Having ridden him since he was a youngster, she said that though their ride was mistake-free, she feels that "Rio" needs to develop more strength for some of the more advanced movements. "He feels weak after Gino," she said, referring to her 1999 Dressage at Devon Freestyle Champion, now ridden by Elizabeth Kane. "Once you hit Grand Prix, it's a whole new ballgame building strength."

Originally from Georgia, 2000 was Alicki's first year based year-round in Florida. "The summers here are actually nicer than in Georgia because there is a breeze," she said.

In 1999, Alicki and Gino traveled to Europe on a USDF training grant, where they worked with Klaus Balkenhol. She also took "Rio," who she said gained a lot from the experience. She would love to return to Europe; always looking for young horses, Alicki says she would also love to have another horse coming up through the ranks of dressage.

Text by Amber Heintzberger