California Riding Magazine • August, 2009

Steffen Sweeps!
Peters and Ravel
continue their world domination.

In an unprecedented sweep, Steffen Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood Ravel swept all three classes in the CDIO Aachen, in Peters’ native Germany: the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Special and the Grand Prix Freestyle. The victories further validate their Rolex/FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final victory in April.

The sweep was a first for an American combination, and they did it in classic style. Their score in the finale, Sunday’s Grand Prix Freestyle, was 85.600%, more than a point clear of 2008 Olympic gold medalists Anky van Grunsven (NED) and IPS Salinero, van Grunsven’s star mount who was not able to contest this year’s World Cup Finals.

© 2009 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Peters and Ravel picked up 30,000 Euro for their efforts on Sunday, pushing their three-day prize money total to more than 45,000 Euro. With this win, Peters more than realized a lifelong dream of finishing in the top three at Aachen. He achieved it, to standing ovations, with family, friends and fans in attendance to celebrate his tremendous accomplishment. The pair will return to their base at San Diego’s Arroyo Del Mar to focus on their next major goal, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games next September in Lexington, KY.

Peters and Ravel’s Aachen competition started off great and kept getting stronger. On Thurs. July 2, the pair scored 77.830% in the Grand Prix against many of the best horses and riders in the world. The five judges unanimously placed the pair first, and their average was more than five points clear of second place finisher, Hans Peter Minderhoud and Exquis Nadine.

Aachen marks only the second time Ravel has competed outside of the United States. His first foreign outing was the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, where he and Peters finished out of the medals by just a hair.

Reporting provided by the USEF’s Joanie Morris.