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Tracey Bienemann is an accomplished, well-rounded professional in the business of training and competing in the sport of eventing. She strives to achieve success in the bringing along and competing of upper level eventing horses, and perhaps some day have the ultimate honor of representing the United States in eventing at the Olympic Games, and other world championship competitions. Her love for horses and the sport of eventing, as well as her skill and drive for success know no bounds in her journey towards these goals.
Through 2012, Tracey's first year at advanced, Tracey and Zara earned top 10 placings at almost every advanced level competition. They also competed at the American Eventing Championships in 2012. These placings included: 3rd at the Horse Park of New Jersey Advanced, 5th at Fairhill Advanced, 10th at Plantation Field Advanced, 10th at Millbrook Advanced, and clean cross country around every track ridden on ALL horses for the entire year! For 2013, Tracey and Zara earned 2nd and 5th at their return to competition before competing at Plantation CIC2*, where after a brilliant dressage and a pretty good stadium, they had a fall in the last quarter of the course. Tracey looks forward to a great 2014 with plans to be competitive at the advanced level with Zara, and continue improving and competing sales and client horses with success.
Most recently, Tracey has worked with coaches Erin Sylvester, Wanja Gerlach, and Jan Bynny. She has also worked extensively with Steuart Pittman(working student), Sally Cousins(working student), Scott Hassler and Susanne Owens, and Courtney Johnson-Amritt. She has also clinicked with Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton and other prominent olympic level eventing riders.
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Tracey's passion for horses began at a very early age, starting riding lessons at a local barn in Pasadena at 6 years old after begging her parents for quite some time. From the start, she showed a strong connection with equines and a great athletic skill for riding. At age 7, her family bought her Paul's Legacy, a clueless 4 year old thoroughbred gelding fresh off of the training track in Bowie, MD. Tracey started showing in local hunter/jumper shows, and soon showed success in rated hunter shows on Legacy and a pony she leased, Moses. Around age 10, she joined Annapolis Pony Club, where she continued showing in hunters and began playing polocrosse and competing in rallies for dressage, show jumping and eventing on different horses and ponies. After meeting Steuart Pittman through Pony Club, eventing quickly took over Tracey's goals and dreams in riding.
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Paul's Legacy, USPC Show Jumping Rally
Moses, USPC Games Rally
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Photo: Mark Shuck
Zoomer, Rubicon Farm 2007
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Tracey began recognized eventing in 2004, completing only one novice level horse trials before moving up to training level in 2005. By the end of Summer in 2005, Tracey and Paul's Legacy were successfully competing at the preliminary level, placing 4th at her first prelim at Fairhill, and 1st at her second prelim at the Marlborough horse trials. Her sucesses continued, including trips to USPC Championships and American Eventing Championships. In 2007, she hoped to compete for Area II at NAJYRC, and achieved long-list status and had entered her first CCI* at Morven Park, when Legacy suffered a career-ending injury. Through the past few years, Tracey had also been training a young horse she received as a weanling, Aces Zoomin' Dude. In 2007, at age 5, Zoomer successfully moved up to the preliminary level.
While Tracey earned her bachelor's degree at Washington College, she continued riding and competing as much as time allowed. While completing her degree with a double major in environmental studies and economics, and a minor in anthropology, Tracey worked as much and as hard as possible to keep her horses nearby. For 3 years she worked as an intern for the G.I.S. Lab, rode for others, groomed, taught and clipped horses to earn extra money. In 2009, Tracey found Zara at Dodon Farm and bought her. By 2010, Tracey and Zoomer were competing at the intermediate level, and Zara had gone from her first events to preliminary level. After only 4 preliminary level events, Zara moved up to intermediate for 2011, achieving top 8 placements at most outings. After earning 25th at the Fairhill International CCI**, Tracey made plans for advanced. Tracey and Zara spent the winter in Aiken working for Sally Cousins, where they completed their first advanced at Pine Top. Since then, Tracey and Zara completed numerous advanced level events with great success. She has brought along quite a few upper level mounts from their very start through the the top levels, most recently campaigning a small, unruly OTTB Geoni at the 4* level.
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