WELLINGTON, Fla.--Steffen Peters in dressage and Germany's Daniel Deusser posted additional wins at the Dressage Festival and WEF on Friday, Feb. 26.
Steffen Peters on Suppenkasper (Photo by Susan Stickle)Peters on Suppenkasper, continuing his unbeaten streak, won the Freestyle while Deusser on Kiana van het Herdershof had his third win, this time in 1.45m Jumpers.
Peters on Suppenkasper won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* with a score of 80.995 percent during the first “Friday Night Stars” competition of the season.
“There were lots of things that were great,” said Peters. “The piaffe felt really good, great half-passes, the pirouette felt good. To me, one of the highlights of ‘Mopsie’ now, that used to be so difficult, is the collected walk. I used to have to hide that a little bit in the corner, but now I'm doing it on the diagonal because I can really show the relaxation. That might look like a boring movement, but to me it's huge. Of course, I risked a little bit much in that one extension, so he broke; one little fumble. The rest felt great.”
Despite having no general attendance, the night still had its usual buzz of excitement, and Suppenkasper handled the atmosphere like a pro.
“The floor plan was different this time,” he said. “I do the extended walk 20 meters and then another 20 meters collected walk across the diagonal. So, the half-passes are going the opposite way. I think that was slightly confusing to the judges. There was a little miscommunication before, but it was my fault. I should have been clearer about it."
“One thing you don't want to do, you don't want to confuse the judges. And I did,” he said with a smile.
Peters and Suppenkasper have finished competing at the Festival, and they will resume their training with the hope of making it onto the final USA Dressage shortlist.
“We decided to bubble wrap him from here and preserve him and head back to California next week,” said Peters.
DEUSSER DELIVERED his third win and second five-star win in two days in the $37,000, 1.45m Classic CSI5* riding Kiana van het Herdershof.,
Daniel Deusser and Kiana van het Herdershof (Photo by Sportfot)There were 56 entries in the 1.45m speed class with 21 clear rounds, over a course designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio and Andy Christiansen of Ecuador.
Starting the class as the first to go was McLain Ward on Catoki, who was clean in 59.44 seconds, which would hold up for second place.
Deusser and Kiana van het Herdershof went just two trips later, putting in a blazing fast time of 59.12 seconds that would hold up through the entire class for victory.
“I watched McLain a little bit and knew he had a very fast horse as well, so I tried to do the turns a little bit tighter and it worked out,” said Deusser. “If you wanted to win today you really had to try.
Third place went to Kristen VanderVeen on Bull Run’s Faustino de Tili, clean in 59.64 seconds.
Deusser and Kiana van het Herdershof had previously won two 1.50m classes at WEF this year.
“She is naturally a very fast horse,” said Deusser. “She is one that wins and that I use more for speed classes, and I have to say she was pretty consistent here. It’s not easy on a horse if you ask too many times to go fast because sometimes they know a little bit already which direction you have to go, and faults can happen that way. But already two weeks ago she did a fantastic job here and then again today; it’s quite unbelievable.”
Deusser termed Kiana as a “very nervous horse,” which helps with more speed in the ring, but that she does tend to be quieter at home.
“She knows what is the show and what is home, but the excitement at the show is also her strength,” he said. “In the end that’s why she wants to fight in the ring. She wants to be careful in the ring, and that’s why she’s also fast. In that class even if you have a fast horse and you want to win, as a rider it’s not enough to just want to win. You need to have a competitive, fast horse, otherwise you can’t win a class like that.”
