Tag Archives: Steffen Peters

Competitions, Dressage

USEF Festival of Champions Continues at PBIEC

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Laura Graves and Verdades. Photo Credit: ©MegBanks/EquestrianSportProductions, LLC.

Wellington, FL – December 9, 2015 – The USEF Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corporation continues tomorrow at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), home of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF), showcasing the nation’s best Small Tour and Large Tour combinations through Saturday, December 12.

Laura Graves of Geneva, FL and her own 2002 Dutch Warmblood gelding Verdades (Florett AS x Liwilarda) stole the show on the first day of competition, as the duo saved the best for last, receiving a 76.460% in the Grand Prix as the final competitors in the ring. Steffen Peters of San Diego, CA collected second and third place honors aboard Legolas 92, a 2002 Westphalian gelding (Laomedon x Furstin), and Rosamunde, a 2007 Rheinlander mare (Rock Forever x First Lady), both owned by Four Winds Farm. Peters and Legolas 92 earned a 74.220% for second place and a 72.620% aboard Rosamunde for third.

General admission and parking are free to the public, including entrance to the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, hosted under the lights at The Stadium at PBIEC, beginning at 7pm on Saturday, December 12.

All classes will be available via live stream coverage through the USEF Network.

Please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com for more information, including start times and full results.

Dressage, JRPR, Products/Services

Custom Saddlery to Award Saddles to Winners at U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions

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Steffen Peters (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (December 8, 2015) – Custom Saddlery, the Official Saddle of the United States Dressage Team and proud supporter of high performance dressage, will award Custom Saddles to the Grand Prix and Intermediaire I Championship winners at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp. The December 9-12 competition will be held at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival show grounds in Wellington, Florida, and will feature the nation’s top horse and athlete combinations in the Grand Prix and Intermediaire I divisions.

Custom Saddlery will also be cheering on the company’s sponsored riders, known as Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Riders (MVRs), who will be competing in the Championships, including Steffen Peters and Cesar Parra. Peters will ride Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92, a 13-year-old London Olympic Games veteran Westphalian gelding (Laomedon x Furstin/Florestan II), and Rosamunde, an eight-year-old Rheinlander mare (Rock Forever x First Lady/Fidermark) who has claimed victory in a variety of competitions both here and abroad. Peters will compete both horses in The Dutta Corp./USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship. Parra will be aboard his own Blickpunkt 4 Cavallias, a 10-year-old Westphalian stallion (Belissimo M x Fascination/Fidermark) who placed in the ribbons at both Dressage at Devon in October and at HITS on the Hudson in September. Parra will compete in The Dutta Corp./USEF Intermediaire I Dressage National Championship.

Custom Saddlery representatives will take part in the award ceremonies for both of the National Championships to present the winners with saddle gift certificates, so that the winning horse and rider duo can be expertly fitted for a saddle model that is perfect for them. With over 20 saddle models, Custom Saddlery’s team of expert saddle fitters across the United States is trained to meet all horses and riders’ performance and comfort needs.

The Grand Prix competition at the Festival of Champions will kick off on Wednesday, December 9 with the FEI Grand Prix test, then progress to the FEI Grand Prix Special on Thursday, December 10. After a day of rest, competition will resume with the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday, December 12. The Intermediaire I championship will begin with the FEI Prix St. Georges on Wednesday, December 9 and will continue with the FEI Intermediaire I on Thursday, December 10. The Intermediaire I competition will culminate with the I-1 Freestyle on Saturday, December 12.

Custom Saddlery is proud to support the United States Dressage Team and the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp. Custom Saddlery is committed to designing, producing, and fitting high-quality, customized saddles that are perfect matches for dressage’s most talented riders and their horses. For more information about Custom Saddlery and its variety of saddle models, visit www.mysaddle.com or call 1-800-235-3865.

For more information, contact:
Custom Saddlery, Cary Wallace
www.mysaddle.com
cary@mysaddle.com
1-800-235-3865

Community/Charity, Dressage

Steffen Peters Dressage Demonstration Added to Longines Masters of Los Angeles Program

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Photo credit Joseph Newcomb.

EEM and Olympic Dressage Rider Will Bridge the Gap between Disciplines during Longines Masters of Los Angeles CSI5* Show Jumping Competition

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 27, 2015) – EEM is proud to announce a world class dressage demonstration at the upcoming American leg of the Longines Masters series in Los Angeles, October 1-4. Local California Olympian and recent Pan American Games individual and team Gold medallist Steffen Peters will showcase all that the sport has to offer, teaching fans and spectators about another discipline of equestrian sports.

