America's number one ranked Grand Prix rider Steffen Peters showed he's ready for 2015 when his top horse Legolas proved form with an 80% at the small, national one-judge show in Thermal in California on 9 - 10 January 2015. Peters also made his Grand Prix debut on the 8-year old Rosamunde with a whopping 79% on the board.
The Friday Grand Prix class was judged by Axel Steiner and brough eight combinations in total to the desert in sunny Thermal for the Dressage Getaway national competition. Steffen Peters ruled the roost and won the class on Akiko Yamazaki's Legolas (by Laomedon x Florestan II) with 80.900%. Aboard Akiko's rising 8-year old Rhinelander mare Rosemunde (by Rock Forever x Fidermark), he was also second with a massive score of 79.900%.
"Both horses were so much fun to ride. I wish I had this ride with Legolas at the World Equestrian Games in France," Steffen Peters told Eurodressage. "Axel Steiner does not give scores away. I was happily surprised with the scores on both horses," he admitted.
At the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France last summer, Peters and Legolas finished 10th in the Kur to Music finals and for the first time in a very long period were beaten by a fellow U.S. team mate. After Caen, the 13-year old Westfalian got a short break of only very light work.
"Legolas had very light work for 6 weeks after Caen. We incorporated this relaxation into our warm up at the last show in Thermal," Peters explained. "We only do a few minutes of collected work, before we ask him to stretch his back muscles in a longer lower frame. Especially the canter quality has benefited from this approach."
Steffen's long time sponsor Akiko Yamzaki acquired Rosamunde in September 2013 and under Steffen's training the mare developed into an unbeatable small tour horse as a 7-year old. Turning 8 in the spring of 2015, the bay mare has now made an early transition to Grand Prix level after a short but stellar career at small tour level.
"Rosie offered the Grand Prix movements relatively easily," Peters stated about Rosamunde's early introduction to Grand Prix level competition. "I told myself, if I have to practice the piaffe, passage, canter pirouettes more then twice every other day, it would be simply way too much work for a 7 to 8 year old horse. Rosie does two Grand Prix half passes in trot per week. We do the same with the canter pirouettes. We practice the trot extensions during a warm up at the show not during training sessions. Piaffe passage work only every other day. Rosie works 5 days a week. Since this light workout schedule seems to make her a competitive Grand Prix horse, we decided to give it a try. It worked out beautifully."
While Rosamunde will continue on a light Grand Prix show schedule, Legolas will be focused on qualifying for this year's World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. The show carries great memories for Steffen as the rider was the second American ever to win the World Cup Finals. He did it with Ravel in Las Vegas in 2009.
"Rosie will travel with Legolas to compete in her first 3* CDI in Florida at the end of the month," said Steffen about his upcoming show plans. "Legolas will compete in the 5*. Afterwards we focus on the World Cup qualifiers with Legolas to hopefully earn a spot to represent the United States in Las Vegas."
by Astrid Appels - Photos © Joseph Newcomb
Related Links
Scores 2015 CDN Thermal
Steffen Peters and Rosamunde Take Two at the 2014 CDI Fritzens
Rosamunde Sold to Akiko Yamazaki