Wellington, FL – May 28, 2010 – Dressage rider Todd Flettrich rode in a Steffen Peters clinic at Carol Cohen’s Two Swans Farm recently, continuing to stay at the top of his game in preparation for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Based in Coatesville, PA, and Wellington, FL, Flettrich has had a fantastic season with his mount Otto, a 13-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Rambo X Rampal), owned by Cherry Knoll Farm. The pair has earned several top placings throughout the country and is qualified to compete in the Selection Trials for the Games, which will determine who rides on the Team in Lexington, KY, this fall.
Flettrich spent two winters training with Steffen Peters in California earlier in his career, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to get some tips from the renowned rider during this important show season. “I think that Steffen is a super rider and trainer, and I feel that he has so much to offer to the sport,” Flettrich noted. “Steffen commented on similar things that I work on with Hubertus [Schmidt] and Oded [Shimoni], but he doesn’t see us on a regular basis, so his attention was brought right to our problems and he addressed them quickly. I rode Otto the first day in a snaffle and I rode him the next day in a double, and I thought the horse went great. Everything Steffen said was very helpful and I feel like I got so much out of working with him.”
Peters had great things to say about Flettrich and Otto following the clinic, stating, “I have known Todd for a long time and I consider him a good friend of mine. I watched Todd and Otto compete in Kentucky, so I had a few ideas for what we might work on in the clinic. The report that I gave him was nothing but positives and I think that Todd is a very strong contender for the Team this year.”
Along with watching Flettrich and Otto together, Peters also had the opportunity to ride Otto himself, and explained that it is always helpful to get a feel for the horse. “I think that there is only so much that you can see and I really appreciate that Todd allowed me to get on him for a few minutes,” Peters acknowledged. “What an amazing horse! He is just so willing and sensitive, and Todd did a wonderful job keeping him nice and light. He is everything that we want in a Grand Prix horse. Otto has amazing talent for piaffe and passage and he has a beautiful half-pass at the trot. There are many highlights, and to be honest, I didn’t see any weak points.”
Commenting on Flettrich’s riding, Peters said, “Todd has always been a very sensitive rider. I have seen him on some colder horses and now he is on a hotter horse and he is certainly adjusting perfectly. I think it is going to be very exciting to see him at a few shows in Europe, and then I am looking forward to seeing him at the trials at Gladstone.”
Todd Flettrich is based in Wellington, FL, has earned his USDF Silver and Gold Medals, and is a graduate of the USDF ‘L’ Judge Program. Flettrich competed at the North American Young Riders Championships (NAYRC) four times and won the Individual Gold Medal and Team Silver in 1991. Flettrich served as Region 1 Coach and Chef d’Equipe at NAYRC from 1988 through 1994. His student Catherine Malone won the Individual Gold in 2005. Flettrich’s current mounts are owned by Cherry Knoll Farm. For more information, call Todd Flettrich at 484-459-2749.
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