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Monday, May 28, 2007

Steffen Peters and Floriano Do it Again at Dressage at Flintridge
By Lita Dove for DressageDaily

Winning the Markel FEI High Point Winner this weekend at Dressage at Flintridge was Steffen Peters, with his WEG partner and 2006 National grand prix Champion, Floriano, owned by the Laurelyn and Stephen Browning with a 76.833 In the GP Freestyle. Steffen almost could not lose this award, as he was 2nd to himself with Lombardi II in the same class, with a 75.167

About Floriano, he just smiles happily and says, “He has so much energy!” Still smiling, he says that he particularly enjoys the partnership he enjoys with the super-talented gelding, that it is a rare gift for a rider to have this kind of communication with a horse.

In the Grand Prix class, says Steffen, he got “a wake-up call” from Lombardi, “when I trusted him a little bit too much” and the opinionated Holsteiner was slow to agree to pick up the first piaffe.

McCool Photo: Markel's Lisa Seger, with Floriano, Steffen Peters and Laurelyn and Stephen Browning

So, in the warm-up for the freestyle, Peters, says, “I was picky. Lots of transitions, piaffe-passage, passage-walk --to make it clear that the choices pretty7 much up to me to decide what we are doing.”

If all continues to go well, he plans to take Lombardi II to Gladstone for the National Grand Prix Championships. “Floriano does not need to go,” he adds, in an understatement.

Talking about the Pan American Games, he says the picture has changed for him and wife Shannon. Lord Chalk Hill, although now quite successful in the High performance small tour classes, “is only 7—way too young” say s Peters, for the kind of stress that earmarks international travel and competition. His veteran campaigner, Marlando, won several of his classes at this and other shows, but Steffen says no decision has been reached yet on whether or not they will go to Gladstone.

Wife Shannon’s very successful small tour horse, Luxor, “Will start showing Grand Prix in September—and that is his priority now, to keep getting stronger and more confirmed in the new work, so he will be ready.”

Stay tuned to DressageDaily as we bring you photos, news, and the exciting results of the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage Western Selection Trial for the FEI World breeding Championships held at Dressage at Flintridge.