes, but she didn’t really show until I did two I2s with her this year. The plan is to get some miles on her because she’s spooky, and she’s never been anywhere.

“She went around the beginning really spooky and impressed. But once she goes to work, man, the horse goes to work, and she’s so honest. It’s so nice to ride a horse like that that’s just easy and straightforward. This class is fantastic for the horses to come and be able to get the experience in the stadium ring. And then especially to have that quality of judges and know that those scores actually count and that they mean something.”

From last draw in the Intermediate I Freestyle CDI3*, sponsored by Donato Farms, Silva Martin (USA) steered Christina Morin-Graham’s 11-year-old Blueberry Hill to a personal best 72.915% victory. The chestnut mare, by the Jazz son Boston, is lightly competed, having only three CDI tests on her record. This was her first international win. Bianca Berktold and Imperial — already double winners this week — also laid down a career best score, of 72.53%, to finish second. Lauren Knopp rounded out the all-American podium, securing third with 69.15% on Amadeus De Massa.

Chloe Gasiorowski (CAN) piloted Susan and Tim Dutta’s 15-year-old Dimaggio gelding Dimacci DC to the winner’s blue sash in the Intermediate II CDI3*. Given the unanimous nod from the five judges, Gasiorowski and Dimacci garnered 68.294% at their first international show together. Formerly campaigned by Susan Dutta, Dimacci has been out of the CDI spotlight since 2019, when he competed on the summer circuit in Europe. Making up a truly international podium, Swiss rider Barbara Bertschinger finished second with 66.471% on Sonnenberg’s Solisco CH, with Luuk Mourits (NED) taking third on Harmony’s Don’t Stop the Feeling with 65%.

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage

Alice Tarjan and Donatella M Return to Competition for Victory at AGDF 9 National Show

Leave a comment

Alice Tarjan (USA) and Donatella M. ©️Susan Stickle.

Wellington, FL – March 9, 2020 – National dressage competition continued in week nine of the 2020 Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida. There was action in pony divisions, youth riders, young horses, small and big tour, as well as USEF qualifiers and the Future Challenge classes.

Three combinations picked up tickets for the Future Challenge developing horse finals — which take place in the main arena in week 12 — two in the small tour class presented by Summit Farm, and one at big tour, which is sponsored by Lövsta. The worthy recipients at small tour were Sarah Lockman (USA) and Stephanie Collamb (USA), with the single big tour qualifying slot going to Alice Tarjan (USA).

Tarjan rode Donatella M, by Fürstenball, at the mare’s first show in 18 months, so she was understandably not expecting to bag a victory.

“I’m thrilled, as she hasn’t been in the ring for a year and half and we’ve just been at home in New Jersey training,” said Tarjan, who is based at White Fences in Loxahatchee while in Florida. “I bought her at the beginning of her four-year-old year, did some four-year-old classes, then third level when she was seven, and now she’s going to be nine this year.

“I wasn’t expecting this win at all, especially because she can be a bit hot and spooky and scared of other horses in the warm-up and today it was windy and cold, so I wasn’t expecting her to be this great,” continued the 40-year-old, who scored 68.456%. “She’s very honest, but we lost a lot of points today for the easy stuff like center lines and transitions, so we’ve got to get back out in the ring and smooth that out.”

Tarjan, who trains with Lars Petersen, added: “Lars was really happy as we really weren’t expecting much and did better than we thought we would. I bought ‘Corvin’ from her breeder in Maryland after seeing a video because she had really nice gaits. She’s super sweet and easy in the barn, one of the easiest I have.”

She was full of praise for the new Lövsta Grand Prix Future Challenge classes, saying: “I think the series is great, particularly for Corvin as she doesn’t have to go and compete against the more seasoned horses. It’s good to get them out and get experience without the pressure of an open class.”

Tarjan also commandingly topped an FEI Grand Prix class on Friday riding Candescent, a 10-year-old Hanoverian mare by Christ. The pair scored 74.022%

For more information and results, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, USEF

Somer Hit and Her Highness O Produce Classy Performances on Day Two of the USEF National Dressage Championships

Leave a comment

Wayne, IL – The USEF Dressage National Championships continued Friday at Lamplight Equestrian Center, with competitors producing top class results for a second straight day. The first tests, counting for 40% of the overall Championship scores, were held in the Six-Year-Old division of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Championship and the USEF National Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Dressage Championship presented by The Dutta Corp. and Performance Sales International. In the Six-Year-Old Championship Alice Tarjan and Somer Hit scored a decisive victory in the Preliminary Test. Caroline Roffman and Her Highness O lead the Developing Horse Prix St. Georges competition after producing a winning effort on Friday.

The USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals presented by Dressage Today also held its optional Warm-Up class for the 14-18 division to begin the day’s activities in Ring 2. Genay Vaughn and Kaye-Eileen Willard’s Anakin topped the field of eight to win the Warm-Up.

Continue reading Somer Hit and Her Highness O Produce Classy Performances on Day Two of the USEF National Dressage Championships →