Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete. An equestrian, she is remembered for taking top honors for the United States in Three-Day Eventing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad. Born Karen Elizabeth Wennberg, she was raised in the Boston suburbs and under the guidance of her mother, herself a horsewoman of note, took to riding early. She graduated from the Dana Hall School and from Manhattanville College and began making a name for herself in United States Combined Training Association (USCTA) events. Named Leading Lady Rider and USCTA Horse Woman of the Year for 1981, she represented the United States in the 1982 World Championships held in West Germany and while there became the beneficiary of a gift from her mother, a horse named Ben Arthur that she would ride for the remainder of her career. In 1984, she was named Mercedes Benz Horsewoman of the year and represented her country in the Olympics where she captured Silver in Individual Eventing and led the United States team to Gold in the Three-Day Eventing. She went on the take USCTA crowns in 1987 and 1988, then after leaving competition served as a judge and team selector while running and expanding her father's retail shoe business; she lived out her days in her home area, was a generous benefactor of her sport, and died of cancer. At her demise, the Karen Stives Center at Dana Hall carried her name.
Olympic Games Gold Medalist Athlete. An equestrian, she is remembered for taking top honors for the United States in Three-Day Eventing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad. Born Karen Elizabeth Wennberg, she was raised in the Boston suburbs and under the guidance of her mother, herself a horsewoman of note, took to riding early. She graduated from the Dana Hall School and from Manhattanville College and began making a name for herself in United States Combined Training Association (USCTA) events. Named Leading Lady Rider and USCTA Horse Woman of the Year for 1981, she represented the United States in the 1982 World Championships held in West Germany and while there became the beneficiary of a gift from her mother, a horse named Ben Arthur that she would ride for the remainder of her career. In 1984, she was named Mercedes Benz Horsewoman of the year and represented her country in the Olympics where she captured Silver in Individual Eventing and led the United States team to Gold in the Three-Day Eventing. She went on the take USCTA crowns in 1987 and 1988, then after leaving competition served as a judge and team selector while running and expanding her father's retail shoe business; she lived out her days in her home area, was a generous benefactor of her sport, and died of cancer. At her demise, the Karen Stives Center at Dana Hall carried her name.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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