American Grand Prix Horse Serenade MF Sold to Cecelia Stewart

Dressage

U.S.A.

Jessica Howington and Serenade MF at the 2024 Palm Beach Dressage Derby
Photo © Astrid Appels

Serenade MF, a U.S. bred international Grand Prix horse, has been sold to American amateur dressage rider Cecelia Stewart.

Serenade MF is a 12-year old American Hanoverian by Sir Donnerhall out of Duet MF (by Don Principe x ). She is bred by Maryanna Haymon.

Alice Tarjan

Scouted and bought by Alice Tarjan as a foal, Serenade was produced to Grand Prix level by her owner. The pair has been successful duos on the American young horse circuit, raking in titles and medals across the levels.

At age 3 in 2016 Serenade won the material classes at Dressage at Devon and in 2017 won U.S. Young Horse Championship in the 4-year old division. A year later they were 6th in the 5-year old division at the 2018 U.S. Young Horse Championships. In 2021 they won the U.S. Developing Grand Prix Horse Championships as well as the USDF Dressage Finals.

With Alice Tarjan at the 2022 CDI Wellington

In 2022 the pair made its international show debut in Wellington scoring between 67 and 73%. They were nominated to represent the U.S.A at the FEI Nations Cup in Rotterdam and were named first reserve to the team for the 2022 World Championships in Herning. In the summer they won the 2022 U.S. Grand Prix Championships in the absence of all the U.S. team riders. They scored a double victory at CDI-W Devon and won in Tryon.

The pair qualified for the 2023 World Cup Finals in Omaha, where they finished 9th in the Kur to Music and then represented the U.S.A at the CDIO Aachen, where they were 23rd in the Grand Prix (71.087%) but dropped to a 36th place in the Special (67.574%). It was the pair's last show.

Jessica Howington

At the end of 2023 Tarjan sold Serenade MF to American Grand Prix rider Jessica Howington as a Paris Olympic team hopeful.

The new combination debuted nationally at the beginning of February 2024 and rode their first CDI in Ocala on 17 February 2024.

The elegant and sensitive mare came down to Wellington at the end of February and in the next month showed in three Grand Prix classes and two Specials with scores between 61.8 and 68.8%/ Their last international was on 12 - 13 April in Ocala, where they posted 67.478% in the Grand Prix.

Cecilia Stewart

Howington sold Serenade MF to amateur dressage rider Cecelia Stewart in May 2024.

The 66-year old Stewart, who has her own farm in Wellington, Fl, and is known as the sponsor of Christopher Hickey, made her show debut on Serenade MF on Sunday 5 January 2025 in the Wellington Classic Dressage Season Kick Off. The pair rode an Intermediaire II test to gain experience and get to know each other.

"We have spent the past several months getting to know each other," Cecilia told Eurodressage. "We did our first show today and I was pleased with the result and score. I will do a few more at the I2 to continue to get to know her at shows."

Cecilia has competed lightly in the international amateur classes at small tour level. In 2018 she premiered with Contento Sogno (by Florencio x Ferro) and in 2019 she showed Friend (by ) in Wellington, winning four classes.

"My plan is to then show her at the Grand Prix," Stewart added. "She is a very sweet horse. I am incredibly lucky and thrilled to have her."