Lombard, a 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Hopeful for Steffen Peters

Dressage

U.S.A

Akiko Yamazaki has secured a new horse for her long-time sponsored rider, American Olympian Steffen Peters. The Japanese born U.S. businesswoman and dressage lover has secured the 7-year old KWPN gelding Lombard in The Netherlands.

Lombard is a 2016 born gelding by UB40 out of Uline (by Krack C x Elcaro). He is bred by Milena Aubry from France.

Milena Aubry

Milena Aubry is a former French Young riders team member who has competed at the 2014 and 2015 European Young Riders Championships with Uline and Babyface. Her last international show was over seven years ago on Babyface at the CDI Saumur in May 2016.

Since then she relocated to The Netherlands and has been running a sales stable, making a living instead of competing. Her mare Uline was retired from sport and turned into a broodmare after already having given birth to a filly back in 2005 (by Uiver). After her sport career Uline produced Lombard (by UB 40) as her first foal in Milena's ownership. In 2017 she produced Money Penny (by Everdale) and in 2019 there was Orson (by All at Once). Unfortunately Uline passed away three years ago from a fatal colic attack.

Lombard was trained and ridden by Aubry with the help of Rieky Young, but he has never competed. "He's an absolutely amazing horse and I can't be happier that he's with such a good rider," Milena told Eurodressage.

Steffen Peters

Akiko Yamazaki has acquired Lombard as a 2028 Los Angeles Olympic hopeful for Steffen Peters.

Yazamaki has been a driving force behind U.S. high performance dressage sport for the past two decades. After Peters established his name on his own Udon and won team bronze at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the Browning family supplied him with his 2006 World Equestrian Games mount Floriano with whom he won team bronze. The Hlavacec couple gave him Weltino's Magic to ride with whom he won double gold at the 2011 Pan American Games.

However Yamazaki's support put Steffen back into the big time, first with Ravel whom he competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, won the 2009 World Cup Finals with, and grabbed individual bronze at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Then Rosamunde followed and they did the 2017 World Cup Final, as well as Legolas with whom he competed at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, won team and individual gold at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and got team bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Aboard Akiko's Suppenkasper he won team silver at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, team silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games and they went to the 2022 World Championships.

Steffen and Suppenkasper are America's highest scoring Grand Prix combination at the moment.

Continued Support into the Future

Akiko Yamazaki has now purchased Lombard as an 2028 LA Olympic hopeful after Steffen pointed him out to her.

She told Eurodressage exclusively, "Steffen wants to keep competing at the highest level. Together our team has made it to 4 Olympics and every WEG in between so far. We are a well oiled machine which I hope can continue to contribute to Team USA’s success."

Akiko and her Red Husky Foundation as well as Four Winds Farm are stalwarts of U.S. High Performance sport. Their continues support have enabled the U.S.A. to keep international competition on the west coast alive. Their funding has been essential to the expanded USEF Developing Dressage Program.

"I have and will continue to also support shows and US Equestrian Federation‘s high performance programs to contribute to the efforts of a wider group of riders and horses aiming at high level sport," Akiko told Eurodressage.