Steffen Peters, Free of Pain from Blood Clots, Rides Suppenkasper to Del Mar, California CDI3* Grand Prix Victory

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Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper. File photo. © Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

Feb. 2, 2024

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Steffen Peters, free from the pain of blood clots, rode Suppenkasper to victory in the Del Mar, California CDI3* Grand Prix Friday.

Steffen and the 16-year-old KWPN gelding were awarded 75.522% for the win over Anna Buffini making her debut on Fiontini for a score of 72.000% and runner-up.

“Mopsie and I felt great today,” Steffen of nearby San Diego told dressage-news.com, using the barn name of Suppenkasper.

“Just in time for the show I was pain free since it all started before Christmas. Last week I was able to swim my daily 40 laps and my lung capacity felt like it used to be.

“Mopsie did one of his best Grand Prix today. A very clean test, with good uphill power. It felt really good to complete the second Olympic qualifier and feeling healthy.”

The 59-year-old Steffen, pursuing a place on the U.S. team for the Paris Olympics at the end of July that would be his sixth Olympic start, was admitted to the hospital with blood clots in his lungs and left leg late last year. He missed a qualifying CDI competition and cancellation of two masterclasses in Australia.

The latest score of 75.522 % adds to the 74.804% he achieved in mid-November that maintains his lead in the U.S. rankings for Paris. Sarah Tubman on First Apple stands second on 73.065% in the Grand Prix and 73.872% in the Special at the Pan American Games in October.

With Suppenkasper, Steffen has been on two of the most successful American teams in history–silver at Tokyo and silver at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018.

Steffen’s career of five Olympics range from his first on Udon in 1996, on Ravel at the Beijing Games in 2008 and London 2012 and Legolas in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 as well as only the second American to become World Cup champion, which he did on Ravel at Las Vegas in 2009.