“Though we both share our competition rings with equine athletes, Dressage and Show Jumping are often considered completely separate,” said Peters. “I am thrilled to be taking part in the Longines Masters of Los Angeles to show fans the balance, strength, flexibility and accuracy of this sport, and show that we are united by more than our mutual passion for these beautiful animals.”

The Dressage Demonstration by Steffen Peters will take place on Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd and will feature a presentation explaining the sport, his approach, and his movements with the horse. The description will be brought to life with a Kür Grand Prix Freestyle to give spectators an example of Dressage competition.

“We strive to offer the best of our sport at the Longines Masters,” said EEM Founder and CEO Christophe Ameeuw. “With the addition of this program, we are delighted to welcome not only top-ranked international Show Jumpers, but also one of the most successful American Dressage riders of our generation. We are thrilled that Steffen Peters will be joining us to shed light on this amazing sport to our public.”

DETAILS:

WHAT: Dressage Demonstration by Steffen Peters
WHEN: Friday, October 2, 2015 and Saturday, October 3, 2015
WEBSITE: http://www.mastersgrandslam.com/en/longines_masters_los_angeles
TICKETING: Tickets are available at http://www.mastersgrandslam.com/en/ticketing

ABOUT THE LONGINES MASTERS
Established in three of the biggest cities – Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong – the Longines Masters series is recognized by the FEI Fédération Equestre Internationale and is one of the most prestigious equestrian competitions worldwide. Created by EEM, the concept of the Masters was born in 2009 with the first edition of the Gucci Paris Masters, now renamed the Longines Masters of Paris. Inspired by the Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, the circuit rapidly developed abroad, with the Longines Masters of Hong Kong in 2013 and the Longines Masters of Los Angeles in 2014.

The world’s best riders and horses will compete for one million dollars in prize money at each leg of the series. In addition, any rider who consecutively wins the Longines Grand Prix in Paris, Hong Kong and Los Angeles will be rewarded with one million euros Master Grand Slam Bonus. For two successive victories, the rider will be awarded €500,000, and winners of two non-successive victories within a series of three Longines Grand Prix will receive a €250,000 bonus.

EEM’s objective is to create emblematic events that showcase the magic of show jumping and put equestrian sport in the international spotlight. These events are broadcast in more than 120 countries and reach almost 550 million viewers. Every edition of the Masters is a monumental event that brings together sports enthusiasts, amateurs, celebrities and corporate decision-makers from around the world, who come to enjoy a unique experience, boasting exceptional sport, entertainment, glamour, gastronomy and contemporary art.

Longines Masters of Los Angeles October 1 to 4, 2015
Longines Masters of Paris December 3 to 6, 2015
Longines Masters of Hong Kong February 19 to 21, 2016

For more information, please visit: www.mastersgrandslam.com.

PR CONTACTS
Sunshine Sachs
Sarit Schneider | Alyssa Furnari
LAMasters@SunshineSachs.com
212 691 2800 | 323 822 9300

Dressage, JRPR, Pan American Games

Premier Equestrian Congratulates Team USA on Bringing Home Gold at Pan American Games

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Silver medalist Laura Graves and Verdades during their freestyle at the 2015 Pan American Games in a Premier Equestrian Brentina Arena (Photo courtesy of Red Bay Group, LLC)

Toronto, Canada (July 15, 2015) – Premier Equestrian, maker of world-class dressage arenas, arena footing, and horse jumps, was thrilled to watch the U.S. Dressage Team take the 2015 Pan American Games by storm. The company was especially excited to cheer on Steffen Peters and Laura Graves, who use Premier’s products and have been dubbed “Premier Equestrians” by the company. After helping the U.S. to Team Gold, Peters earned the Individual Gold medal and Graves took home Individual Silver. The Team Gold medal, earned with a team total score of 460.506, guarantees the U.S. a spot in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Team USA claimed victory at the Pan Ams in a Premier Equestrian Brentina Arena. “The Brentina Arena and three foot flower boxes were provided through our Canadian distributor, System Fencing,” reported Kathryn Rustad, Premier Equestrian’s Internal Marketing Director. “The arena has been used at many world-class competitions. Top facilities seek out the Brentina Arena because of its unique safety features and its elegance.”

The revolutionary design of the Brentina Arena solves problems previously associated with multi-rail arenas. “The 18 inch base cone is extremely stable in high wind and the rails snap into each base to release upon any force or impact, thus providing safety for horse and rider,” Rustad explains.

