Sabine Schut-Kery and Steffen Peters dominated the big tour classes at the Delmar Horse Show CDI-W on 25 - 28 April 2019.
International dressage competition in California has been quite slow this 2019 show season. Although beautiful events were professionally staged in Temecula, Del Mar and Rancho Murieta, the entry fields for the CDI's were thin. Especially the big tour classes were anemic this year with a lack of riders. Fortunately the small tour field was a bit larger and brought more excitement.
This year Steffen Peters decided to stay in Florida and not do a commute to the more popular Wellington show circuit. Alongside Nick Wagman he has been the leading Californian big tour rider of the season.
At the 2019 CDI-W Del Mar, Steffen Peters wielded the axe of power aboard Akiko Yamazaki's 11-year old Dutch warmblood Suppenkasper (by Spielberg x Krack C). They won the Grand Prix with 75.696% and the Kur to Music with 80.990, bringing their tally to eight consecutive consecutive victories in four months time.
Sabine Schut-Kery and Alice Womble's 13-year old Hanoverian Sanceo (by San Remo x Ramiro's Son II) did their first CDI after a one-year break. The 2018 CDI Del Mar exactly a year ago was their last international but the pair came back strong. They were second in the Grand Prix with 69.957% and won the Grand Prix Special with 72.085%.
"The German born, raised and haunted perfectionist in me was disappointed for making some unnecessary rider mistakes," Schut-Kery admitted. "The horse girl in me is so humbled by the kind heart and friendship this handsome stallion has to offer. Having done only one handful of Grand Prix and Specials and being out of the show ring for one year, Sanceo truly is a one of a kind, talented and honest partner."
With two big tour horses to compete Nick Wagman finds himself in a luxury position he has worked hard for. Aboard the 11-year old KWPN gelding Don John (by Johnson x Goodtimes) he slotted in third in the Grand Prix on 69.127% and second in the Special (70.681%). He also steered the 15-year old KWPN gelding Zenith (by Painted Black x Krack C) to a fourth spot in the Grand Prix (66.00%) and a second in the freestyle (71.865%).
"I'm so incredibly proud of my beautiful stallion Rondoro Noblesse," Hoffmann took to Facebook. "(It was) a very large and competitive class of top riders. One of the best things about today was having my entire amazing family and my friends, both old and new, out to watch and having it be here at home."
Photos © Terri Miller
Related Link
Scores: 2019 CDI-W Del Mar