Steffen Peters and Floriano Win USEF Grand Prix at USET Foundation Dressage Festival of Champions presented by Paul Miller, Inc. at Gladstone
California riders claimed the top three spots in the USEF Grand Prix today at the USET Foundation Dressage Festival of Champions presented by Paul Miller, Inc. in Gladstone, New Jersey. Three-time Olympian Steffen Peters of San Diego riding Floriano, a 16-year-old chestnut Westphalian gelding owned by Laurelyn Browning, claimed victory with a score of 74.500%. Two riders tied for second place - Guenter Seidel of Cardiff and Leslie Morse of Beverly Hills both earned 71.583%. Three-time Olympian Seidel was in the irons on his 2004 Athens Olympic Games mount, Aragon, a 14-year-old gray Bavarian warmblood owned by Richard and Jane Brown. Morse was aboard her 12-year-old Swedish warmblood stallion Tip Top 962, her mount for the 2006 World Cup Dressage Final.
These three riders topped the class of 12 competitors competing in the first of three tests that will be held at the festival, June 15-18, for the 2006 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Championship/World Equestrian Games Selection Trials. Today’s Grand Prix test counted for 45%; the USEF Grand Prix Special test on Saturday, June 17, will count for 35%; and the USEF Grand Prix Freestyle test on Sunday, June 18, will account for 20%. The combined scores according to the above percentages comprise the rider/horse combinations’ final average at the Selection Trials.
Peters chose to go for it on the first day of competition. “I took a lot of risks today in the extensions,” said Peters. He noted that he was especially pleased with Floriano’s expressive passage. “It all worked out great today.” In the awards ceremony following the competition, Floriano exhibited some excited moves – even standing on his hind legs, and Peters explained that he was glad to see that the older gelding still has that spark in him. “He’s a hotter horse and that is why he is still going so strong.”
With the World Equestrian Games looming (August 20-September 3 in Aachen, Germany) Peters said that he does not expect to improve his horse’s performance beyond today’s 74-percentile mark and if he and Floriano were selected for the team he would be very happy to stay at the 74-percentile mark, which is likely the highest score this horse could achieve. “In the last centerline, he anticipated the piaffe a tiny bit but overall he was so in front of my aids,” Peters explained, “and he had so much energy, but was still very relaxed in the walk and the canter work, so I think this is as good as it gets.”
While Peters took risks, Seidel said that he rode conservatively today. “Except for a few obvious mistakes, I was very happy with my ride.” Seidel explained that he used the Grand Prix to feel Aragon out a bit prior to the upcoming weekend competitions and that he went for a careful ride in the first round. “If you push too much, he can become a little tense and hectic.” Aragon has previously earned 10s for his classic piaffe, but not today. “The first two weren’t as good as he can be,” Seidel admitted, “but the last was much better.” Seidel explained that the difference in the piaffe performances had to do with Aragon’s through-ness and overall response to the leg today. Seidel stated that he planned to push the horse more on Saturday.
Morse said she was very pleased with her ride. “He stayed with me most of the ride and I was very happy with him.” Morse noted that she was especially pleased with how her stallion handled the crowd and the venue in his first competition at Gladstone. “He stayed who he was and he was really good.” She admitted that Tip Top could have showed himself more in the piaffe and been quicker off her aids. “But overall, it was one of the best rides I’ve had,” she enthused. Morse revealed that she might have warmed Tip Top up too long because he had been very fresh in the morning and even did a little bucking in their morning walk on the grounds. “I wanted to go in and do a good, clean ride and build from there.”
With her eye on a berth to the World Equestrian Games, Morse noted that she and her stallion are constantly evolving and plan to keep improving as that competition draws near. “We’re constantly trying to get better at this,” she said, and noted that it was her responsibility to get her horse as strong and fit and solid as possible. “Every show we are moving up. I presume by August, absolutely we will take it to another level. That’s our goal, and that’s what we will work very hard to do.”
Officiating were four USA “I” judges: Jessica Ransehousen, Hilda Gurney; Anne Gribbons; and Janet Foy; the foreign judge was German “O” judge Uwe Mechlem.
- copyright Mary Hilton-USET/Photo credit: Susan Stickle -
Find out more about the tack quick drop service at Windsong Dressage and Equestrian Center. If you have questions you can email Ulla Hudson, our German Certified Instructor.
