Rosamunde Ridden by Steffen Peters Lives Up to Hopes in Taking Capistrano CDI-W Prix St. Georges
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By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California, Mar. 22, 2014–The first international show appearance for Rosamunde ridden by Steffen Peters on Saturday was like a debutante coming out, hushed expectation turning to acclamation she was indeed the Belle of the Ball.
Owners Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang came with their children from Northern California, media flew across country and training guru Johan Hinnemann being a lot less than stoic German smiled a greeting that the Southern California coastal community of San Juan Capistrano was basking in yet another perfect day in paradise.
When the Prix St.Georges at the Capistrano International Dressage World Cup event had run through the 21 combinations strutting their stuff, “Rosie,” as everyone calls the mare who will turn seven years old in May, was the clear winner with Steffen aboard for a score of 73.722 per cent.
Adding special cachet to the competition was that second placed on 71.096 per cent Elizabeth Ball of Cardiff, California and Avanti were also making their CDI debut.
So, too, was Charlotte Jorst of Reno, Nevada on Vitalis, the stallion she rode as a six-year-old in the World Young Horse Championships at Verden, Germany in 2013, to place third 69.868 per cent.
However, attention was centered on Rosie, a Rhinlander mare (Rock Forever x Fidermark), fifth in the lineup and one of two rides for Steffen and a special occasion for his London Olympic groom Dawn White-O’Connor who was riding Aristo that usually is ridden by Steffen.
Rosamunde 20 was bought last September by Akiko for Steffen to train and compete as a successor to Legolas, the 2013 U.S. dressage champion that is No. 1 in the standings for the U.S. World Equestrian Games team selection. Akiko also owns Ravel who has retired from competition to her farm near San Francisco. A week ago, in a fund raising event, received a bid of $25,000 from Jane Forbes Clark to ride the gelding that was the World Cup champion in 2009 and won two individual medals at the 2010 WEG as well as a third place finish in the 2008 Olympic Freestyle.
After Rosie arrived at Steffen’s barn in San Diego, California from Henri Ruoste showing her at small tour by spring was on his wish list.
Having made it before spring, “I feel like it’s Christmas and Santa Claus answered my wish list.”
Steffen said that Rosie has a talent for piaffe and single changes but the question for him is not how she does it but how easily she does it in the competition arena.
“I get caught up in the fact they do it and appreciate that,” he said, “she just gets in there and does her job.
“I can’t help but compare her with Ravel–big canter, attitude, suppleness. I’m more than ezxcited.” At the same time, she loves attention–to lick the hand of someone within licking distance, “very people oriented, such a wonderful willing horse, so kind and generous. She’s simply amazing.”
The goal is the Pan American Games in 2015 where she could comete at small tour on the team which can be mixed small and big tour.
“We can play with the Grand Prix movements over the summer, that’s honestly how we’ll do it,” he told dressage-news.com. “The two tempis felt really good. We’ll play with the one tempis. We’ve played with the zig zag, half passes. She offers the piaffe naturally.
“There shouldn’t be any doubt she could be a Grand Prix horse by the end of 2015.
“2016 is my wish list.”
That is the year of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to add to appearances at the 1996 Olympic bronze medal team with Udon then in 2008 and 2012 with Ravel.
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