Biography
From humble beginnings grow great things
Birthday: September 30, 1984
Two-Legged Family: parents John and Judy; brother Kevin
Favorite color: blue
Favorite snack: extra sharp cheddar cheese, or popcorn
Hobbies: Reading, working out, photography, running, tae kwon do
Lauren Sprieser’s international dressage career began with a bicycle.
A family bike ride led to the discovery of a nearby stable, offering beginner riding lessons in the sport of dressage. Lauren’s mother, Judy, signed the pair up for lessons. Little did they know that less than 8 years later, Lauren would be representing her country for the first time in international competition.
After training and competing locally throughout middle and high school, college took Lauren to Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, a mere half hour from the stable of Olympian and living legend Lendon Gray. She’d set her sights on the international ring, but first, Lauren needed a horse. A trip to Germany introduced Lauren to a whole new world of performance, but also to her first great partner: a lanky, wild-eyed Trakehner gelding named Bellinger. “Billy” took Lauren to two NAYRCs, including a team Bronze Medal, two Junior Olympic Bronze Medals, and in 2004 an individual 11th place finish.
After the 2004 NAYRC, Lauren received a tremendous opportunity: an invitation to Germany to train with three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Monica Theordorescu and her equally-famous father, Georg. A semester ahead at Sarah Lawrence, Lauren packed Billy and L’Etoile 6, a Holsteiner gelding with a flair for the dramatic, and immersed herself in the German Training system for four months. Georg’s tutelage was particularly powerful in Lauren’s life. With her taste for more difficult horses, Georg encouraged Lauren to find partnerships even with the most challenging partners. “Struppie,” as L’Etoile was known, became rideable and amiable; Billy learned true thoroughness, and developed towards Grand Prix. And for the first time, Lauren realized that training horses to the top was her calling.
Lauren and her boys returned to the States in January of 2005, and hit the ground running. Struppie took Team Gold and an individual Fifth Place finish at the NAYRC, and won the prestigious Young Rider Freestyle at CDI*** Dressage at Devon, with a record score that still stands. Lauren and Billy made - and won - their Grand Prix debut, and Lauren earned her USDF Gold Medal (an award for success at Grand Prix) in only two shows, while still competing as a Young Rider. By her 21st birthday, Lauren had accomplished more than most professionals twice her age.
But Lauren is never one to rest on her laurels. Upon graduating from Sarah Lawrence, Lauren returned home to Chicago to work as a freelance trainer, and to compete Billy at Grand Prix, as well as two new horses to her string: the elegant Clairvoya, then 8 and competing at Prix St. Georges and Intermediare I, and the gifted but insecure Ellegria, 5 and just beginning her career. In her first year of competition in the Open division, Lauren took two Regional Championships and three Reserve Championships, as well as a Third Place finish aboard Billy in the newly developed “Brentina Cup,” a Championship for young adult riders at Grand Prix. She was the youngest rider at the Championships.
Her accomplishments caught the eye of Olympian Carol Lavell, who offered her a job in her Loxahatchee, Florida stable. Lauren wintered in Florida with Billy, who won several Grand Prixs, and the two mares, who both were maturing into top talents for the future. And from Florida, Lauren went to work for another international name, the gifted Pam Goodrich of New Hampshire. While continuing to rack up accolade after accolade in the showering, Lauren’s time under top-tier trainers developed her own training and teaching skills.
Fall of 2007 dealt Lauren another lucky hand: the opportunity to open her own training facility on 135 incredible acres in Northern Virginia. Clearwater Farm offered a classy facility, a stellar indoor arena, and natural resources to train the way she wanted to train. Lauren had never had the opportunity to manage her horses’ care: hillwork and swimming for fitness, and ample turnout for her horses’ health. And her winning ways continued: her 2007 season ended with a hattrick for “Cleo” at the NEDA CDI*** Saugerties, with scores above 70%, and Second Level win at the Regional Championships for “Ella.”
And the hits kept coming in 2008. Ella and a new youngster for Lauren’s string, a quirky but talented Dutch gelding named Victorious, or “Midgey”, took the competition season off to train, but both were noticed by USEF Young Horse team coach Scott Hassler, who encouraged Lauren to continue their development towards FEI. Clairvoya qualified for the USEF National Championships in the Small Tour, though the tremendous expense of travel to the Championships - across the country in California - prevented them from attending. While her own show record took a year off, her new students met resounding successes: Kay Brady took a USEA National Title in both the Beginner Novice Amateur Rider and Beginner Novice Horse divisions, and Sara Lieser placed third at the Morven Park CCI* - her international debut. And 2008 also brought Lauren into the national spotlight as an expert in her field with the publication of her first article in Dressage Today.
2009 marked Cleo’s Grand Prix debut, and her successes in the showring led her all the way to the Brentina Cup Championships, where she rallied from a colic scare to win Day 2 of competition, and place 5th overall. Not to be outdone, Ella began her FEI career with a bang by scoring through 74% at Prix St. Georges, and Midge burst onto the scene with a nearly-undefeated season at Third Level. Her successes in the ring put Lauren on USEF’s Developing Rider list, which entitled her to participate in the High Performance Training Sessions with top international stars like Kyra Kyrklund, who called both chestnuts top contenders for the international ring. And the name “Lauren Sprieser” started collecting star appeal when The Chronicle of the Horse, the most well-read weekly equine magazine in the English-speaking world, added Lauren to their lineup of bloggers; in her first year of writing, Lauren took top honors in the American Horse Publications’ annual awards, and she remains one of the Chronicle’s most well-read and well-loved bloggers.
Lauren, Ella and Midge continued their winning ways in 2010. Ella made her debut at Grand Prix, including qualifying on top of the Brentina Cup standings, though an unfortunately timed illness kept her from a win at the Championships. She did finish her season with an Intermediare II win at the regional BLM Championships, as did Midge, whose BLM win at Prix St. Georges was the last of an undefeated year at that level. Lauren also took the reins on a four-year-old Oldenburg gelding named Stratocaster, or “Fender,” who took many top scores at Training Level and showed great talent for the future. And though an injury forced her retirement, Cleo began a new legacy by blessing Lauren with a beautiful filly via Embryo Transfer. By the top Dutch stallion UB-40, Fairvoya S, or “Farrah,” is the first of what Lauren hopes will be both a stellar breeding program and an exciting performance line.
2011 might be the best year yet. With eyes on the 2012 Olympic Selection Trials, Lauren took Ella, Midge and Fender to the Mecca of winter equestrian training: Wellington, Florida. They spent three months getting regular help from a slew of Olympians, including sessions with the US Team Coach Anne Gribbons, thanks to Lauren’s placement on the USEF Training Invite list for the third year in a row. Lauren hopes to bring Ella out at Grand Prix and Midge out at Intermediare II by the middle of this year, campaigning lightly merely to gain exposure before the 2012 Florida season and qualifiers for the USEF National Championships and Olympic trials.
On the horse and off, Lauren Sprieser is a rider, trainer and figure to watch.