The arena is named after Olympian and fellow “Premier Equestrian” Debbie McDonald’s famous mare, Brentina. “We are very particular about what equipment we use in our training facility,” said McDonald. “Not only did this arena pass our inspection, but we felt it was such an exceptional design providing form and function with the highest degree of safety, that we gave it our finest approval by naming it the Brentina Arena.”

Laura Graves, Silver medalist in Tuesday’s Freestyle competition, trained in preparation for the Pan American Games under McDonald at Rivergrove Farm in Hailey, Idaho. Graves, a self-proclaimed underdog with what is shaping up to be a “fairytale” story according to CNN, has had a journey to international success that has caught the eyes of many equestrian enthusiasts. She and her Dutch Warmblood Verdades (Florett AS- Liwilarda, Goya), known as “Diddy,” have captured the hearts and the attention of spectators around the world. Purchased in The Netherlands, based solely on a video, Diddy arrived as a fiery and “explosive” six-month-old. The now thirteen-year-old Diddy grew up on the Graves’ family farm in Vermont, and then moved with Graves to Geneva, Florida, where the duo began their dressage career.

Peters and Legolas 92, a thirteen-year-old Westfalen gelding owned by Four Winds Farm LLC, battled impressive rides, especially from the host country riders. After the team competition results were final, Peters stated, “The Canadians did a wonderful job. They rode extremely well. I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind that we might not be going to the Olympics. It kept me fired up enough to put in the performance that we did.”

USA claimed the Team Gold medal on Sunday, and finished out the Pan American Games with red, white, and blue leading the scoreboard. Peters brought his best to the show ring for the Intermediate I Grand Prix Freestyle, on his mount, Legolas 92, scoring a 80.075 percent to earn first, with Graves and Verdades following at a 79.825 percent.

Premier Equestrian proclaimed “a big congratulations to team USA for their win, and to our Premier Equestrians, Steffen Peters and Laura Graves!” Premier Equestrians are riders who have demonstrated sportsmanship, generated awareness for horse sports, or have been outstanding in his or her contribution to equestrian culture.

Premier Equestrian’s world-renowned expert arena footing, dressage arenas, and revolutionized horse jumps are crafted and designed to be perfect for riders of any level. Learn more about the company and its outstanding Premier Equestrians at www.PremierEquestrian.com.

For more information contact:
Heidi Zorn, Premier Equestrian
1-800-611-6109
www.PremierEquestrian.com
heidi@dressagearena.net

Competitions, Dressage, Pan American Games

Double-Gold and Individual Silver for USA in Pan-American Games Dressage

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(L to R) Laura Graves (USA) silver, Steffen Peters (USA) gold, and Chris von Martels (CAN) bronze. (FEI/StockImageServices.com)

Lausanne (SUI), 14 July 2015 – America’s Steffen Peters and Laura Graves today added individual gold and silver to the team title secured on Sunday at the Pan-American Games 2015 in Toronto, Canada where the host nation’s Chris von Martels scooped individual bronze this afternoon.

The result is a sensational fifth consecutive Pan-American team victory for the Americans, bringing their tally to eight team and nine individual Dressage titles in the 64-year history of the event, and earning a team berth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

And it was a back-to-back double of individual gold for Peters who, although he didn’t surpass the Pan-American Games record score of 80.132 which he set at Guadalajara in Mexico four years ago with Weltino’s Magic, came close when posting 80.075 for today’s individual win with Legolas.

Team competition

The Americans took the lead from the outset of the team competition and held on for gold, but the host Canadians chased them all the way to the line to claim silver, while Brazil just pipped Mexico for the bronze. Results were combined from two days of mixed Small and Big Tour competition that began with Prix St George and Grand Prix last Saturday (11 July), and only teams with Grand Prix combinations were eligible for the single Olympic berth on offer so only USA, Canada, Mexico and Brazil were in that race.

US stalwart, Steffen Peters, posted the biggest Grand Prix score of the day with Legolas at 77.240, and when added to Laura Graves’ 75.080 with Verdades, and Kimberly Herslow’s 75.184 in the Prix St George the first-day US tally was 230.504. Three scores from each team were taken into account, so Sabine Schut-Kery and Sanceo’s 71.790 in the Prix St George was the team discard.

However, the Canadians were hot on their heels when Brittany Fraser and All In scored 76.105 and Chris Von Martels and Zilverstar posted 75.026. Of the Canadian Big Tour pairs it was Belinda Trussell and Anton who scored highest with 74.949, Megan Lane and Caravella awarded 72.400 for the discard. And going into Sunday’s decider Canada trailed the USA by just 4.433 points while the three-member Mexican side of Jesus Palacios (Wizard Banamex), Jose Padilla (Donnersberg) and Bernadette Pujals (Heslegaards Rolex) lay only 0.203 points ahead of Brazil’s Joao Paulo Dos Santos (Veleiro do Top), Sarah Waddell (Donelly 3), Joao Victor Marcari Oliva (Xama dos Pinhais) and Leandro Aparecido da Silva (D Caprio).

