At 19 Marie trained her first Grand Prix horse, Chiquitita, under the constant daily tutelage of Major Robert Borg.
Her second FEI mount was a former Thoroughbred race horse and teaser stallion named Bento. When the farm had no more use for him, Bento was given to Marie and gelded. She trained Bento through Prix St. Georges, again under Major Borg’s watchful eye.
Her next FEI horse was a grandson of Secretariat, a foal out of Chiquitita, who was also trained though Prix St. Georges.
Marie purchased her next mount Edmond’s Sun from a farm where she was re-schooling ex-race horses for their next careers in dressage, jumping and fox hunting. Eddie was a 17.2+ hand Thoroughbred that was banned from the race track and threatened with being put down by his owners as he was unmanageable and thought to be unrideable. Eddie turned out to be a wonderfully athletic mount that naturally collected and loved to work. Eddie was trained through Grand Prix and is pictured at the bottom of the Home Page of this web site.
Marie purchased her current horse, Adear, as a four-year-old. Adear's breeding is largely Hanoverian and Thoroughbred; she is registered with German papers with Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar (RPSI), also known as Zweibruker. Marie presented her to the RPSI as a five-year-old at which time the Germans awarded Adear the honor of being highest scoring mare in
Adear was last shown in 2007 at FEI Intermediate I. She was in foal at the time to a Class 1 Elite Hanoverian stallion and consequently was given the 2008 show season off to raise her foal. Adear’s foal Farsiris is now weaned, and Adear is back to full work completing her training for Grand Prix.
Farsiris, Marie's up and coming FEI mount, is a big strapping and intelligent filly who was presented to RPSI receiving a Silver Premium score. Farsiris will be shown in-hand at the USDFB shows (following in her mother’s footsteps) in 2009, with the goal of competing her in the USEF National Young Dressage Horse classes when she is older.
Marie is pictured below with two of her students
at a year-end awards banquet:
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined".
Marie is currently riding with John Lassetter who trained at the the Sivewright's Talland School under Major Bolternstern (Swedish Olympic Gold medalist), he trained with Herr Egon von Neindorff in Germany, he trained at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and the Famous Cadre Noir School in Saumur France. John travels from Great Britain.
Clinicians Marie has worked with:
Marie lived with Violet Hopkins at her home for one year in the later 1980s to work and participate in her international clinics. Violet was inducted into the U.S. Dressage Federation (USDF) Hall of Fame in 1998. She initiated and managed the USDF Violet Hopkins National Seminars for Dressage Instructors that were conducted at her Tristan Oaks Farm. This program gave birth to USDF regional workshops, the National Dressage Symposium and the USDF Instructor Certification Program.
Some of Marie's achievements:
- Reserve Champion Fourth Level Waterloo in 2006
- National Champion Mare for RPSI in 2005
- Champion Mare in 2005 at
- Derbyshire Farm
- Mid-Ohio I
- Mid-Ohio II plus Reserve Champion Overall
- Eden Park plus Reserve Champion Overall
- Lamplight plus Reserve Champion Overall
- Top Scoring Mare for RPSI in North America 2004
- Reserve Champion Second Level at Waterloo 2004
- Bloomfield Open Hunt Third Level Champion in 1999
- MDA Training Level Champion at age 17, 1981
- 2008 5th place Training Level
- 2007 MDA Training Level Champion
- 2007 12th place at USDF Regional Finals
- 2006 MDA Training Level Champion
- 2006 USDF Regional Finals 10th place
- 2006 MDA Training Level 5th place
- 2005 MDA Champion, First Level
- 2003 USDF Training Level 5th place Nationally
- Plus many individual show Champion and Reserve Champion awards
