Steffen Peters and Legolas 92 at Roosendaal. Photo by DigiShots.
Roosendaal, The Netherlands – June 4, 2016 – Steffen Peters and Laura Graves entered the CDI4* Grand Prix Special at Roosendaal hoping for a repeat of their one-two finish in Friday’s Grand Prix, but fell just short as strong performances by their competitors mixed up the leaderboard. Peters rode Legolas 92 to second place behind Great Britain’s Fiona Bigwood and Atterupgaards Orthilia, while Sweden’s Juliette Ramel on Buriel K.H. edged out Graves and Verdades for the third place spot.
Bigwood posted the high mark of 77.059 percent to move up to the top position in the Special after taking third in the Grand Prix, while Peters, the Grand Prix winner, put up a score of 75.863 percent. The judges rewarded Peters and the 14-year-old Westphalian gelding with high scores for their piaffe/passage work, and an issue in the one-tempi line between the canter pirouettes held them back from contending with Bigwood for top honors.
Ramel’s score of 74.373 percent was just enough to clinch third place honors over Graves, who performed excellent trot half-passes on Verdades but had a problem in the left canter pirouette.
Laura Graves and Verdades at Roosendaal. Photo by DigiShots.
The third U.S. rider, Guenter Seidel, placed 10th with Zero Gravity. The pair scored a 69.686 percent for their accurate test with strong half-passes and tempi changes but lacking cadence in the piaffe work.
Peters also rode Four Winds Farms’ Rosamunde, a nine-year-old Rheinlander mare, in the Grand Prix qualifier for Sunday’s Grand Prix Freestyle. The pair placed third in the class with a 72.22 percent. Dutch competitors took the top two spots in the class: Danielle Heijkoop on Siro earned first place with a 73.98 percent, while Madeleine Witte-Vries on Cennin finished second with a 73.02 percent. Florida-based Mikala Munter Gundersen, who is in Europe for the Danish National Championships in hopes of earning a place on the Danish team for the Rio Olympics, scored a 71.42 percent for fourth place.
Steffen Peters and Rosamunde
Results: Roosendaal CDI4*
Grand Prix Special
Rider/Country/Horse/Owner/Total Score
1. Fiona Bigwood/GBR/Atterupgaards Orthilia/Mrs. P. Bigwood, Mr. & Mrs. Dahl/77.059%
2. Steffen Peters/USA/Legolas 92/Four Winds Farm LLC/75.863%
3. Juliette Ramel/SWE/Buriel K.H./La Pomme HB/74.373%
4. Laura Graves/USA/Verdades/Laura Graves/74.255%
5. Helen Langehanenberg/GER/Damsey FRH/Leatherdale Farms/72.882%
6. Therese Nilshagen/SWE/Dante Weltino OLD/Dressurpferde Leistungsz & T. Nilshagen/72.588%
7. Spencer Wilton/GBR/Super Nova II/Jen Goodman & Spencer Wilton/71.451%
8. Gareth Hughes/GBR/Classic Briolinca/Mr. & Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. J. Hornig/70.882%
9. Katja Gevers/NED/Thriller/Dhr. R. Gevers/70.510%
10. Guenter Seidel/USA/Zero Gravity/James & Charlotte Mashburn/70.640%
Grand Prix qualifier for the Grand Prix Freestyle
Rider/Country/Horse/Owner/Total Score
1. Danielle Heijkoop/NED/Siro/ D.Heykoop & T.E.G.van Grunsven & J.J.v.Verseveld/73.980%
2. Madeleine Witte-Vrees/NED/Cennin/ N.F. Witte & J.E.J. Cuppen/73.020%
3. Steffen Peters/USA/Rosamunde/Four Winds Farm/72.220%
4. Mikala Munter Gundersen/DEN/My Lady/Janne Rumbough & Mikala Gundersen/71.420%
5. Rose Mathisen/SWE/Zuidenwind 1187/Gr„nsbo Stuteri & VDL Stud/70.320%
6. Michael George Eilberg/GBR/Marakov/Mr F Eilberg70.200%
7. Hayley Watson-Greaves/GRB/Rubins Nite/Hayley Watson – Greaves68.280%
8. Stephanie De Frel/NED/Zanyo/VMF Stables & L. van Oosten/68.160%
9. Karen Tebar/FRA/Ricardo/Karen Tebar, Karen & Gerhild Schetter/67.560%
10. Marjan Van Der Jagt/NED/Radetzky/C.G. Jager/67.360%