"We had the luxury of taking it easy after the Del Mar show (last spring) and it's extremely hard to keep a horse peaked for that long. I think they can stay at the top of their game for about three months. May and June were real easy and we were able to pick it up right on time to be hopefully just right in Kentucky," he commented.
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- Steffen Peters and Ravel are America's highest-ranked dressage combination.
- © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer
Steffen is flying to New Jersey for the final day of the trials, so he can attend a mandatory team meeting the next day. His potential teammates include another Californian, Sue Blinks with Robin Hood, number two behind Steffen and Ravel in the final rankings; Tina Konyot with Calecto V, who just made a very strong showing in Europe, as well as Leslie Morse with 2006 WEG veteran Tip Top, recovered from colic surgery earlier this year.
Other prospects include Todd Flettrich and Otto, who competed well in the Grand Prix at Aachen; Katherine Bateson Chandler with her new but very experienced mount, Nartan; Jan Ebeling, who has two chances with Sandrina and Rafalca, and European-based Catherine Haddad. She brought her younger mount, Winyamaro, but her more experienced horse, Cadillac, did not make the trip. Adrienne Lyle (Wizard) and Lauren Sammis (Sagacious) also are among the key contenders.
Even without Steffen and Ravel, it should be quite a show. Watch for coverage of the trials and the other national championships beginning August 6 on EquiSearch.com.
