VERSAILLES, FRANCE — An athlete can train most of their lives to realize an Olympic dream, only to watch it come and go in a fleeting moment.
Whidbey Island native Adrienne Lyle experienced that bitter reality Tuesday at the Paris Olympics when her shot at a medal with the U.S. dressage team vanished instantly thanks to a freak accident involving a teammate’s horse.
After months of preparation, Adrienne Lyle’s quest to ride to a second consecutive Olympic team medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris ended before she even had a chance to ride.
US rider Adrienne Lyle describes her Paris Olympics partner Helix as “a goofball”.
“He’s in your face, he’s in your pocket – you walk down the aisle and he’s looking where you’re going and he wants attention all the time. But because of that, I think he really enjoys the training process,”she said after her Olympic dressage test yesterday.
During the years from 2014 through 2021 often described as the golden, silver at least, era of American dressage, performances were almost always supported in person by pretty much anyone and everyone wearing Stars ‘n’ Stripes, displays boosting riders rarely seen by other nations.
Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the four athlete-and-horse combinations selected to represent the United States as a part of Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games hosted from July 26 – August 11, 2024. The dressage competition will begin on July 30, 2024, and continue through August 4, 2024, at the equestrian grounds of Versailles.
The U.S. Olympic Dressage Team will be led by Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig alongside Team Leader Laura Roberts, and supported by team veterinarian Dr. Laura Faulkner, team human physiotherapist Jennifer Mitchell, and team farrier Chuck Jones.
“There has been a lot of anticipation around the selection of this team, and I am confident in and proud of each of the combinations we have representing the U.S. at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” said Chef d’Equipe Christine Traurig. “Everyone has been hard at work here in Europe for the past six weeks, working to solidify and build confidence in their partnerships and producing stronger scores for the U.S. We want to be sure our horses are peaking at the right time over the next few weeks, and I know these athletes will give everything they have to make our country proud.”
The following combinations have been selected to the U.S. Olympic Dressage Team and are listed in alphabetical order.
Adrienne Lyle(Wellington, Fla.) and Helix, a 2012 Dutch Warmblood (Apache X Zeester T) gelding owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center and cared for by Marina Lemay
Marcus Orlob(Loxahatchee, Fla.) and Jane, a 2014 Dutch Warmblood (Desperado x Zandra) mare owned by Alice Tarjan and cared for by Allison Nemeth
Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.) and Suppenkasper, a 2008 KWPN (Spielberg x Upanoeska) gelding owned by Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki and cared for by Eddie Garcia
The following combination has been selected as the traveling reserves.
Endel Ots (Wellington, Fla.) and Bohemian, a 2010 Westphalian (Bordeaux x Sunshine) gelding owned by Zen Elite Equestrian Center and cared for by Caroline Hoerdum
For media inquiries, please contact Carly Weilminster, Sr. Director of Sport Communications & Social Media at cweilminster@usef.org.
The USEF International High Performance Programs and the USEF High Performance Pathway Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, the philanthropic partner to USEF. High Performance Program support is also provided by the USOPC and USEF sponsors and members.
It’s been a year since American Olympian Adrienne Lyle rode down the centerline in international competition.
But make no mistake, the Tokyo Games team silver medalist has been hard at work. The new mom—Lyle gave birth to daughter Bailey six months ago—is juggling the demands of a new baby and two new international mounts. –