Windsong Dressage and Equestrian Center
#733, Route 344, Cedar Grove, Edgewood, NM, 87015, USA
505-615-5050
California riders claimed the top three spots in the USEF Grand Prix today at the USET Foundation Dressage Festival of Champions presented by Paul Miller, Inc. in Gladstone, New Jersey. Three-time Olympian Steffen Peters of San Diego riding Floriano, a 16-year-old chestnut Westphalian gelding owned by Laurelyn Browning, claimed victory with a score of 74.500%. Two riders tied for second place - Guenter Seidel of Cardiff and Leslie Morse of Beverly Hills both earned 71.583%. Three-time Olympian Seidel was in the irons on his 2004 Athens Olympic Games mount, Aragon, a 14-year-old gray Bavarian warmblood owned by Richard and Jane Brown. Morse was aboard her 12-year-old Swedish warmblood stallion Tip Top 962, her mount for the 2006 World Cup Dressage Final. These three riders topped the class of 12 competitors competing in the first of three tests that will be held at the festival, June 15-18, for the 2006 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Grand Prix Championship/World Equestrian Games Selection Trials. Today’s Grand Prix test counted for 45%; the USEF Grand Prix Special test on Saturday, June 17, will count for 35%; and the USEF Grand Prix Freestyle test on Sunday, June 18, will account for 20%. The combined scores according to the above percentages comprise the rider/horse combinations’ final average at the Selection Trials.
Peters chose to go for it on the first day of competition. “I took a lot of risks today in the extensions,” said Peters. He noted that he was especially pleased with Floriano’s expressive passage. “It all worked out great today.” In the awards ceremony following the competition, Floriano exhibited some excited moves – even standing on his hind legs, and Peters explained that he was glad to see that the older gelding still has that spark in him. “He’s a hotter horse and that is why he is still going so strong.”
With the World Equestrian Games looming (August 20-September 3 in Aachen, Germany) Peters said that he does not expect to improve his horse’s performance beyond today’s 74-percentile mark and if he and Floriano were selected for the team he would be very happy to stay at the 74-percentile mark, which is likely the highest score this horse could achieve. “In the last centerline, he anticipated the piaffe a tiny bit but overall he was so in front of my aids,” Peters explained, “and he had so much energy, but was still very relaxed in the walk and the canter work, so I think this is as good as it gets.”
While Peters took risks, Seidel said that he rode conservatively today. “Except for a few obvious mistakes, I was very happy with my ride.” Seidel explained that he used the Grand Prix to feel Aragon out a bit prior to the upcoming weekend competitions and that he went for a careful ride in the first round. “If you push too much, he can become a little tense and hectic.” Aragon has previously earned 10s for his classic piaffe, but not today. “The first two weren’t as good as he can be,” Seidel admitted, “but the last was much better.” Seidel explained that the difference in the piaffe performances had to do with Aragon’s through-ness and overall response to the leg today. Seidel stated that he planned to push the horse more on Saturday.
Morse said she was very pleased with her ride. “He stayed with me most of the ride and I was very happy with him.” Morse noted that she was especially pleased with how her stallion handled the crowd and the venue in his first competition at Gladstone. “He stayed who he was and he was really good.” She admitted that Tip Top could have showed himself more in the piaffe and been quicker off her aids. “But overall, it was one of the best rides I’ve had,” she enthused. Morse revealed that she might have warmed Tip Top up too long because he had been very fresh in the morning and even did a little bucking in their morning walk on the grounds. “I wanted to go in and do a good, clean ride and build from there.”
With her eye on a berth to the World Equestrian Games, Morse noted that she and her stallion are constantly evolving and plan to keep improving as that competition draws near. “We’re constantly trying to get better at this,” she said, and noted that it was her responsibility to get her horse as strong and fit and solid as possible. “Every show we are moving up. I presume by August, absolutely we will take it to another level. That’s our goal, and that’s what we will work very hard to do.”
Officiating were four USA “I” judges: Jessica Ransehousen, Hilda Gurney; Anne Gribbons; and Janet Foy; the foreign judge was German “O” judge Uwe Mechlem.
Find out more about the tack quick drop service at Windsong Dressage and Equestrian Center. If you have questions you can email Ulla Hudson, our German Certified Instructor.
#733, Route 344, Cedar Grove, Edgewood, NM, 87015, USA
505-615-5050
<< Home