Plenty of pressure

There was plenty of pressure as the action got underway on Sunday in the Intermediaire 1 and FEI Grand Prix Special, but the Americans stood firm, bolstered by personal-best scores from both Graves in the Special and Herslow in the Intermediaire 1, and backed up by Peters‘ 72.667 while Schut-Kery posted 73.533. Their final tally of 460.506 moved them just over 5.5 points ahead of the Canadians to secure the gold at the end of the day, while the Brazilians leap-frogged the Mexicans for the bronze.

US Chef d’Equipe, Robert Dover, said his team’s great result “showed that our Small Tour horses are beautifully trained and our Big Tour combinations showed why they are ranked seventh and eighth in the world right now. What could be better for a Chef d’Equipe than to bring a team and have them earn personal bests at a very important moment. Having earned qualification for the Olympic Games, it allows us to now focus and put our energy into preparing for Rio (2016 Olympic Games).”

Graves, whose meteoric rise to prominence only began in the lead-up to last summer’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy where she sensationally finished tenth individually with Verdades, was delighted with her personal-best 77.177 in the Grand Prix Special. “He was amazing out there, really on again today!” she said of her horse. “He loves Toronto!” Graves and Verdades and Peters and Legolas were key players in the US team that lined up fourth in Normandy behind the three European powerhouses of Germany, Great Britain and The Netherlands who earned the three Olympic berths on offer there.

Paid tribute

Steffen Peters paid tribute to the silver medallists. “The Canadians did a wonderful job. They rode extremely well and gave us quite the run – it wasn’t easy!” he said.

Canada’s Belinda Trussell, an Olympian and three-time competitor at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ who was lining out in her first Pan American Games said, after scoring 76.578 in the Grand Prix Special, “I think, for Canada, that this Games has pushed us to a new level. To be coming away (from the team event) with nothing below 70 per cent, and highlights of 76 per cent, has never been done. It’s really exciting for Canada. We are so pumped as a nation, and pumped to go forward to the next Games. We are international contenders – there is huge excitement!” she added.

Individual medals

And the excitement continued today when a total of 21 horse-and-rider combinations lined out to contest the individual medals. Of these, 17 performed Intermediaire 1, while the final four Big Tour partnerships performed the Freestyle.

With just six left to go, von Martels and Zilverstar rocketed to the top of the leaderboard with a percentage score of 79.500 for his Intermediaire test. Judge at M, Great Britain’s Stephen Clarke, awarded 81.500 and at judge at H, America’s Lilo Fore, awarded 80.750, and all five Ground Jury members put the Canadian temporarily into first place.

The 32-year-old rider from Ontario held on to the advantage until overtaken by Peters and Legolas who posted the first, and only, over-80 per cent score when third-last into the arena. Fore, Clarke and Ground Jury President Elizabeth McMullan chose this pair for the no. 1 spot this time around, setting the new target at 80.075. And when, last to go, 27-year-old Graves and Verdades collected 79.825 they scooped silver and pinned von Martels and Zilverstar back to bronze. It was an extremely close-fought affair, with only 0.575 separating the three medal-winners.

After Sunday’s Grand Prix Special, Peters admitted to having some issues in the execution of his test, but today he put all that behind him and came out once again with all guns blazing. “I’m still on cloud nine!” he said, shortly after the prizegiving.

A good job

“On Sunday Legolas did a good job but I didn’t do my best riding job, so I wanted to prove today that Legolas deserves to be one of top horses in the world. I gave it every bit of my strength and he produced a wonderful clean test. And on top of that he allowed me to be within a tenth of a second to the music so we had high artistic scores,” he explained.

“This season we have had a few ups and downs, so to finish so strong in the last test of the season – I can hardly describe how I feel right now!” he added. When asked about team-mate Laura Graves’ close silver-medal finish, Peters continued, “I knew before the competition today that it would be awfully close. I saw her doing a beautiful clean test, so the tension to last second today was quite something. I have to admit I got very emotional when Legolas was called out the winner!”

And the 50-year-old rider was quick to refer back to his US team-mates and the success they have achieved over the last few days. “Let’s not forget that every single rider, including the fourth horse, contributed to the team gold medal. There was a combination of drop scores, so everyone did their job, and it is a fantastic group of people – all good-hearted athletes. It’s quite something to win with wonderful friends you almost have to call family!” he said.

