American West Coast riders continued their journeys toward qualification for the Olympic Games today in San Juan Capistrano, CA at the Festival of the Horse CDI. An international field of 41 CDI horses vied for critical qualifying scores in the Grand Prix, Intermediaire I, Young Rider, and Junior divisions before FEI judges Gary Rockwell (5*USA), Mary Seefried (5* AUS), Jane Weatherwax (4* USA), Lorraine MacDonald (4* CAN), and Gabriel Armando (3* ARG).
Steffen Peters (USA) and Four Winds Farm's ten-year-old Westfalian gelding Legolas (by Laomedon x Florestan II) continued their winning ways in the CDI Grand Prix Test with an impressive score of 75.255%.
"This is a wonderful horse which has the potential to earn even higher scores as he continues to get stronger," noted FEI judge Gary Rockwell (5* USA), who will be officiating for this summer's Olympic Games in London. Fellow ground jury member Mary Seefried (5* AUS) agreed. "His horse's attitude is wonderful, and we saw a lot of harmony today. Now we're just waiting for him to put the pedal down."
Second was the FEI World Cup-bound pair of Jan Ebeling (USA) and Rafalca, a 1997 born Oldenburg mare by Argentinius x Rubinstein I owned by Amy Ebeling, with a score of 70.894%, with Guenter Seidel (USA) riding Fandango (by Feinbrand x Figaro) for the third-place ribbon with 69.660% for owner Toyon Farm.
Blake and Royal Prinz Win Prix St Georges
The Prix St. Georges was a hard-fought class, with the top three competitors scoring over 68%. David Blake (USA) rode Willard and Teresa Simmons' impressive 11-year-old Oldenburg stallion Royal Prinz (by Royal Diamond x Dream of Glory) to victory with 68.860%.
"He was really, really good, and super focused," said Blake. "It's all very easy for him; it feels like when he goes in there, he enjoys himself. So I just try to maintain that feeling."
Closely following for second was Steffen Peters (USA) and Margaret Koster's Sundance (by Shakespeare in Love x De Niro] with a score of 68.728%, while Jan Ebeling (USA) earned another top three placing on a score of 68.132% with Deborah Harlan's Rosenzauber (by Rotspon x Shogun xx).
Good Scores in Youth Riders' Divisions
In the CDI Young Rider division, Canada's Monica Houweling rode the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Rifradin (by Gribaldi x Formateur) to a winning score of 67.061% in the Team Test, followed by Laura Price (USA) earning 65.263% with Joan Cvengros' Grand Makana (by Goodman x Waidwerk) and Amelia Child (USA) and her 10-year old KWPN gelding Veto (by Montecristo x Rubinstein) in third with 64.605%.
Kalynn Harrington (USA) topped the field of CDI Junior Riders' division, riding Elly Schobel's 14-year-old American Warmblood gelding Raison d'Etre (by Regulus x Uzi) to a score of 63.964%. Second-place honors went to Canada's Julia Burke on her own 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Patrick (by Balhinrobe Pearl x Northern Minuet) with 61.712%, while Cassidy Gallman (USA) was third with 60.090% with her Hanoverian gelding Woden" (by Weltmeyer).
- Cornerstone press release, edited by Eurodressage
Related Links
Scores 2012 CDI San Juan Capistrano
Steffen Peters Unveils New Star Horse at 2011 USDF Symposium