Anna Buffini debuts Fiontini in USA Placing 2nd Behind Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper at Del Mar CDI3* Grand Prix

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Anna Buffini in the debut competition for Fiontini at the Del Mar CDI3* Grand Prix. Photo: Grace Waggoner/Incanto Sports Group

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Feb. 2, 2024

Anna Buffini debuted Fiontini in the United States Friday to place second behind top ranked American Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper at the Del Mar, California CDI3* Grand Prix, the first competition for the Danish Warmblood mare in more than two years.

Steffen, who missed a CDI late last year when hospitalized with blood clots, rode Suppenkasper, the 16-year-old KWPN gelding that he partnered for team silver at the Tokyo Olympics, received a score of 75.522% for the win.

The long-awaited debut of the 14-year-old Fiontini (Fassbinder x Romanov) received a score of 72.000%, including 76.304% from Magnus Ringmark of Sweden but a low of 69.783% from the USA’s Kristi Wysocki. Anna also competed FRH Davinia la Douce, her 17-year-old Hanoverian mare as the sole entry in the Grand Prix for the Freestyle and was scored at 70.413%.

The score on Fiontini was the third highest at Grand Prix for riders on the U.S. rankings for the Olympics in Paris in July–Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper retaining top spot with the latest score of 75.522% and Sarah Tubman on First Apple with 73.065% at the Pan American Games last September.

“I’m thrilled with how she felt in her debut,” the rider who is based at nearby Rancho Santa Fe told dressage-news.com. “No mistakes is what I’ve been working on really hard at home.”

She credited her coach, Guenter Seidel, and her team that she described as “just unbelievable.”

“Tricky day with the big discrepancies in judging for both mares, but it’s not an easy job for the judges either,” she said.

“My favorite thing about the whole test is how happy she was. She’s really become my horse and I think it shows in our harmony which is what I try to highlight in my riding with all my horses.

“It’s exactly where we were hoping to start with the plan we’ve made for this year and I’m excited to keep building on this.”

Fiontini was world champion at the ages of five, six and seven when ridden by Severo Jurado Lopez for Helgstrand Dressage. Andreas Helgstrand took over the ride in 2020 and Patrik Kittel Sweden in 2021 before the mare was sold to Anna.

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix (Qual. for GPS)
RankCompetitorScoreEHCMB
1.
Steffen Peters (USA)
Suppenkasper
75.522%76.84874.56573.80476.52275.870
2.
Anna Buffini (USA)
Fiontini
72.000%69.78370.43571.19676.30472.283
3.
Elizabeth Ball (USA)
Escarigo
64.848%61.84865.54365.97867.50063.370
4.
Shannon Peters (USA)
Disco Inferno
63.674%65.21764.45762.93563.26162.500
5.
Rebecca Rigdon (USA)
Heide Spirit
63.478%63.80462.93565.32660.76164.565
6.
Tina Caldwell (USA)
Lagerfeld K
62.131%62.93565.00059.89161.95760.870
7.
Michelle Mills (CAN)
Facendo
58.391%58.32660.50058.10955.50059.522
Find details on Equestrian Hub