Dressage-News

THERMAL, California, Nov. 19, 2022–Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper won the World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday with one of the highest scores in almost five years of top sport for the partnership pursuing a start at the Final in Omaha next April.

The score of 82.020% for Steffen and the 14-year-old KWPN gelding nicknamed “Mopsie,” was just a fraction off 82.525% posted in Germany in July and a personal best of 83.495% almost five years ago.

The 2009 World Cup champion rider who with Suppenkasper was on the U.S. silver medal teams at the 2018 World Equestrian Games and the Tokyo Olympics moves into a tie for third with 20 points in the North American league of the championship that gets to send three horse and rider combinations in the lineup of 18 starters at Omaha next April.

The ride was “one of Mospie’s better Freestyles,” Steffen of San Diego, California told dressage-news.com.

” I was very happy the way he felt, still very energetic, and a wonderful start for the World Cup season.”

Anna Buffini on the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare FRH Davinia la Douce scored 77.500% for runner-up as they were in the Grand Prix Friday. Anna of Rancho Santa Fe, California competed Davinia at the World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany last April.

Charlotte Jorst of Reno, Nevada and Kastel’s Nintendo, a KWPN stallion who will be 20 years old by the time of the Final, was third on 74.110%. The duo competed in top European events last summer.

The results in Thermal intensify the battle by American riders to be selected for Omaha before what will be an enthusiastic home crowd.

Two more qualifiers remain in Thermal–Dec. 15-18 and Jan. 5-8–with four to come at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida from Dec. 8-12 with the wrap-up Mar. 1-5.

Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, New Jersey leads the North American standings with two victories in qualifiers to earn 40 points, Michael Bragdell of Colora, Maryland stands second on 35 points followed by Sarah Tubman of Wellington in third now tied by Steffen on 20 points.

Steffen won the World Cup Final on Ravel in Las Vegas in 2009, only the second American to claim the title. Debbie McDonald was the first American rider to claim the championship.

Suppenkasper is owned by Akiko Yamazaki as was Ravel and other horses that Steffen has competed.

Results:

World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle