Alice Tarjan and Tiko Take Home the Markel/USEF Four-Year-Old National Championship

Alice Tarjan and Tiko (Photo: Mary Adelaide Brakenridge)

Wayne, IL-- Alice Tarjan (Frenchtown, N.J.) and her own Danish Warmblood, Tiko, capitalized on Thursday's preliminary test performance. They put in a strong final test to take the Four-Year-Old National Championship with an overall score of 8.064. The judges, again, were impressed with the canter work and awarded them highly with a 9.0. Tiko showed natural cadence and softness to improve upon Thursday's trot score for an 8.5.

"Tiko was really good; I was really pleased. She put in a pretty decent test and showed what she can do at home, so that's all I can ask for," said Tarjan.

Alice Tarjan and Tiko (Photo: SusanJStickle.com)

What looked like a one-two sweep for Tarjan, judging by the preliminary tests, turned into an upset when Brooke Voldbaeck (Sherwood, Ore.) and Sonnenberg Farm, LLC's Generosa S scored an impressive 7.792 to leap from fourth place to become Reserve Champion, bumping Tarjan and her own Oldenburg, Donatella M, to third place. Voldbaeck came to these championships as an alternate and has been riding Generosa S for six months, so she cannot be more pleased with today's results.

"I was really happy with her overall consistency. She was the most with me today. I was better on my eights. I felt like I rode the test better and was more prepared. Today, I rode more focused, and I think that helped improve our score. She was a little tired, and the lengthenings weren't as good as Thursday, but I think the rest of the ride was better," said Voldbaeck.

Tarjan and Donatella M could have completed the sweep if it were not for a riding error. After coming out of a nice warm-up, Tarjan rode Donatella M a little rounder than she liked, likely contributing to a lower score. However, she performed the test with a lot of style and demonstrated beautiful elasticity in the trot.

Four-Year-Old National Championship Results