U.S. Equestrian Federation officials have granted Steffen Peters a pass from competing Ravel at the USEF Selection Trials for the 2012 U.S. Dressage Team for the London Olympic Games.
Peters, San Diego, Calif., submitted a request to skip the USEF Festival of Champions in Gladstone, N.J. After the USEF Dressage Selectors met on May 24, they approved the request to consider Peters, 47, and Ravel, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Contango—Hautain, Democraat) owned by Four Winds Farm, for the Short List/FEI Nominated Entry without attending the selection trials in accordance with the USEF Olympic Games Selection Procedure.
According to the procedure, “The Selectors may name an athlete/horse combination to the third position that has not participated in or completed the entire Selection Trial in accordance with the criteria below if the combination has contributed to a team medal or has finished in one of the top six positions as an individual at a World Championship or Olympic Games within the past four years, excluding athlete/horse combinations which were drop scores or alternates at a team competition.”
Ravel and Peters won two individual bronze medals at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.), and were fourth individually at the 2008 Olympic Games (Hong Kong).
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Additionally, Ravel must undergo a veterinary inspection by the team veterinarian with one of the team selectors present, which was completed by Dr. Rick Mitchell on May 21.
The Short List/Nominated Entry will be announced following the selection trials, which end June 17.