Dressage-News

WELLINGTON, Florida, Feb. 26, 2021–Steffen Peters rode Suppenkasper to victory in the Global Dressage Festival CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle under the lights Friday night after taking time out to coach Australia’s Kelly Layne on Samhitas that captured the CDI3* musical performance with a career high score.

Steffen and the 13-year-old KWPN gelding scored 81.395% and took home the winner’s check of $30,000 for the pair’s 19th straight win since the beginning of 2020.

Yvonne Losos De Muñiz of the Dominican Republic on Aquamarijn placed second in the 5* on 77.070%.

Günter Seidel and Equirelle were third on 75.560% in  their last competition this circuit before returning home to Cardiff, California.

In the 3*, Kelly Layne and the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding with a trot that she describes as “just from God” and Steffen Peters says has “an extension like Totilas… does half passes like Totilas” was awarded 76.500% for the win. A day earlier, she posted her first Big Tour victory in seven years on a career high Grand Prix score of 71.935%. (separate report to come)

The Friday Night Stars was staged for the first time this year in the seventh week of the winter-long Global circuit that drew a near full socially separated VIP pavilion though the general public was not admitted under coronavirus restrictions.

Steffen and Suppenkasper are atop the U.S. Olympic rankings with five months to go to Tokyo that if he is named to the team will be his fifth Games.

There was a little confusion by the judges over the scoring of the ride by Steffen and Suppenkasper.

“The floor plan was different from where I do the extended walk 20 meters and then it showed another 20 meters collected walk across the diagonal,” he explained. “So the half-passes are going the opposite way. I think that was slightly confusing to the judges. I did talk to Josephine (the official score keeper) before, but there was a little miscommunication. She said it’s fine because we don’t have the letters, the letters don’t matter; it was exactly the mirror image. It was my fault. I should have been more clear about it. One thing you don’t want to do, you don’t want to confuse the judges.”

The confusion led to several minutes of consultations with the judges before it was resolved and the score of 81.395% was posted.

Steffen said that Suppenkasper or “Mopsie” as he’s nicknamed, will be bubble wrapped to preserve him then compete once more in Wellington before being sent home to San Diego, California and decisions are made on whether up to eight combinations will be selected to go to Europe before the Tokyo Olympic team is chosen.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle

CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle