Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 Rule at Roosendaal

Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 at the Roosendaal CDI4*. Photo by DigiShots.

Roosendaal, Netherlands – June 3, 2016 – Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 stepped out in style to take top honors in their first European outing this summer. They headed up apowerful effort by the U.S. contingent in the Grand Prix qualifier for the Grand Prix Special at the Roosendaal CDI4*, the second of three U.S. Olympic team selection events in Europe leading up to the Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Peters piloted Legolas to a score of 76.82 percent, with the gelding’s exceptional piaffe and passage earning several 9s from the panel of judges.

“I am extremely happy with Legolas,” Peters said. “It’s a wonderful start, and it is exciting to be here with the rest of our group who have started off with strong performances as well. I will immediately begin to focus on the [Grand Prix] Special with Legolas, but I’m super happy with how relaxed he was today.”

Not far behind were Peters’ U.S. teammate Laura Graves and Verdades, who scored 75.8 percent for second place. They were first down centerline in the class. A few issues in the canter half-pass and final passage held them back from a higher score, but they earned high marks for passage elsewhere in the test and were also rewarded for their lovely trot half-passes, piaffe, and one-tempis.

Laura Graves and Verdades. Photo by DigiShots.

Great Britain’s Fiona Bigwood finished third with a score of 75.78 percent on Atterupgaards Orthilia, while Sweden’s Juliette Ramel rode Buriel K.H. to fourth with 72.9 percent. Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and her new partner Damsey FRH were fifth with 71.6 percent.

Guenter Seidel, another member of the U.S. squad traveling in Europe as a lead-up to the Olympics, took eighth place with Zero Gravity. A solid effort with highlights in the tempi changes earned the pair a score of 70.64 percent.

All three U.S. athletes will be back for Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, and Peters will also be competing Rosamunde in the Grand Prix qualifier for the Grand Prix Freestyle.

Results: Roosendaal CDI4*

Grand Prix qualifier for the Grand Prix Special
Rider/Country/Horse/Owner/Total Score
1. Steffen Peters/USA/Legolas 92/Four Winds Farm LLC/76.820%
2. Laura Graves/USA/Verdades/Laura Graves/75.800%
3. Fiona Bigwood/GBR/Atterupgaards Orthilia/Mrs. P. Bigwood, Mr. & Mrs. Dahl/75.780%
4. Juliette Ramel/SWE/Buriel K.H./La Pomme HB/72.900%
5. Helen Langehanenberg/GER/Damsey FRH/Leatherdale Farms/71.600%
6. Spencer Wilton/GBR/Super Nova II/Jen Goodman & Spencer Wilton/71.140%
7. Therese Nilshagen/SWE/Dante Weltino OLD/Dressurpferde Leistungsz & T. Nilshagen/70.740%
8. Guenter Seidel/USA/Zero Gravity/James & Charlotte Mashburn/70.640%
9. Gareth Hughes/GBR/Classic Briolinca/Mr. & Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. J. Hornig/70.300%
10. Richard Davison/GBR/Bubblingh/Mrs. G. Meyer, Mr. R. Davison. Ms. J. Ellis/69.740%

No Comments Yet

Comments are closed