Steffen Peters Rides Suppenkasper to Victory in Thermal World Cup Freestyle to Earn Start at Omaha Final

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Steffen Peters riding Suppenkasper in the World Cup competition in California. © 2023 Terri Miller

THERMAL, California, Jan. 7, 2023–Steffen Peters rode Suppenkasper to victory in the World Cup Freestyle Saturday to earn a start at the Omaha Final, holding off a challenge from Anna Buffini and FRH Davinia la Douce that were awarded a personal best score and the first above 80%.

The score of 80.785% for Steffen and the 15-year-old KWPN gelding gave the pair the third win in three qualifying starts at this Desert International Horse Park to earn the maximum of 60 points and assure the partnership one of three invitations to North Americans for the Omaha Final in three months.

Steffen described Saturday’s Freestyle as overall “good” despite a mistake in the one-tempi changes.

The start in Omaha for Steffen of San Diego, California will be the sixth at the annual championship and the most of any American rider in the history of the event.

The pair will join Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, New Jersey and the American-bred Serenade MF who have a total of 57 points and stand second in the North American League rankings. Adrienne Lyle of Wellington, Florida has logged one victory with three more qualifiers still available at Wellington’s Global Dressage Festival.

Anna Buffini of Rancho Santa Fe, California and the 16-year-old Hanoverian mare Davinia la Douce scored 80.180% for their third runner-up placing in the qualifiers and have a total of 51 points. Anna who took over the ride on Davinia from Germany’s Anabel Balkenhol in 2019 made their World Cup Final debut last April.

Claire Darnell of Mount Vernon, Washington and the 11-year-old gelding Harrold S also scored a personal best, 77.015%. There were only three combinations in the competition.

Omaha will be the sixth Final for the German-born Steffen, 58 years old, who was World Cup champion in 2009 on Ravel, a horse owned by Akiko Yamazaki and Four Winds Farm as is Suppenkasper. Debbie McDonald on Brentina won the title in 2003, the only other American World Cup champion.

Until this competition, Steffen was tied at five World Cup appearances with Günter Seidel, also German-born and who lives in the Southern California city of Cardiff.

The rides can be viewed at ClipMyHorse.tv.

Results:

World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle

Judges: Mariette Sanders – Van Gansewinkel Heidi Berry Sandra Hotz Agnieszka Majewska Evi Eisenhardt
Place Score Nation Athlete Horse E H C M B
1. 80.785 USA Steffen Peters Suppenkasper 81.300 81.900 79.000 80.700 81.025
2. 80.180 USA Anna Buffini FRH Davinia la Douce 82.525 80.600 78.700 80.075 79.000
3. 77.015 USA Claire Darnell Harrold S 79.250 76.300 77.925 74.825 76.775

 

CDI3* Grand Prix Special

Judges: Heidi Berry Sandra Hotz Agnieszka Majewska Evi Eisenhardt Mariette Sanders – Van Gansewinkel
Place Score Nation Athlete Horse E H C M B
1. 66.107 USA Amy L Miller Encore 66.596 66.809 65.000 65.213 66.915
2. 64.426 USA Tina Caldwell Lagerfeld K 64.681 63.830 62.979 64.681 65.957