Del Mar, Calif.—Mar. 11

Steffen Peters and Ravel led the Olympic Grand Prix Special field today at the Del Mar CDI-W at the Rancho Valencia Dressage Affaire, winning the class with an 80.28 percent. Guenter Seidel improved on yesterday’s performance aboard his brand new partner Fandango for second (70.42%), just ahead of Kathleen Raine and Breanna (70.40%).

It’s the first time Peters rode the new test on Ravel, and he said the Dutch gelding (Contango—Houtain) felt even better than in yesterday’s Grand Prix. Always a perfectionist, Peters still sees room for improvement.

“Our biggest hurdle is always that passage canter transition,” said Peters, San Diego, Calif. “In the Grand Prix we always canter the left lead, and in this test it’s the right, and that can be a trouble spot. I rode it very passively today. It wasn’t as fluent as I’d like to feel it, but at least we didn’t get a little buck he likes to do there, so I’m very happy.”

Today’s start list for the Olympic Special looked plenty full with nine entries after yesterday’s two rides in the Grand Prix freestyle. Freestyle start lists have read quite short this season as Olympic hopefuls qualify for the trials by riding the new Olympic Special test. But when Ravel heads to the Del Mar National (Calif.) in April, he’ll trot out his freestyle again.  

“The freestyles are the biggest attractions,” said Peters. “So riders have to make sure our entries reflect that.”

Peters hopes Ravel won’t have to compete in the the two-week Collecting Gaits Farm/U.S. Equestrian Federation Dressage Festival of Champions that serves as the selection trials for the 2012 Olympic Games. That competition is held in Gladstone, N.J., in June. Peters will be applying for a bye from the USEF, but he will take his new grand prix star Legolas to compete.

Second-placed Seidel couldn’t have been happier with his ride today. He just paired up with Fandango (Feinbrand—St Utgard) in January and has been working hard to help the new partnership jell. One of the biggest challenges has been helping Fandango adjust to a much taller rider, as Seidel, at 6’2”, towers over Fandango’s former rider Marie Meyers.

“I thought he was with me a little bit more, a little more elastic [than yesterday],” said Seidel, Cardiff, Calif. “I still give away a lot of little points because I’m not quite accurate, not getting exactly what I want when I want it. We need to work on the straightness still. At home, I get the one-tempis fairly consistently, but it’s a little bit of a hiccup here. But it’s getting much better, and moving forward I’m sure it will work itself out. That’s where that change in leg placement comes in.”

At The CPEDI

• Canadian Lynne Poole claimed the overall para-equestrian championship at the CPEDI competition. She brought two mounts, Frisbee and Vasco E, from Toronto, Ontario, winning all three Grade IV classes. Her veteran mount Frisbee won today’s freestyle on a mark of 66.16 percent, and her newer partner Vasco E claimed the Grade IV Individual and Team tests on Friday and Saturday (64.03% and 65.36%).
• A familiar looking face returned to the arena at the Rancho Valencia Dressage Affaire. Donna Richardson’s gold medal partner from the 1999 Pan American Games, Jazzman, partnered with Barbara Adside, and the pair topped the Para Equestrian Grade II Team test (62.93%) in Adside’s first international event. Richardson pulled Jazzman (Amethist—Eronica) out of retirement for the competition, and the 21-year-old looked like he’d never left the ring, showing plenty of spirit, especially once the freestyle music started.
• Sydney Collier, 14, reunited with a Knabstrupper stallion she last rode a year ago to win two Grade II tests. Together with VPRH Pegasus vom Niehaus-HOF she topped the Individual and freestyle (60.71% and 64.00%). Owner Patrick Truxillo also lent “Peg” to Laura Goldman, who won the Grade 1a Individual test and freestyle (64.25% and 59.58%).

For full results, visit www.devonwoodscores.com

Catch up on all the news from Del Mar from Friday and Saturday.