By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
GLADSTONE, New Jersey, Sept. 11-The United States team of four for the Pan American Games in Mexico next month was determined Sunday at the final of the National Intemediaire Championship. The team includes two Californians and two from the East Coast.
The team comprises:
Steffen Peters, 46, of San Diego, California, on Weltino’s Magic, 6, Westfalen, (Weltino x Viva);
Heather Blitz, 42, of Wellington, Florida, on Paragon, , 8, Danish Warmblood (Don Schufro x Pari Lord) ;
Cesar Parra, 48, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, on Grandioso, 10, Westfalen (Grosso Z x Hauptstutbuch Popocatepal), and
Marisa Festerling, 34, of Moorpark, California, on Big Tyme, 10, Belgian Warmblood (Saros x Elvira).
Reserves are: Endel Ots of Wellington and Toscano and Shawna Harding of Aiken, South Carolina, on Rigo.
Dressage competition at the Pan Ams at Guadalajara, Mexico, begins, Oct. 16 and runs through Oct. 19.
Dressage-news.com will be in Guadalajara to report on the equestrian events at the Pan American Games.
The U.S. has won the last three team championships at the Pan Ams, held once every four years at small tour although they are the official qualification for teams for the Olympics. Teams for future Olympics will be at big tour.
The Pan American Games will be the first team experience for Heather Blitz and Marisa Festerling, and it will also be Steffen Peters’ first Pan Am team although he is an Olympic and World Equestrian Games medalist. Cesar Parra, who became an American citizen last year, competed in three Pan Ams for his native Colombia.
The team riders joked with each other at the news conference announcing their selection, but were jubilant.
Marisa, whose three-year-old daughter Ella sat on her knee, said she had owned Big Tyme since the horse was four years old.
“I’m so happy,” she said, “It’s the culmination of all your efforts, everything you’ve been working for for a long time.”
Steffen said that every one of the four horses on the team have a chance to win an individual medal.
