Double Gold Medal Winners Receive Horse Industry Award; Touch of Class Awards Presented to Residents of Frederick, Laurel

Photo ID: Award recipient Marilyn Little, MHIB Chair Jim Steele, Dr. Staffan Lidbeck (coach of Swedish Olympic Equestrian Team), MHIB Member Bev Raymond, Kent Ohlander (CEO of Jagerso Race Track in Sweden), and MHIB Board Member Jay Griswold.

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 21, 2015) – Marilyn Little, a double gold medal winner in 3-Day Eventing at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto Canada, and Ben Stevick, a double gold medal winner in dressage at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, have been presented the Touch of Class Award by the Maryland Horse Industry Board, a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Little, of Frederick, won the individual gold medal and led the United States to a team gold at the Pan Am Games in August aboard RF Scandalous, a 9-year-old mare imported from Europe. The horse, as well as her owners, Phoebe and Michael Manders of Potomac, and Marilyn’s parents, Lynne and Ray Little of Raylyn Farm in Frederick, received the October Touch of Class Award at a special ceremony Friday, October 16, at the Fair Hill International 3-Day Event in Elkton. Also honored were Jacqueline Mars of Virginia and Robin Parsky of California who have joined the syndicate that owns RF Scandalous.

It is the second Touch of Class award for Little, who was named Leading Woman Rider of The Year by the U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) in 2014 as well as competing USEA’s top Mare of the Year, Demeter.

Stevick, of Laurel, rides at Helen Tuel’s Therapeutic Riding and Recreation Center in Howard County. He began riding 14 years ago after attending a Boy Scouts summer camp, but just began competing five years ago in dressage and barrel racing. He received the November Touch of Class Award along with his parents, Doris and Richard Stevick, at the Maryland Million horse race at Laurel Park on Saturday, Oct. 17.

MHIB Chair Jim Steele made the presentations. “We started this award series five years ago and have been overwhelmed with the degree of excellence achieved by Marylanders and their horses,” Steele said. “Marilyn and Ben personify the best in our industry. They both compete out of two of our finest Maryland licensed riding stables and make us all extremely proud.”

The award honors the Maryland-bred mare Touch of Class who won two show jumping gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. It is given monthly to Maryland people and horses who achieve national and international recognition.

For more information, contact MHIB Executive Director Ross Peddicord at 301-841-5798 or ross.peddicord@maryland.gov.

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