The U.S. Dressage Team got World Championship competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games underway as all four horses were deemed fit and sound to compete at the Horse Inspection Sunday morning. The United States, led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover, will be represented by Olympic and World Equestrian Games veterans in addition to a rising star making her World Championship debut. The U.S. has drawn 13th in the order of the 25 nations competing in the Team Championship. The dressage portion of Normandy’s World Games will run August 25-29, at the d'Ornano Stadium.

“It feels fantastic to be here; we have an amazing team,” said Dover. “All (the horses) trotted up fantastically; we are psyched and ready to go.”

Steffen Peters (San Diego, Calif.) returns to Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games competition in France four years after claiming two Bronze medals at the 2010 Games. The Team Olympic Bronze medalist brings Four Winds Farm’s three-time National Champion, Legolas 92, to this week’s competition. The Westphalian gelding looks to impress in his Championship debut when he heads down centerline later in the week.

Laura Graves (Geneva, Fla.) and her 2014 Reserve National Champion, Verdades, also will make their World Championship debut in Normandy. The pair have spent much of the year turning heads both in the U.S. and abroad, including with impressive efforts at CDI4* Fritzens and CDIO5* Aachen.

“It’s a relief now to be rolling, now the competition is on tomorrow,” said Graves after the Horse Inspection. “You never know who the competition is until the jog is over and let’s get the ball rolling. Game on.”

Making their second consecutive Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games appearance this week are Tina Konyot (Palm City, Fla.) and her own Calecto V. The pair brings a wealth of experience into 2014’s competition, having competed on the U.S. 2010 World Championship team and at the 2012 London Olympic Games, as well as teams at CHIO Aachen.

Adrienne Lyle (Ketchum, Idaho) will ride Peggy Thomas' Wizard in her first Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The London Olympic Games veterans have enjoyed an extremely successful 2014 campaign, including being on the winning U.S. team at Wellington Nations Cup CDIO3* sponsored by Stillpoint Farm, as well as competing at CDIO5* Aachen.