Records continued to fall on the second day of the 2016 CDI-W Burbank, also known as the Los Angeles Winter Dressage CDI-W/Y/J/U-25, as Steffen Peters and Legolas proved that the impressive marks they earned during yesterday’s Grand Prix competition were no fluke.
The veteran pair have found great success traveling the world representing the United States at World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals, and last year’s Pan American Games in Canada, but they had to settle for reserve national championship honors after a disappointing start during December’s USEF Festival of Champions in Florida. However, the return to their San Diego home and familiar California stomping ground now appears to have been a successful strategy to further their Olympic preparations.
During Saturday’s CDI-W Grand Prix Freestyle, Peters rode Four Winds Farm's veteran Westfalian gelding (by Laomedon x Florestan II) to yet another personal best with a huge score of 84.050%, winning the class by a double-digit margin and posting the best performance to date by any U.S.-team contender in the current Olympic selection year, as well as earning the highest CDI Grand Prix Freestyle score of a rider of any nationality competing in North America so far in 2016.
“Usually when the Grand Prix test is great, the second day isn’t quite as good, but I thought Legolas was just as good today as he was yesterday,” said Peters. “He has seemed more relaxed this weekend and it resulted in another clean test - I was even able to go for more tempi changes, doing 17 one-tempis today instead of his usual 13. The relaxation makes all the difference for him. It’s the best score for him so far, and I think the highest I ever had with Ravel was an 86% so we’re getting closer. He’s stepping nicely into the footsteps of his brother. It’s an exciting day.”
In just their second international competition together, Shayna Simon and her Hanoverian gelding Harley Davidson (by His Highness x Walt Disney I) earned 68.684% to claim victory in the Intermediaire I by just six-tenths of a point over Kim Yacobucci and her Oldenburg mare Dona Rosa (by Don Graphit x Layout) with 68.079%.
In the CDI Young Riders Individual Test, Lauren Asher and her Hanoverian gelding De Noir (by De Niro x Matcho AA) earned another win with 68.728%, while in the Junior Individual Test Francesca Sheld rode Reagan to their second victory in as many days with 63.509% over Paris Richman and Dante.
by Jennifer Keeler - Photo © Terri Miller
Related Link
Scores 2016 CDI-W Burbank
Steffen Peters Earns Highest 2016 CDI Grand Prix Score at 2016 CDI-W Burbank