Omaha, Neb. – Steffen Peters and longtime mount Suppenkasper notched a top-five finish in the FEI Grand Prix, kicking off dressage competition at the 2023 FEI Dressage World Cup Final presented by Havensafe Farm to finish as the highest-placed U.S. combination. Peters and Suppenkasper earned a 74.581 percent from the judging panel, while Anna Buffini and FRH Davinia La Douce placed ninth with a 70.047 percent. Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF rode to a 67.065 percent in their championship debut. All three combinations will move forward to contest the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle on Friday evening at CHI Health Center.
(US Equestrian)
Peters (San Diego, Calif.) and Suppenkasper, a 2008 KWPN gelding owned by Akiko Yamazaki & Four Winds Farm, are competing in their first World Cup Finals together, and Peters sixth appearance in the individual championship. The pair earned wins in all three of their qualifying competitions, booking their ticket to Omaha.
“We had a really powerful test and a clean test, but also relaxed test, especially in the walk, the halt, and the rein back. It’s always such a fine balance,” explained Peters. “He felt really super today, and he kept that feeling in the ring and was super rideable. I’m just so honored and privileged to ride a horse like that and to represent the United States here at home is a huge honor.”
The pair have a long list of career accolades together and competing on home soil in front of an enthusiastic U.S. crowd is something Peters greatly appreciates, while Suppenkasper thrives in the atmosphere.
“It’s just so special. The second I got done, I saw some people standing up for us, and I had both of my arms up in the air. It’s just such a wonderful feeling and it’s really hard to describe. After 50 years of doing this sport, it still gets me really excited,” he added.
Buffini (San Diego, Calif.) and FRH Davinia La Douce rode a mistake-free test in their second FEI Dressage World Cup Final together, after their debut in Leipzig in 2022. Growing into their partnership over the last three years, Buffini feels she’s hit her stride with her 2007 Hanoverian mare and is excited to debut their new freestyle before the home crowd on Friday night.
“She was really, really good. She was with me. It is the best test that she has done in a big arena this electric and this nervous,” said Buffini. “Just to have no mistakes that has been our struggle our whole career together. To go in there and have a mistake-free test is everything you can dream of.”
As for the pair’s freestyle, Buffini is excited to debut her new choreography and music in front of the crowd at CHI Health Center. Inspired by her family’s military history, connection to the Air Force, and her love of the movie “Top Gun: Maverick,” Buffini’s music features her own vocals with memorable moments from the movie’s soundtrack.
“We always watch ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ the night before, so that’s what my whole team will be doing tomorrow night. I just listen to [my music] a ton of times. I watch every single freestyle I have done this season and just hone in for the next one. We made this for [the crowd], so I hope they love it.”
Aboard the only U.S.-bred dressage horse in the field, Tarjan and Serenade MF were trending above the 74-percent mark before a minor miscommunication in their first piaffe impacted their overall score. Tarjan purchased the 2013 Hanoverian mare as a foal and has produced her through the levels, with the mare debuting at Grand Prix last year as a nine-year-old. While their test was not what Tarjan had hoped for, she’s already setting her sights on Friday’s evening class.
“I’m really pleased with her. She was super good. Obviously, there was a miscommunication in the first piaffe, but it was really honest on her part,” explained Tarjan. “That’s horses, that’s what happens, that’s okay. She did the rest of the test for me. We had a little mistake in the ones, but overall, I think for her it was pretty good.”
Competition Information
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