Semper Fidelis
Fr. Michael Tang’s watercolor Semper Fidelis captured rider Trina Turner Federico and her junior/amateur hunter during one of their many trips together over fences.

Semper Fidelis was Federico’s small junior hunter from 1992-96. The pair earned ribbons at the fall indoor shows and Devon (Pa.) each year, while “Sunny” also doubled as an equitation horse, qualifying each year for the USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay Finals.

“In 1997 he became my amateur-owner hunter and continued his winning ways,” said Federico. “He died in May of 1998 during a week off in our showing schedule. He was 20 years old. The painting was commissioned by my husband Brad as an anniversary present.”

Tang, Los Angeles, Calif., is professor and chairman of the Department of Art and Art History at Loyola Marymount University (Calif.). One of Tang’s projects is ARTsmart, which he created in 2001. Each semester more than 40 volunteers teach fine art lessons to kindergarten through eighth-graders at St. Gerard Majella School. The mission of ARTsmart is to instill an appreciation for art and history in school children.

When not in the classroom, Tang can be found at hunter/jumper shows gaining artistic inspiration and also riding and showing under trainer Cyndi Merritt.