Facts and Figures:

Victory in the team competition has secured a qualifying spot for the USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This was another record-breaking performance from the Americans who already held the record for four consecutive team victories, and have now increased that to five.

16 nations were represented in Dressage at the 17th Pan-American Games while 10 countries fielded teams.

The Ground Jury consisted of: Hans Matthiesen DEN, Stephen Clarke GBR, Maribel Alonso MEX, Elizabeth McMullan CAN (President) and Lilo Fore USA.

A total of 21 horse-and-rider combinations competed for the individual medals.

The list of teams so far qualified in Dressage for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games now includes, Brazil (automatic qualification), Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands (placings at Alltech FEI World Equestiran Games™ 2014 in Normandy), Australia (best ranked team from Olympic Group F or G at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy), and USA (single qualifier from Pan-American Games 2015 in Toronto, Canada).

Countries can also qualify “composite” teams. For full details of Olympic DRESSAGE qualification opportunities, and list of teams, check out this link: http://fei.org/system/files/Dressage%20-%20Rio%202016%20-%20Qualification%20System_13July%202015.pdf.

The next major Olympic qualification opportunity is at the forthcoming FEI European Championships in Aachen, Germany, 11-23 August 2015, where 3 further places are on offer.

History: Argentina staged the very first Pan American Games from 25 February to 9 March 1951 in its capital, Buenos Aires. A total of 22 countries took part, with four – Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico – competing in the three equestrian events. Just three riders from Argentina and Chile lined out in the Dressage discipline, with Chile taking team gold as well as individual gold and bronze. Individual champion was Jose Larrain with Rappel. At this 17th Pan American Games 64 years later, Argentina finished fifth, behind Mexico, in the Dressage team event on a score of 201.016.

Find out more about the Pan-American Games 2015 here and check out the programme of events here. Results are available here.

By Louise Parkes

Media contact:
At Toronto:
Jean Llewellyn
Press Officer
Jean.Llewellyn@Toronto2015.org

Dressage, Pan American Games, USEF

Peters and Graves Earn Individual Medals at Pan American Games

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Individual Medalists at the Pan American Games (StockImageServices.com)

Caledon, Ont. – The United States Dressage Team bids a fond farewell to the Pan American Games as they depart the Caledon Equestrian Park with Team Gold medals, an Individual Gold medal for Steffen Peters and Legolas 92, an Individual Silver medal for Laura Graves and Verdades, and a 2016 Olympic Games berth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The week was marked by team success, invaluable experience, and ambitious optimism about the future.

The final day of dressage competition saw 21 athlete-and-horse combinations performing their FEI Intermediaire I Freestyles for the Small Tour and FEI Grand Prix Freestyles for the Big Tour.

Decorated American dressage athlete Peters and Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92 performed the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle with their usual skill, expression, and excellence, earning a huge score of 80.075%. Speaking to the highlights of the test, Peters said, “He kept the cadence from the passage and the piaffe felt huge, the passage in the half-pass felt just as big as the half-passes on the straight line, his changes were clean, and he did not make a mistake – that in itself is a huge highlight for Legolas.”

Peters and Legolas 92 have the distinction of earning both Team and Individual Gold medals at these games. In addition, Peters won the Team and Individual Gold medals at the 2011 Pan American Games on Weltino’s Magic. FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI World Cup veterans, Peters and Legolas 92 are beacons of U.S. dressage achievement.

“I had to work today; he was very relaxed, and I gave it all,” said Peters. “This is just like the Olympic Games; there is no difference. From this morning, I had that mindset – we have to do this; we have to bring it home. Legolas gave it his all; he was just as good [today] as he was in the Grand Prix on the first day [Saturday]. What an awesome feeling; I am so extremely proud of him. For him to finish the season like this, it is just fantastic.”

The final combination to appear in Individual competition was the consistently successful team of Graves and her own Verdades. Always competitive in the best of company, they performed with characteristic accuracy and animation to achieve a score of 79.825% and earn the Individual Silver medal. The pair has had a career of ascending success including a fourth place team finish at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and a fourth place individual finish at the 2015 FEI World Cup Finals.

“Today we went in and did the best we could. It’s for yourself, so even though I am not as high as I was on Sunday, I am so thrilled to have another American on the top of the podium and a Canadian who rode extremely well this morning in Bronze,” said Graves of her Silver medal finish. “The highlight for me this week was really our Team Gold – that is what we came here for. To finish with a Silver medal next to Steffen is amazing.”

