Since Marcus Orlob first met Jane as a 3-year-old, he’s been awed by the mare’s obvious power. With the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood, owned by Alice Tarjan, the key has been maintaining her exuberance while calming her spookiness. At the tail end of this year’s Adequan Global Dressage Festival series in Wellington, Florida, he found that happy medium.

Orlob and Jane (Desperado—Zandra, Metall) continued their positive momentum into the final week on March 27, where the pair earned their third straight victory of the three-month AGDF season in the CDI4* Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. In the Grand Prix, they finished strong on a 70.63%, nudging out Kasey Perry-Glass on Heartbeat WP with 68.02%, and Katherine Bateson-Chandler and Haute Couture took third with a 67.95%. Orlob and Jane went on to earn a winning 70% in the Special.

Orlob and Jane’s run at the 2024 Paris Olympics was cut short when the pair was eliminated just moments into their test for a speck of blood, presumably from when Jane spooked and stepped on herself entering the arena. Now, the German-born rider is happy to be finding a groove with Jane as the 2025 season gets underway.

“When she settles, she puts everything into a great performance,” he said. 

We caught up with Orlob while the dust of AGDF was still settling, and talked to him about how he’s working to bring out the best in his Olympic partner, both physically and mentally. 

During AGDF, with all those consecutive weeks of competing, how do you stay sane?

I have to say, the last weekend was really tough because I really got sick. I had a bad cold; I had a fever, and I was coughing. But Wellington is so convenient now—better than driving all the way up to TerraNova [in Myakka City] or Ocala—and, of course, we had two horses entered. So I said, “I have to push myself through.” Thank god for my amazing team, really, and for the grooms. The horse literally was ready and I just jumped on. I did a minimal warm-up and survived. 

I was happy that it was over, but on the other hand, I think it’s good that you have a CDI almost every weekend here, because this really gives you the chance to get into a routine of competing. I had Jane; I had JJ Glory Day [Grand Galaxy Win—JJ Dolche Gabbanna, Deemster]; then I had my groom, Allison Nemeth, the U25 rider, in there; and also Alice [Tarjan] competed in the 6-year-old class. So it was a busy weekend, but a good one. 

You were just talking about the routine of competing every weekend for a number of weeks. How does Jane do with that kind of consistency?

I think she’s doing good. Now, looking back, maybe I should have started like a week earlier. But it is so hard; I talked to Alice, her owner, because I didn’t want to do too much, because now we have Europe on the schedule coming up. I think this is really the hard line as a rider, trainer, owner: What is the right amount of competitions? But I think Jane benefits from being in a regular show program. 

What made the last few weeks so successful? What clicked for you and for Jane?

You know, we are training hard at home. I would say, what was a really big help was that [U.S. Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe] Christine Traurig came over a couple times, and we had conversations about what she thinks is necessary and what I think is, and we kind of met in the middle to work together on a training plan. I think it’s really working.

Now, again, it’s time to change the training. But I think, for the test, Jane is in great shape. Now it’s just the other part: I need to travel again with her and get her to different rings to get her more desensitized and comfortable again in the show ring.

What are you and Christine working on together? What does that program look like?

Just overall, more throughness to have Jane really supple. Christine was really focusing on this, and just overall, a touch more engagement in everything. That is the main thing.

When did you first meet Jane, and what was your impression of her?

I first met her when she was a 3-year-old. I met her in quarantine, because Alice called me and said, “Hey, I have this new mare, but she’s really spooky and hot, so you ride her in quarantine, and then after quarantine, I will deal with her.”

I remember, I said, “Wow, my god!” I mean, first of all, she’s beautiful. She was very, very sweet on the ground. And Alice was completely right. In quarantine, they also have jumps so we had to share the ring with the jumpers. She was literally so afraid of every jump, but already there she was moving so big and powerful. I was like, wow, that horse will be amazing at some point.

Hats off to Alice, she did all the training. Lucky me that it was a little too much power for her, because then I got to ride her. 

