Ravel ended the year the way he began it—by sweeping his Grand Prix classes at a CDI. In fact, he and Steffen Peters won every Grand Prix class they entered in 2008 except for their three tests at the Olympic Games, where they finished just out of the individual medals in fourth place by .3 points.

Not bad for a 10-year-old who spent most of the previous year recovering from an injury.

In 2006, Akiko Yamazaki sent Peters on a mission to buy his next Olympic mount. He found Ravel in the Netherlands in Edward Gal’s stable and thought he showed great potential, but everyone knew it was uncertain whether the young Dutch Warmblood (Contango—Hautain) would be ready for the international stage two years later.

Ravel’s introduction to the United States got off to a rocky start. He came over as a stallion but had to be gelded in quarantine. A positive test result from one of his live cover breedings would’ve meant eight more weeks in quarantine, and Peters feared for Ravel’s safety since he was losing weight and growing more aggressive.

Ravel finally arrived at Peters’ farm in November of 2006, but five months later he injured a front leg, an injury one veterinarian called “career-ending,” and Peters gave him eight months off.

That break meant that if Ravel was even going to qualify for the Olympic selection trials, he’d need to come out swinging. Their very first show together was the Grand Prix CDI at the Mid Winter Dressage Fair in Burbank, Calif., at the beginning of March. Ravel won both his classes and never looked back.

“That very first Grand Prix meant the world to me,” said Peters. “We jumped over so many hurdles last year. Even in November of [2007] there was a serious doubt in my mind that Ravel would be ready for this year. Akiko and I were on the same page. We decided that if it happens that’s great, but we weren’t going to push him and try to make the team at all costs.”

By the Olympic selection trials in June, it was clear that Ravel was meeting Peters’ expectations and then some. He swept the trials, winning four Grand Prix classes over two weekends.

Although Ravel scored as high as 79.50 percent during the trials, he was still untested on the world stage. No one knew how the sensitive gelding would react in the high-pressure, electric atmosphere of Hong Kong.

Once again, Ravel stepped up and tried his heart out. One journalist described him as “maturing in front of our eyes.” He put in a solid performance in the team test, finishing in 10th place with 70.00 percent. He got better and better throughout the Games, finishing third in the freestyle and fourth individually, heartbreakingly close to a medal.

“Before we went, I thought that if he finished in the top 10 that would be amazing,” said Yamazaki. “To be so close to the bronze, I still get goosebumps. It was unbelievable to think that he made it, and it’s easy to get greedy, but it’s nice to think about the future.”

Peters’ finish left him both ecstatic and hungry for that individual medal, but there’s a lot more than glory and accolades to his relationship with the gelding.

“I always say that if you have a bad day, something is bugging you, and you can get on your horse, and he puts a smile on your face every day, that defines a hell of a horse,” said Peters. “Ravel is one of those. I can’t tell you when I had a bad day with Ravel. Every single day is a pleasure. That’s something I’ve never had with any other horse before.”

If there’s one characteristic that defines Ravel, it’s heart. “He knows he’s a celebrity, but he doesn’t abuse that part,” said Rafael Hernandez, his groom. “When Steffen pushed him in Hong Kong, he responded really well. He said, ‘I can do that.’ He’s a normal horse with a big heart who wants to win.”

Peters plans to try to qualify for the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final in Las Vegas, Nev., and he might also attempt another U.S. Grand Prix Championship this year.

“We’re going to be very careful about not overusing him,” he said. “If Ravel can average between a 73 and a 74 [percent] that’s really not bad. That score will get you a pretty good placing even at the Olympic Games and World Championships. Bringing a horse to Grand Prix is one thing, but then maintaining that competitiveness at a high level, not just from a physical standpoint but a mental standpoint, I consider that a harder chore. That is my goal for Ravel. There’s always a little bit of room for improvement, but maintaining what we have is our priority at the moment.”

Ravel’s 2008 Competitive Highlights

1st—Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Grand Prix Championship/U.S. Dressage Selection Trials (Calif.)
4th—Olympic Games (Hong Kong)
3rd—Grand Prix freestyle, Olympic Games (Hong Kong)
4th—Grand Prix Special, Olympic Games (Hong Kong)
1st—Grand Prix, Mid Winter Dressage Fair CDI (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix Special, Mid Winter Dressage Fair CDI (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix, The Dressage Affaire CDI (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix Special, The Dressage Affaire CDI (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix, Festival of the Horse CDI (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix freestyle, Festival of the Horse CDI (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix, Del Mar Classic CDI-W (Calif.)
1st—Grand Prix freestyle, Del Mar Classic CDI-W (Calif.)

Personal Profile

Description: 11-year-old, dark brown Dutch Warmblood gelding    (Contango—Hautain), owned by Akiko Yamazaki.

Home: San Diego, Calif.

Favorite Treats: Cookies, bananas and carrots.

Routine: He’s fed at 6:30 a.m. and is ridden at 8 a.m. “I usually take him for a 10- to 15-minute walk around the property. We work for half an hour to 40 minutes, and then we go for another 15-minute walk at the end,” said Steffen Peters. “In the afternoon, Rafael [Hernandez, his groom] walks him again for another 45 minutes. He’s the only horse that gets to graze a little bit in front of our house, which has some grass. I promised him that after the Olympics.”

Favorite place: “There’s one spot on the property that is a little bit higher up, and it overlooks the whole valley. His favorite thing is to stand there and look at things,” said Peters. “Especially when he has a day off, I let him hang out. He seriously thinks the whole property is just for him. That’s a little bit of macho attitude that he’s entitled to as far as I’m concerned.”