Kimberly Herslow and Kiroli Enterprises LLC’s Rosmarin were the first U.S. combination to enter the arena. Having achieved personal best scores on Saturday and Sunday, the pair produced a solid, though less precise, performance and earned a score of 73.175%. Explains Herslow, “My horse ran out of gas today. I think we did a super warm-up, but a shorter one would have been better. He still tried for me; he got flustered after the first mistake [in the first pirouette] and it just compounded after that because he does not usually make mistakes.” Herslow was proud of her efforts on behalf of the U.S. team. “I am still ecstatic about our prior two days competing for the team, and bringing that Gold back to the U.S.”

Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover praised the efforts of his human and equine athletes and is excited about their prospects.

“I could not be more thrilled and proud of my riders and everybody that contributed – their horses are obviously incredible. I am very hopeful that the depth in our country will continue improving and will be prepared to contend for a medal in Rio [at the Olympic Games].”

Canada’s Chis Von Martels and Zilverstar earned the Individual Bronze medal with a score of 79.500%.

Complete Individual Results

The FEI Bulletin released Monday night explains the series of events that lead to Sabine Schut-Kery and Sanceo not being permitted to compete in Individual competition. It is a great disappointment that a logical decision was agreed to by all parties and that subsequent and unnecessary actions were then taken by two countries. The USEF would like to express gratitude to Schut-Kery and Alice Womble, owner of Sanceo, who have been very understanding and gracious during this difficult process; they have been outstanding members of the U.S. Team.

Behind the Scenes with the U.S. Teams: USEF Sport Director Will Connell’s Blog

From the USEF Communications Department

Dressage, Pan American Games, USEF

US Pan American Dressage Team Has Sights Set On Olympic Qualification

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Laura Graves and Verdades (StockImageServices.com)

Caledon, Ont. – The 2015 Pan American Games equestrian competition will begin tomorrow with dressage. New for the 2015 Pan American Games, dressage teams may be comprised of both Small Tour and Big Tour combinations. The following nations have entered at least one Grand Prix combination in team competition and are thus eligible to compete for 2016 Olympic qualification: Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The remaining six teams have entered Small Tour combinations only, but are still eligible to compete for team medals. Competition gets underway tomorrow at the Caledon Equestrian Park with the first day of team competition. Small Tour combinations will contest the FEI Prix St. Georges test, while Big Tour competitors will perform the FEI Grand Prix test. All United States horses passed inspection yesterday. There were two draws, one for each tour, and the U.S. has drawn fifth in the order for the Small Tour and fourth in the order for the Big Tour. The U.S. will ride in the following order with Small Tour combinations competing first, followed by Big Tour:

  1. Sabine Schut-Kery and Sanceo (11:34 a.m. ET)
  2. Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin (2:39 p.m. ET)
  3. Laura Graves and Verdades (4:27 p.m. ET)
  4. Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (5:12 p.m. ET)

The stakes are high as the team of Laura Graves, Steffen Peters, Kimberly Herslow, and Sabine Schut-Kery aim to qualify the U.S. for the 2016 Olympic Games. Direct qualification will be secured by earning the Pan American Games Team Gold medal.

“All our U.S. combinations had a wonderful warm-up in the main arena today and I feel extremely confident in their ability to excel in each phase of competition,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor Robert Dover. “We are focused on achieving Olympic qualification and realistically this means we need to win Team Gold. We are ready for this challenge.”

Graves, of Plymouth, Fla., will ride down center line on her own Verdades, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding. Graves and Verdades made their international debut last year and were on the U.S. Team at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, where they earned fifth place in the Grand Prix Freestyle and helped the U.S. Team to a fourth-place finish. In 2015, Graves and Verdades had another spectacular finish on the world stage, taking fourth place individually at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Las Vegas.

Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (StockImageServices.com)
Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (StockImageServices.com)

Peters, of San Diego, Calif., will partner with Four Winds Farm’s 13-year-old Westphalian gelding Legolas 92. Peters is one of the most successful dressage athletes ever to represent the U.S., having participated in three Olympic Games, three FEI World Equestrian Games, and four FEI World Cup Dressage Finals. At the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Peters rode Weltino’s Magic to Team and Individual Gold medals. Upon the retirement of his famed mount Ravel, Peters has continued his winning ways with Legolas 92. In 2014, the pair clinched their third consecutive The Dutta Corp./USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship title. In 2015, they performed beautifully at the Aachen CDI5* Grand Prix to finish in third place.

