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Chef

Christine Traurig

Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif. Birthday: 3/13/1957 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage Olympic Years: 2000

Christine Traurig is the current Chef d'Equipe of the U.S. Dressage Team, as well as Technical Advisor and Development Coach for the program. Christine has been a part of the U.S. Dressage Pathway programs for more than a decade. Aside from coaching, Christine had a successful career as an athlete, representing the U.S. at the 2000 Olympic Games aboard Etienne, where they helped the team earn bronze.


Competitor

Adrienne Lyle

Hometown: Wellington, Fla. Birthday: 1/2/1985 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage Olympic Years: 2012, 2020

Adrienne Lyle is an Olympic dressage athlete who represented the U.S. at the 2012 London Games riding Wizard and at the 2020 Tokyo Games with Salvino, where the team won silver. She also represented the U.S. Dressage team at the 2014 FEI Alltech® World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, France, and again as part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2018 WEG in Tryon, N.C., riding Salvino. The pair returned to the FEI Dressage World Championship in 2022 in Denmark where they earned top-ten finishes individually.

 

Helix

Nickname: Helix Owner: Zen Elite Equestrian Center Groom: Marina Lemay Gender: Gelding Breed: Dutch Warmblood Disciplines: Dressage Sire: Apache Dam: Zeester T Foal Date: 2/10/2012

Helix was purchased as a potential Olympic mount for veteran U.S. rider Adrienne Lyle and the pair have impressed since his purchase in late 2023. Helix was started in Sweden by Marina Mattsson before transitioning to Lyle’s program in early 2024. Lyle competed the flashy gelding only a few times in spring 2024, earning above 70 percent in most of their outings together. During their first European tour as a partnership, Lyle and Helix were consistent in both of their observation events at Hagen and Kronberg, recording scores near the 72% mark in the Grand Prix and close to 74% in the Grand Prix Special. Helix and Lyle were named to the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will be Lyle's third Olympic appearance and Helix's first.


Competitor

Marcus Orlob

Hometown: Loxahatchee, Fla. Birthday: 3/16/1982 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage

Marcus Orlob was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, and spent his youth riding and training under Hubertus Schmidt. He competed across Europe and debuted at the Grand Prix level at age 21. After working extensively in Europe and earning his Bereiter FN title from the German Riding School in Warendorf, Germany, he moved to the U.S. and began his own training operation. Orlob has successfully competed across all young horse levels with up-and-coming young horses, including wins at USEF Festival of Champions in the 5-year-old, 6-year-old, and Developing Grand Prix divisions. His current mount, Jane, owned by Alice Tarjan, is the first horse he’s competed at the Grand Prix level since 2019 with personal best scores recorded at the level. Orlob was selected to represent the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Jane, which will be his first major championship appearance for the program.

 

Jane

Nickname: Jane Owner: Alice Tarjan Groom: Allison Nemeth Gender: Mare Breed: Dutch Warmblood Disciplines: Dressage Sire: Desperado Dam: Zandra Foal Date: 4/2/2014

Jane debuted at the Grand Prix level in 2024 with Marcus Orlob in the saddle after starting her career with owner, Alice Tarjan, a longtime student of Orlob’s. Jane has been a part of the Tarjan/Orlob’s program since her purchase as a young horse, participating in the Young Horse program in the U.S. with Tarjan. Alice rode the mare to Small Tour level before handing the reins to Orlob, who made his first Grand Prix start with the KWPN mare in March of 2024. The pair has continued to gain experience at the level and impressed in the final observation outing for the Short List, earning 73.913% in the Grand Prix in Kronberg, followed by an impressive 75.340% in the Grand Prix Special.


Competitor

Steffen Peters

Hometown: San Diego, Calif. Birthday: 9/18/1964 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage Olympic Years: 1996, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020

Steffen Peters is a five-time Olympian for Team USA, including as a team bronze medalist in Rio de Janeiro 2016 with Legolas 92 and Atlanta 1996 with Udon, and a team silver medalist in Tokyo 2020 with Suppenkasper. He has also represented the U.S. at five FEI World Championships, with a team silver from Tryon 2018, individual bronze from Lexington 2010, and team bronze from Aachen 2006. He is a two-time individual and team gold medalist at the Toronto 2015 and 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games, and, in 2009, he won his first FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final with Ravel.

 

Suppenkasper

Nickname: Mopsie Owner: Akiko Yamazaki & Four Winds Farm Groom: Eddie Garcia Gender: Gelding Breed: KWPN Disciplines: Dressage Sire: Spielberg Dam: Upanoeska Foal Date: 3/26/2008

Suppenkasper has been the top ride for U.S. dressage athlete Steffen Peters since 2018. He was part of the silver medal-winning teams at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018. “Mopsie” has been part of FEI Nations Cup Teams in 2019 in Aachen, Germany, where the team finished in third place, and again in Aachen in 2022. The duo were selected to represent the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, marking Peters' seventh Olympic appearance and Suppenkasper's second.


Reserve

Endel Ots

Hometown: Wellington, Fla. Birthday: 10/8/1985 Sport/Disciplines: Dressage

Endel Ots is an up-and-coming talent for the United States Dressage program, debuting at the CDI Grand Prix level in 2024 with Zen Elite’s Bohemian. Endel grew up on a farm in De Pere, Wisconsin, and began riding at age eight, finding a love for dressage early on. Throughout his career Endel has trained under some of the best eyes in sport and started his early career in Germany before relocating to Wellington full-time in 2011. He was named a reserve rider for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, and was selected to compete in his first championship for the program ahead of the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Ots has earned top honors at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions, a prestigious national championship competition, and represented the U.S. at the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Dressage in 2015 and 2016.

 

Bohemian

Nickname: Bo Owner: Zen Elite Equestrian Center Groom: Caroline Hoerdum Gender: Gelding Breed: Westphalian Disciplines: Dressage Sire: Bordeaux Dam: Sunshine Foal Date: 4/22/2010

Starting his career under Katrine Kraglund before moving to Catherine Laudrup-Dufour's stable, Bohemian quickly became a staple in Laudrup-Dufour's string, earning significant international championship starts and representing Denmark at the European Championships and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Bohemian was purchased by Zen Elite Equestrian Center in late 2023 as an Olympic hopeful for U.S. athlete Endel Ots and the pair have quickly developed a budding partnership. The duo debuted in Wellington, Fla., in March 2024, and have consistently improved their scores in their short time together. The pair were selected as the traveling reserve combination for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as part of the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team.