Adrienne Sternlich Jumps Back Into Wellington Groove After Shining At WEG

Show jumping star Adrienne Sternlicht certainly had a summer to remember — and she is hoping to continue that success here in Wellington this winter.

The 25-year-old was the youngest rider on the U.S. gold medal show jumping team at the World Equestrian Games held in Tryon, N.C., this past September. It was her first selection to a senior U.S. national team.

Although she has had numerous outstanding results in her young career, including her first major victory aboard Toulago at the $50,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix in May, her efforts at WEG stand out.

The FEI World Equestrian Games are the premier global championship for equestrian sports. WEG is held every four years and features riders from around the world competing in eight disciplines. The games alternate with the Olympics, which will be held in 2020 in Tokyo. Both have team and individual competitions for show jumping.

Sternlicht couldn’t pinpoint her most memorable win, but her performance at WEG is something she won’t soon forget.

“My favorite ride in recent memory was the final round of the individual final at WEG,” said Sternlicht, who finished 11th during the individual competition. “I was so relaxed, it felt like I was going for a Sunday stroll. In that moment, I felt more confident than I ever have in the saddle, and pure enjoyment of the experience in what was another pressure-filled ride.”

At WEG, Sternlicht competed aboard Cristalline, whose nickname is Stella. She is excited about the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, where she will be showing Cristalline at several of the major Grand Prix events later in the season.

Sternlicht began her partnership with Cristalline in 2016 and started to train with U.S. Olympic double gold medalist McLain Ward, a fan favorite at WEF.

Ward believes his students should set their own goals, instead of him setting them. But he has a good idea what Sternlicht is positioning herself for.

“I would say the World Cup final, a major Nations Cup in the summer and to be successful in major Grand Prix events with Cristalline,” said Ward, one of the most successful riders of all time, who was the No. 1 ranked U.S. rider at the end of 2018. “She has a new horse called Just A Gamble who we will aim toward the Pan American Games.”

It all adds up to a whirlwind of activity.

“I’m going to have a busy season,” Sternlicht said. “I have a few new horses for the season, and others coming back from time off. I’ll start showing Week 1 and gradually get my top horses going to peak them a bit later during season.”

Sternlicht doesn’t remember her first win on ponies, since so much has happened to her since she began competing.

“I find that in our sport, many of the most memorable moments are not necessarily wins, but instead pivotal rounds or competitions,” said Sternlicht, who turns 26 on May 9. “I’d say WEG has been my most meaningful riding experience, not because of the competition itself, but because of the road to getting there.”

Sternlicht, who finished 2018 as the ninth-ranked U.S. rider, is continuing an upward trend heading into the current season. Her passion for horses started in her friend’s backyard while growing up in Greenwich, Conn.

“My best friend growing up, [Amanda Shulman], had a 17.1-hand horse in her backyard named Samson,” Sternlicht recalled. “One day her mom let me ride him at a playdate, and I refused to get off. She and her sister, Sydney, are two of my best friends to this day, and it’s so great to get to share the sport with Sydney and their mom, Jill.”

Sydney Shulman is now 23 and remembers those days with good humor.

“It was an everyday ritual after school,” said Sydney Shulman, who is an up-and-coming rider and will be showing at WEF. “We would hang out and ride. It was hilarious. We had sleepovers, and we did anything we could to be in the barn.”

The fun didn’t stop there. It carried over to school.

“In second grade for the Halloween parade, Adrienne dressed as a pony, I was the dalmatian and Amanda was the rider,” Sydney Shulman recalled. “We would dress up in our costumes all year.”

On a more serious note, she is proud of her friend’s success.

“She’s very disciplined, super goal-motivated,” she said of Sternlicht. “It’s inspiring for me as a friend. She’s super competitive in everything she does, whether it’s running, playing squash or riding. She usually reaches or surpasses her goals. She’s like a sister to me.”

Sternlicht has become a serious competitor on the international circuit, also competing on U.S. Nations Cup teams and in major events around the world. There was a point where she cut back on riding and competing to concentrate on her education.

“I never stopped riding, but I rode as more of a hobby when I was in high school,” Sternlicht said. “During that time, a lot of my friends ramped up their riding and were homeschooled in Wellington during the winter circuit. I went to boarding school and rode once a week if I was lucky. I played varsity squash for my high school [Choate Rosemary Hall], so I would compete on my off weekends from squash tournaments.”

Ironically, while Sternlicht and the younger Shulman became professional riders, Amanda Shulman became a chef.

While a rider’s life is focused on training and showing, there is some downtime.

“I love to do yoga, run or cook,” said Sternlicht, who was also a competitive skier before becoming immersed in the equestrian world. “My cooking skills are coming! I mainly make vegetables. I like to eat really healthy, so I cook simple dishes. I love that we settle in Wellington for the winter and get into a routine. It’s very grounding.”

Sternlicht is also hoping that standing on the podium becomes routine for her as well.