Herslow, of Stockton, N.J., will ride Kiroli Enterprises LLC’s Rosmarin, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Competing in the Small Tour classes, the duo began the 2015 season in top form as they helped the U.S. Team to victory in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup in Wellington, Fla. Competing in Europe for the first time this summer, Herslow piloted Rosmarin to wins in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I at CDI4* Achleiten and CDI1* München-Riem.

Also successful in Small Tour classes and competing as a member of the U.S. Pan American Dressage Team is Schut-Kery, of Thousand Oaks, Calif. Schut-Kery will pilot Alice Womble’s Sanceo, a nine-year-old Hanoverian stallion. Schut-Kery has competed Sanceo since his five-year-old year, forging a long and successful partnership. This year, the pair has had tremendous success on both U.S. coasts with wins in California and Florida. Extending their efforts to Europe, they were third in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I at CDI4* Achleiten and second and third, respectively, in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I at CDI1* München-Riem.

Poised and focused, the U.S. Pan American Dressage Team will be a formidable competitor at the 2015 Pan American Games.

Pan American Games Order of Go and Results

Behind the Scenes with the U.S. Teams: USEF Sport Director Will Connell’s Blog

From the USEF Communications Department

Dressage, JRPR

United States Premier Equestrians Make Top Ten in FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings

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Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Photos courtesy of Premier Equestrian)

Sandy, Utah (June 9, 2015) – Truly successful equestrians settle for nothing less than the best for themselves and their horses. So it’s no surprise that out of all the dressage riders in the United States, the two who rank highest in the FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings love Premier Equestrian. Steffen Peters and Laura Graves, known as “Premier Equestrians” by this leading arena, footing, and jump manufacturer, are now ranked nine and ten, respectively, in the world. It is believed to have been at least six years since American riders have achieved two of the top ten rankings in the world at once – since July, 2009, in fact, when Peters was also one of the two top-ranked U.S. riders.

In the FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings released on May 31, 2015, Peters and Legolas 92, a thirteen-year-old Westfalen gelding owned by Four Winds Farm LLC, moved from the eleventh slot to the ninth. The pair’s most recent successes include placing third at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final I Grand Prix with a score of 76.843 percent. Show ring victories don’t stop there for Peters, of San Diego, California. In his final show of the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad – a CDI4* Grand Prix in Achleiten, Austria – Peters took first place on his newer mount, Rosamunde. Their winning score was 74.560, only four months after Rosamunde (an eight-year-old Rhinelander mare owned by Four Winds Farm) began showing in the Big Tour.

Laura Graves and her own thirteen-year-old KWPN gelding Verdades (Florett AS-Liwilarda, Goya) – who Graves got as a six-month old and has ridden to international success since – retained their tenth slot in the FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings since last month. Graves is currently focusing on training with Olympian Debbie McDonald, who is also a proud Premier Equestrian. Graves and Verdades, who Graves calls “Diddy”, achieved a fourth place and score of 79.125 percent in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix Freestyle, and have not competed since. With that competition and her time in Hailey, Idaho with McDonald under her belt, the Geneva, Florida based Graves will be a formidable competitor in the 2015 Pan American Games in July.

Laura Graves and Verdades
Laura Graves and Verdades

Premier Equestrian, based in Sandy, Utah, congratulates Peters and Graves on putting double United States dressage talent in the FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings top ten. “A ‘Premier Equestrian’ is an equestrian who has been outstanding in his or her contribution to horses, riding, and equestrian culture; and who has achieved a high level of competition, generated awareness of the sport, and shared knowledge,” explains Premier Equestrian’s president Heidi Zorn. “Steffen and Laura do this so well, and we are proud to work with them.”

The company is globally recognized for its expert arena footing, premier dressage arenas, and revolutionizing horse jumps. The research behind Premier’s effective products, the materials they are created from, and the living testimonials of horses and riders who use them – like Graves, Peters, and McDonald – explain why Premier Equestrian is a leader in its market. Learn more about the company and its outstanding Premier Equestrians at www.PremierEquestrian.com.

For more information contact:
Heidi Zorn, Premier Equestrian
1-800-611-6109
www.PremierEquestrian.com
heidi@dressagearena.net

Dressage, JRPR, Pan American Games

Riders Named to 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad

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Steffen Peters will compete on Legolas 92 (pictured) and Rosamunde in the Big Tour in the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad (Photo courtesy of JRPR).

