Danish Olympic dressage rider Lars Petersen and U.S. Grand Prix competitor Melissa Taylor married on Dec. 24, 2013, near Telluride Mountain Village, Colo.
While taking a break from their training and horse sales business on a skiing vacation, the couple surprised family and friends with their Christmas Eve nuptials. Guests had no idea about the wedding until the officiant showed up at the door to perform the ceremony.
“Lars didn’t take me seriously about getting married while on vacation. He didn’t know that it was actually going to happen until about two weeks beforehand,” Taylor, 43, said.
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Petersen and Taylor have been personal and business partners for about 10 years. Petersen moved to Florida in 2002, and Petersen and Taylor began their business partnership at Legacy Farms one year later. They’ve been operating the successful sales and training facility out of Wellington, Fla., since.
Petersen, 48, has stated he will eventually transition to riding for the United States after he obtains citizenship, though he plans to seek a spot on the Danish team for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (France) with Mariett.
