Karen Pavicic Sells Grand Prix horse Totem

Dressage

Croatia

Canadian born Croatian dressage rider Karen Pavicic has sold her Grand Prix horse Totem to an American adult amateur rider.

Totem is a 13-year old Hanoverian by Totilas out of Denebola (by Donnerhall x Dynamo). He is bred by Patricia Close in Canada, but the FEI database says he's American Hanoverian.

Future Prospect

Totem was discovered by Pavicic as a three-month old colt in 2012 and came into co-ownership with Jayne Essig when he was a youngster. The chestnut was lined up as a future prospect Karen was reaching news heights in her competition career in that period, making it into the Canadian team with Don Daquiri to ride at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen.

The pair's competition debut as in February 2016 in a 4-year old young horse class at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington. In 2017 they returned for a few more tests and Totem appeared in a clinic with Isabell Werth at the 2017 World Cup Finals in Omaha.

Their CDI debut was in 2018 in the 6-year old tests in Wellington, which he won all four. Pavicic had declared for Croatia by then, the country of birth of her ex-husband. In 2020 the pair move up to small tour level in Wellington, and in 2021 Totem debuted in the international medium tour. Half a year later the pair had its international Grand Prix debut in Thermal, California, scoring 69.391%. For Karen it had been five years that she last rode a Grand Prix. Karen remained in California through the winter and had him entered once more in Thermal in February 2022, but withdrew.

Euro Tour

The horse was shipped to Europe and stayed in training with Isabell Werth in Rheinberg, Germany, for almost three years.

In 2022 Karen aimed for the World Championships in Herning. They scored 68.239% at the CDI Achleiten in Austria and qualfiied for the Championships as Croatia's first ever Grand Prix rider to do so. In July 2022, however, Pavicic withdrew and did not go to Herning.

The horse returned to competition 16 months later at the 2023 CDI Troisdorf. In 2024 hey showed at the Aachen Dressage Days; CDI Achleiten, Troisdorf, and Wroclaw.

Karen and Totem in the 2025 Palm Beach Derby

For 2025 Totem was shipped back to Florida, where he became the winning horse in the Palm Beach Dressage Derby before Pavicic rode him in one CDI, the 5*, to a 66.522% Grand Prix score and 72.555% in the Kur.

Sold

Pavicic has sold Totem to an adult amateur riding at Nashoba Valley Farm, where Geena Martin is head trainer. The farm has branches in Acton, Mass. and Wellington, FL.

"It is bittersweet but sadly as you know this is an expensive sport," Karen told Eurodressage. "I am self funded and I’ve accomplished all I’ve wanted with Totem, developing him to a solid International Grand Prix horse. It’s time to start the journey again with my young ones."