Aiken, SC (May 12, 2015) – Custom Saddlery is proud to announce that three of the outstanding riders the company sponsors have been named to the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad. Steffen Peters, Kathleen Raine, and Sabine Schut-Kery were chosen to compete for the chance to represent Team USA in the 2015 Pan American Games to be held from July 10-26 in Toronto, Canada. “We’re just so blessed here at Custom Saddlery to have some of the world’s best riders,” says Custom Saddlery’s saddlefitter Sarah Boothe, expressing the sentiment of the company, which is the Official Saddle of the United States Dressage Team through the 2016 Olympics.

Olympian Steffen Peters recently earned a third place ranking in the Grand Prix at the 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Las Vegas, riding in his Custom saddle. To achieve this placing, Peters and his mount Legolas 92 scored an incredible 76.832 percent. The year so far has been flowing in Peters’ favor, as he can already boast wins in Wellington, Florida and San Juan Capistrano, California, amongst others. Peters has been riding in Custom Saddles for a large portion of his riding career, and will once again rely on the brand during his performances in the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad. “We’re thrilled to have worked with Steffen for over a decade now,” says Boothe. Peters has been named not once but twice to the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad – the Californian will compete in the Big Tour on both Legolas 92, a 2002 Westphalian gelding, and Rosamunde, a 2007 Rheinlander mare. Both horses are owned by Four Winds Farm.

Kathleen Raine, also hailing from California, is an influential figure in the dressage community, constantly proving herself a talented and experienced competitor in the sport. She started off 2015 strong, competing at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. Raine and Breanna – a 2001 Hanoverian mare owned by Raine, Jennifer Mason, and David Wightman – received high placings in the Grand Prix and also took home first place in the Grand Prix Special in the CDI5* competition. Raine is an accomplished trainer, co-owning Adventure Farm training facility with her husband David Wightman. Raine and Breanna have been named to the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad to compete in the Big Tour.

Sabine Schut-Kery and Alice Womble’s Sanceo, a 2006 Hanoverian stallion Sanceo, have been named to the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad to compete in the Small Tour. The duo has been a pair to watch this year, already winning multiple competitions at FEI Prix St. George and Intermediate levels. Schut-Kery has been riding Sanceo since he was three years old, and their familiarity with one another shows as they continue to deliver solid performances in the ring. Schut-Kery was a part of the USDF Amateur Program in 2014, traveling around her home state of California giving amateur clinics. “She really gives back a lot of her time to the dressage community,” explains Boothe of Schut-Kery’s dedication to the sport.

Kathleen Raine will compete Breanna in the Big Tour (Photo courtesy of Sheryl L Ross Photography).
Kathleen Raine will compete Breanna in the Big Tour (Photo courtesy of Sheryl L Ross Photography)

Custom Saddlery strives to make saddles that provide both riders and their horses with comfort and the ability to perform to their full potentials. Anyone who has tried out a Custom saddle knows that the perfect saddle can make a great difference in the show ring. “People just have to sit in a Custom saddle one time,” Boothe comments. “Once they sit in the saddle, it changes their position and the way the horse goes. I’ve seen horses that are very short-strided fitted with a Custom saddle that opens their shoulders and gives them the freedom to move correctly. I’ve watched countless horses evolve just by changing the saddle.” Custom Saddlery is excited to watch Peters, Raine, and Schut-Kery compete in the 2015 Dressage Pan American Games European CDI Observation Event Squad, and is proud to supply them with saddles that can help propel them toward the 2015 Pan American Games.

To learn more about Custom Saddlery and discover a saddle designed just for you and your horse, visit www.mysaddle.com or call 1-800-235-3865.

For more information contact:
Custom Saddlery, Cary Wallace
www.mysaddle.com
cary@mysaddle.com
1-800-235-3865

Dressage, FEI, USEF

USEF Statement on Steffen Peters’ Elimination at 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final

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Las Vegas, Nevada – Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 were eliminated from the Grand Prix Freestyle in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final today following the discovery of a small amount of blood on the horse’s side at the post-competition check.

In accordance with the FEI Dressage Rules, the FEI Steward reported the finding of blood to the Judge at C, Liselotte Fore, who eliminated Peters and Legolas 92. Under Article 430.7.6 of the FEI Dressage Rules, elimination is automatic in the case of blood anywhere on the horse.

“Sadly Legolas did have a tiny bit of red on one side following his test, the rules are clear and we understand the decision that was made,” said Robert Dover, U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor. “Steffen is the ultimate sportsman and true ambassador for the sport who has successfully represented his country in international competition for decades. When you watch riders, like Steffen, who are so loving and sympathetic to their horses, have something completely unexpected happen, all you can feel is immense empathy and sadness for them.”

The USEF holds equine welfare paramount and fully supports the decision of the FEI officials.

From the USEF Communications Department