Dressage Festival of Champions

Dear Rita,

The USEF Dressage Festival of Champions was a well-fought competition this year for our Pan American Games Selection Trials. I think this is the best team the United States has ever selected for the PAG. We can be very proud to send these horses and riders to Mexico next month: Steffen Peters with Weltino’s Magic, Heather Blitz with Paragon, Cesar Parra with Grandioso and Marisa Festerling with Big Tyme.

Gladstone, N.J., Sept. 11

Steffen Peters has gone to Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games and World Cup Finals, but after his triumvirate of wins aboard Weltino’s Magic in the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Intermediaire I Championship, he’ll head to Guadalajara, Mexico, for his first Pan American Games.

Gladstone, N.J., Sept. 10

The results of the Intermediaire I looked very much the same as the Prix St. Georges test at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival Of Champions—Steffen Peters first on Weltino’s Magic (76.42%), Heather Blitz second on Paragon (74.68%) and Cesar Parra third on Grandioso (72.31%).

Gladstone, N.J., Sept. 9

Steffen Peters couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish his day than by placing first in both the Grand Prix Special and the Prix St. Georges aboard two different horses at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival Of Champions. 

He won the Special aboard Ravel (80.08 percent) and the Prix St. Georges on Weltino’s Magic (79.78%).

Gladstone, N.J., Sept. 8

Steffen Peters and Ravel have faced tough competition of all kinds, from the 2008 Olympic Games to the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup (Nev.) to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.) But today at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival Of Champions, Peters’ toughest adversary proved to be the weather, which opened up in a deluge of rain shortly before his test and poured throughout.

August 15, Gladstone, N.J.

Kayce Redmond’s weekend couldn’t have gone much better—two days of Brentina Cup competition resulted in two blue ribbons and the overall Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF National Young Adult Dressage Championship for the 24-year-old from Alpharetta, Ga.

“I’m just really excited. Hopefully it will put my name out there a little bit more and give me some exposure. I’ve been out of the big arena since young riders,” said Redmond.