Dressage-News

Jan. 27, 2019

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper won the West Coast Dressage Festival CDI3* Grand Prix Special Sunday, logging a personal best score for the second time for this first competition since riding on the U.S. World Equestrian Games silver medal team last September.

Steffen of San Diego, California and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding were awarded 75.085 per cent for the victory, two days after scoring 75.804 per cent in the Grand Prix that was also a personal best at the show in Temecula in Southern California.

Steffen, who has competed at four Olympic and four World Games for the United States as well as five World Cup Finals including becoming only the second American to win the title, disclosed that he had sought a lot of help with the horse nicknamed “Mopsi” after the Tryon WEG where he said he had put too much pressure on himself.

He began competing Suppenkasper at Big Tour at this same show in 2018 after the horse was bought by Fair Winds Farm’s Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang from German Olympian Helen Langehanenberg in 2017 as a prospect for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Steffen exchanged numerous videos of training Suppenkasper and other horses with German trainer Jo Hinnemann and a lot of text messages with Helen Langehanenberg.

He described the transition from Robert Dover to Debbie McDonald as U.S. team coach as “seamless” and he had been helped by Debbie at some clinics in California before this opening show of the West Coast circuit.

“I had some wonderful advice,” he said. “It was a gigantic team effort.”

“It was a huge success for Mopsi at this show,” he said. “He was much more relaxed. We’ve been working on getting his back stronger.”

“It was very challenging after Tryon. I have to admit I put way too much pressure on myself to deliver with such an amazing horse. I learned to say that less is more, especially in the warmup. Mopsi certainly appreciates it. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to more test like we put in today and Friday.”

In the warm up and even around the competition arena before entering he now keeps Suppenkasper very long and low, performing passage in what he described as “a long first level frame.”

“But as soon as he enters the the arena I allow him to come up in the frame to be brilliant but a lot more relaxed,” he said.

“Both in the Grand Prix and the Special he was so much better in piaffe/passage than last year. There was a little mistake in the two-tempis today but that was my fault, I let him get too big.”

“Overall I’m very very happy. A huge thank you to Shannon (his wife) who has been so supportive since Tryon and to Akiko for letting me ride such an amazing horse.”

The goal for this year is to qualify for some European shows this summer getting ready “for the really big year next year.”

Nick Wagman on Zenith placed second on 68.170 per cent with Emily Miles on Wakeup third on 66.979 per cent.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

Judges-E: Bernard Maurel-FRA H: William Warren-USA C: Lee Tubman-CAN M: Peter Storr-GBR B: Leif Tornblad-DEN