Steffen Peters & Legolas 92 celebrate another Grand Prix win at the Festival of the Horse CDI 3* (Terri Miller)
While top riders Steffen Peters, Jan Ebeling, and Kathleen Raine have already earned the necessary qualifying scores for June's WEG Selection Trials in Gladstone, all three competitors seized the opportunity to gain additional ring time and "tune up" their mounts for the demands of the coming months. Adding to their already-long list of accomplishments, the number one-ranked rider/horse combination in the country Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 (12-year-old Westfalen gelding [Laomedon x Fuerstin by Florestan II] owned by Four Winds Farm) celebrated another CDI Grand Prix win with a top score of 73.600%. "The overall quality of the class was outstanding, but unfortunately we did see some mistakes today," explained President of the Ground Jury Lilo Fore (5* USA). Peters' 2012 London Olympic Games team mate Jan Ebeling with Rafalca (17-year-old Oldenburg mare by Argentinius, owned by Amy Ebeling, Anne Romney, and Beth Meyers) earned 69.500% to edge out Kathleen Raine and Breanna (69.440%) for second place. "She felt awesome, she's always better off of a break and seemed happy to be back in the ring," Ebeling said of Rafalca, who returned to competition for the first time since last fall. "She knows her stuff by now and that makes it very fun. She has such a good heart."
In the small tour, up-and-coming young stars ruled the day. With an elegance and maturity beyond her years, Four Winds Farm's new prodigy Rosamunde (2007 Rheinlander mare [Rock Forever x First Lady by Fidermark]) remained undefeated in her division by winning today's CDI Prix St. Georges Test on a score of 72.281% in the expert hands of U.S. Team veteran Steffen Peters. The win wasn't easy - the top four placings all earned scores over 70% in what judge Jane Weatherwax (4* USA) described as a "very, very strong class" - but Peters was impressed with his young mount's performance. "She was even more relaxed than last week, and right from the start she was great," he noted. "The changes felt even more secure than before, and everything else was very solid." Second-place finisher Charlotte Jorst was equally delighted with her young Dutch Warmblood stallion Vitalis (by Vivaldi). The 2013 national six-year-old champion appeared quite comfortable with the move to the FEI Prix St. Georges level, earning a score of 71.228%. "It was so much fun today, and I'm thrilled," said Jorst. "It all comes very easily for him, and even though this is our second week of competition, he still feels fresh."
San Diego's Anna Buffini continued her domination of California's FEI Young Rider division as she once again topped the field in the Team Prix St. Georges Test, riding her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Sundayboy (Kennedy x Eezelma by Zevenaar) to a score of 69.561%. Finishing with reserve honors was Catherine Chamberlain and Verdicci (Dutch Warmblood gelding [Krack C x Nadine's Monday by Jackson]) with 66.404%. Rounding out the CDI, Canada's Hannah Beaulieu claimed her second straight Junior Team Test win with Nancy Olson's Rheinlander gelding Pharoah (by Fidermark) on a score of 59.550%.