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March 20, 2007

On the Scene - Welcome Back to White Fences II

DressageDaily Amateur in Focus - Tacie Saltonstall - Battling Cancer With Dressage
By Lynndee Kemmet for DressageDaily.com

In the midst of her battle against breast cancer, Tacie Saltonstall found the energy to ride her first Prix St. Georges during the recent Welcome Back to White Fences II dressage show. And what a ride it was for her, winning her class.

“It was great. It was so much fun. Even with the mistakes I made, it was just a gas,” she said. “I was excited. I was so excited because I had trained so hard and I felt so good. I knew the pattern and I felt ready and other than making mistakes in my tempi changes, I was right there. I felt it was great.”

Saltonstall, 53, is an adult amateur rider from the Finger Lakes region of New York. Back home, she owns and operates a vineyard and winery with her husband, Peter. King Ferry Winery, home of Treleaven Wines, sits on 27 acres of land that has been in the Saltonstall family for generations. The winery produces about 10,000 cases of wine a year, with Chardonnay the dominant wine.

When not busy running the winery, Saltonstall is busy riding. She’s been training in dressage rider for years and during the winters, she and her husband often migrate to Florida for a few months, leaving the wine business in the capable hands of their staff. “Thank God I have some awesome staff,” Saltonstall said. “They make it possible for us to be in Florida.”