I’ve heard you describe Jane as a “puppy”? What’s her personality like on the ground?

Last year, when I started competing, we had no time. It was literally one show after another show to qualify for the Olympic shortlist. And then when I flew with her on the plane together to Germany, that was my first time that I flew with the horse, and I had to take care of her. When I went into the stall with her, she was literally so sweet. She just put her head on my shoulders and licked my face. It was then I discovered what a sweet animal she actually is. 

Then, because I had no groom over in Germany, I did basically everything: the turnout, the grooming, the mucking of the stall. I did everything myself. That was great, because I had nothing else to do—I had literally this one horse—so I got to know her really well, and I spoiled her. 

Since then, I think we’ve got a good connection. When she hears my voice the second I go to the barn, she kicks the door and wants my attention. Honestly, on the ground, you would never think that she’s so powerful and can be spooky and reactive. On the ground, it’s like the opposite.

What has it been like to help Jane develop over these eight years working with her?

I would say it’s been very interesting. She really learned everything super quick. For a long time, Alice tried to find the better half of her. We worked with different bridles and all this, until she got to the conclusion, “I think you need to take over.” Because Alice is a peanut, right? 

But overall, the journey was very easy. Alice tried to compete her once as a young horse and there she was spooky. If we knew that we would go this route, I think we should have taken her more out. But Alice said, I will deal with this later when she’s grown up. 

It sounds like that fieriness is a part of her power and her strength when it comes to show time.

Exactly. That’s the thing where I think at some point hopefully we can take it to our advantage, because that’s the beauty about her. You never need to really motivate her to go, you know? I mean, that horse is unbelievable. 

I always say to my other competitors, “Oh my god, she’s so powerful!” I can pause at the end of the Grand Prix and start the test all over again. She’s just like a workhorse, and I think she likes doing it, because you never have to use your legs, really, or a strong seat because she just goes.

What were some of the highlights of your winning test last weekend?

My highlight was, honestly, I was happy with her that even after the spookiness [in the Grand Prix Special], I could finish the test. After the spookiness, she actually allowed me to ride her and again, and she settled. 

I was happy that I could turn it around and even when I had a mistake and with the spookiness, that she was totally with me and I could show again the quality that horse has. 

I 100% believe in this horse, and I hope at one point in time, she will relax more and more in the ring, and then I can actually ride with more brilliance and with more ease of movement to really show the quality. I think that’s the sad thing, I couldn’t even really show what she actually can do. Last year [at the Kronberg CDI (Germany)], when we were there, that was a pretty good round where she was really focused and with me and then we got a 75% [in the Grand Prix Special]. I think this is easy for her to achieve again. 

Can you tell us a bit about JJ Glory Day?

He just turned 9. He is a really good stallion, I would say. He’s also very sweet on the ground, very willing and easy to ride. I’ve been riding him since he was a 4 year old. I did a little bit of the young horse classes with him in Chicago [at the US Dressage Festival of Champions]. He’s almost ready for the Grand Prix CDI—not quite yet, so I just want to spend a little bit of time with him on the national level. 

I hope that if training and everything goes well, to maybe compete him next season in Florida in the CDIs. I’m excited for this horse, too, because he’s similar to Jane, but not spooky. He’s a very good quality; likes to work. He’s a very honest horse, fun to ride, and also very motivated. I think he’s just a bit young still, and just a bit on the greener side where he needs a little more strength and time to get the movements polished. 

He’s started shining a little bit more on competition days. At home, he’s great, but then you go to a show and he has a little bit of extra fire in a good way, where he starts showing off a little bit like a macho man.

What have you been doing outside of horses these days?

I like to take my Jack Russell, Emma, to the dog beach. That’s very relaxing. Most of the time, I leave my phone in the car, and at that time I’m not available. People always text and call, so this is time I’m not available. If I have some extra energy and time, I take my motorcycle out, usually on Sundays, and drive a little bit around and grab some ice cream and go back home.