Tag Archives: Steffen Peters

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Vilhelmson-Silfven Wins at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

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Peters Claims Third in WDM Freestyle, Koford Finishes Second in WDM Grand Prix Special

Jim Koford & Rhett (Shannon Brinkman)

Wellington, FL – The World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by Wellington Classic Dressage concluded Saturday at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center with the WDM Grand Prix Special and the WDM Freestyle. Competition at the only North American stop in the World Dressage Masters Series presented by the Axel Johnson Group came to a close under the lights as the top seven combinations from Friday’s WDM Nürnberger Grand Prix performed their customized Freestyles. For a second time over the weekend, Steffen Peters led the U.S. effort, collecting third place, in the Freestyle scoring 80.175% with Legolas 92. However, the U.S. veteran was unable to best Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven who rode Don Auriello to victory with a score of 84.075%. The afternoon session hosted WDM Grand Prix Special competition, with Denmark’s Mikala Gundersen and My Lady topping the six horse field on a score of 69.479%. The sole American entry, Jim Koford and Rhett, finished in second place with a score of 67.167%.

WDM Freestyle

In her third attempt at claiming victory in the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach, Vilhelmson-Silfven was victorious on the strength of a powerful Freestyle performance. A floor plan choreographed to The Who for the 2012 London Olympic Games perfectly highlighted Don Auriello’s gaits and attitude, helping them to achieve a career best score.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, Phelps Media Group

Vilhelmson-Silfven Turns Tables on Kittel to Take Championship at WDM Palm Beach CDI5*

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Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello. Photos © SusanJStickle.com

Wellington, FL – January 26, 2013 – Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello rode the momentum from an enthusiastic crowd on Saturday evening to claim the 2013 World Dressage Masters (WDM) CDI5* Palm Beach championship. After finishing second to Swedish Olympic teammates Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic H B C in Friday’s Grand Prix CDI5* at WDM, Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello took it up a notch to seize victory in Saturday’s Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5*.

Vilhelmson-Silfven collected a personal best score of 84.075% for her electrifying freestyle performance. She received a standing ovation from the crowd as she exited the ring.

“It’s just such an honor to ride a horse like Don Auriello,” she said. “He is so fun to ride. He was enjoying himself with me, enjoying the time, enjoying the energy. It was a great atmosphere.”

Vilhelmson-Silfven has seen improvement in Don Auriello over the past months. “He’s getting stronger, more mature, developing, and it gets easier and easier to use his whole potential,” she explained.

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Sweden Rules WDM Nürnberger Grand Prix at the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

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Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Shannon Brinkman)

Wellington, FL – Fifteen horse and rider combinations went to task Friday afternoon in the WDM Nürnberger Grand Prix, the first leg of the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by Wellington Classic Dressage. Earning the top spot on day one was Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic HBC at the only North American stop in the World Dressage Masters Series presented by the Axel Johnson Group. The Swedish pair was awarded a score of 77.681% by the Ground Jury of Stephen Clarke, Isabel Judet, Gary Rockwell, Lois Yukins and Hans Christian Matthe. Leading the U.S. effort was Steffen Peters and Legolas 92, scoring 75.149% for third place.

Kittel was making his first appearance at the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by Wellington Classic Dressage but has already competed in Florida in 2013. He was not only pleased with his horse’s effort but also the atmosphere of the competition.

“To come here last week and do a show, he was perfect today. It was my best ride with this horse by far,” said the Swedish Olympian. “We’ve been treated really well here and the crowd is great.”

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Patrik Kittel Triumphs in Grand Prix at World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach

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Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandil H B C take the win in the Grand Prix

Wellington, FL – January 25, 2013 – Sweden’s No. 1 rider Patrik Kittel scored his personal best to win the FEI World Dressage Masters (WDM) Exquis Grand Prix CDI5* on Watermill Scandic H B C. The duo’s powerful and consistent ride featured buttery-smooth transitions, earning them a 77.681% against a field of 15 competitors at the Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center.

Kittel broke into a wide grin at the completion of his test, and his confidence was rewarded when the scores flashed on the board. The judge at “H,” Isabelle Judet of France, awarded Kittel and Scandic, a 14-year-old chestnut KWPN stallion, an 80.745%. A member of the Swedish team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games as well as the 2010 World Equestrian Games, he rode Scandic to victories at Falsterbo CDI5*, Rotterdam CDIO3* and Lingen CDI4* last summer.

“It was my personal best score, and I’m very, very happy with that,” Kittel said. He emphasized his horse’s improvement, explaining that Scandic is “in much better shape” now after their hard work over the past months. “After the Olympics, I thought a bit, and I changed a bit, and I worked a bit more on getting my horse more uphill in the canter, and that was much better,” he added.

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Ravel Makes His Final Competitive Appearance at the 2012 Olympic Games

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Steffen & Ravel during Thursday's Olympic Grand Prix Freestyle (Shannon Brinkman)

Greenwich, UK – The equestrian competition at the 2012 Olympic Games ended today and the U.S. medal drought continued. Steffen Peters and Ravel carried the weight of a nation into main arena for the Freestyle, which would determine the Individual medals, and the most consistently clutch combination in U.S. Dressage history didn’t have the day they were hoping for.

Great Britain did.

Charlotte Dujardin scored a historic 90.089% on Valegro to win Individual Gold on the heels of the Team Gold she scored earlier in the week. That Gold was the first dressage medal ever won by Great Britain, Dujardin and teammate Laura Bechtolsheimer (on Mistral Hojris), who won Bronze, tripled that count in one afternoon. Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival scored Silver for The Netherlands.

Ravel, who has been so reliable through the last four years, was visibly distracted during his test. Mistakes meant the mark suffered at 77.268%. This horse’s resume is clearly so much stronger. The 14-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Four Winds Farm was fourth individually at the 2008 Olympic Games; he won the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final, the 2009 Aachen CDIO, won two Bronze medals at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and has twice been the USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Champion. He’s a modern day legend for the American sport. But today was not his day.

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U.S. Olympic Dressage Team Finishes Sixth; Peters Advances to Freestyle

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Steffen Peters and Ravel (Shannon Brinkman)

Greenwich, UK – It was an historic day at Greenwich Park. Less than 24 hours after the British Show Jumping Team won its first Olympic Team Gold medal in 60 years, the British Dressage Team won its first Olympic medal ever, and it was Gold. They finished on a score of 79.979 to win Gold over Germany. The Netherlands won Bronze. The U.S. Dressage Team made a valiant run at a Team medal at Greenwich Park with some strong performances, but it simply wasn’t to be and they ended up sixth on a score of 72.435, behind Great Britain, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Steffen Peters led the way for Team USA scoring 76.254% to place seventh overall in the Grand Prix Special with Ravel.

Peters (San Diego, CA) rode last for the U.S. Team and he did everything he could to fight back into Team contention. Together with Four Wind Farms’ 14-year-old Dutch gelding, Peters was fourth individually at the 2008 Olympic Games, he will look to go better than that in the Freestyle on Thursday, which will decide the Individual medals.

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Steffen Peters Wins Sixth USEF National Grand Prix Dressage Championship

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Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (Susan J. Stickle)

Gladstone, NJ – Four years ago, Steffen Peters and Ravel, then an inexperienced 10-year-old, won the 2008 Grand Prix National Dressage Championship at the Festival of Champions in California. That performance earned the pair a trip to the Olympic Games where they were fourth. Four years later, an FEI World Cup title, a CHIO Aachen victory and two Bronze medals at the FEI World Equestrian Games later – Ravel was granted permission by the USEF selectors to not attend the 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions which was also serving as the USEF Selection Trial for the 2012 Olympic Games.

So Peters (San Diego, CA) brought Four Winds Farm’s Legolas 92 to the USET Foundation Headquarters instead. The result was the same. The 10-year-old Westphalian gelding, who was imported in December, has won his first National Championship. It is Peters’ sixth, tying the record previously set by Robert Dover.

Their score of 77.956% was enough to give them a four day average of 77.653% and left them less than one point clear of the runners-up Tina Konyot and Calecto V. They had the ride of their lives in Friday’s FEI Grand Prix but settled up second today and overall. Peters knew what he had to do to take the National title and he succeeded.

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Roenick, Uhlir and Davis Score 2012 National Dressage Championships; Peters Rolls in the Grand Prix

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Steffen Peters and Legolas 92, Olympic Grand Prix Special Winners (Photos by Susan J. Stickle)

Gladstone, NJ – Day two of the 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions produced the first three National Champions of 2012 in the Young Rider, Junior, and Pony Rider Divisions. It also featured the Grand Prix National Dressage Championship which also serves as the USEF Selection Trial for the 2012 Olympic Games – which finishes next Saturday.

Steffen Peters refused to loosen his grip on the Grand Prix title with Legolas 92 – repeating yesterday’s winning effort to close out the first half of that championship. Peters’ student, Brandi Roenick, who won the 2008 National Junior Dressage Championship with Pretty Lady, returned four years later to take the Young Rider National Dressage Championship with her beloved mare.

Ayden Uhlir won the USEF National Junior Dressage Championships with Sjapoer – holding on to her lead from yesterday. Barbara Davis won the final championship of weekend one, claiming victory in the National Pony Rider Dressage Championship.

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Peters Leads the Way in the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship

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Three Rising Stars Are Halfway to National Titles at the 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions

Steffen Peters and Legolas 92, Grand Prix Winners (Photos by Susan J. Stickle)

Gladstone, NJ – The first portion of four USEF National Dressage Championships got under way at the USET Foundation Headquarters Saturday. The Grand Prix National Dressage Championship got the day started in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena. All eyes were watching because this Championship also serves as the USEF Selection Trial for the US Dressage Team for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Ground Jury of Axel Steiner, Linda Zang, Hilda Gurney, Uwe Mechlem, Janet Foy and Natalie Lamping rotated throughout the day to judge the competitions.

The storied facility, which has been used for both training and competition for decades, hosts current champions, as well as future – the Young Rider, Junior and Pony Rider National Championships all got under way on day one of the 2012 USEF Dressage Festival of Champions.

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Steffen Peters Granted Request to Not Attend Dressage USEF Selection Trials

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Steffen Peters and Ravel at the 2011 Festival of Champions (Susan J. Stickle)

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announced today that Steffen Peters (San Diego, CA) has submitted a request to not attend the USEF Selection Trials for the 2012 U.S. Dressage Team for the 2012 Olympic Games with Four Winds Farm’s Ravel. These Trials will be held as part of the USEF Festival of Champions in Gladstone, NJ. The USEF Dressage Selectors met on May 24, 2012 and approved his request to be considered for the Short List/FEI Nominated Entry on the team without attending the USEF Selection Trials in accordance with USEF Olympic Games Selection Procedure.

The USEF Selection Procedure for Dressage for the 2012 Olympic Games states:

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