Consistency is one of Steffen Peters’ strengths, and he laid down another spectacular test today, June 22, at the Olympic Selection Trials in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., aboard Ravel.
In fact, not much changed from the Grand Prix to the Grand Prix Special today. Debbie McDonald placed second again with Brentina (74.12%), and Courtney King-Dye improved her placing with Harmony’s Mythilus to third (73.16%) from fourth place yesterday.
Peters said Ravel was so sensitive after the extended walk that he had to hold his breath. “As soon as I started breathing he had a little jig, because he was so ready to do the piaffe. He’s so ready to work and gives 100 percent all the time,” said Peters.
However, Peters’ test aboard his second mount, Lombardi 11, wasn’t quite up to the same standard as his Grand Prix test, where he placed third. The 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding reared up in his first piaffe and encountered trouble in the one-tempi changes.
“Lombardi is simply a goofball,” said Peters. “He loves to do something really silly. It’s not intended to be resistant. He’s a very playful horse. He throws up the left front leg and shakes his head in the paddock. When he’s in that mood, that’s the way it is. You can school the piaffe later, and it will be perfectly fine. They’re not machines. He just started to be playful with the salute to the crowd with his front legs.”
McDonald had the same kind of luck with her two mounts. Brentina came out even better in the Grand Prix Special, while Felix decided to practice his Spanish walk during the passage and ended up in twelfth place.
“I was very happy [with Brentina],” said McDonald. “I felt like I was a little less conservative today. She just felt really right on my aids, really energetic. For what I want from her right now, I could not have asked more. I’m trying to peak at the right time, so this is what I wanted out of her right now. We all know that if you take it all out of them this weekend, then you’ll fight to keep it next weekend.”
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King-Dye looked like she might surpass Brentina with Harmony’s Mythilus until she suffered an ill-timed memory lapse before the last extended trot. She turned across the diagonal instead of heading down the long side before the final centerline.
“The Grand Prix is so similar, and that’s the test we always ride. I’ve only ridden two Specials with ‘Myth’ before,” explained King-Dye. “I came back to trot, and he felt really good. I was ready to really go for it in the extended trot, but I just went for it in the wrong direction.”
Despite the error, King-Dye expressed delight with the test. “Yesterday, the judges told me I needed to let his neck out more,” she said. “I’d kind of gotten to the point where I could let his neck out more [before a shoeing change set their training back], and I hadn’t gotten him back to that point. Yesterday, I had his neck short, but today he was a little better, and I could let his neck out more. Not all the time, but I was able to take more risk. I feel like Myth is on an upward turn.”
King-Dye also improved on her score with Idocus, finishing the Special in fourth place (70.20%) aboard the 18-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion.
“I schooled him this morning, and he was very good. This afternoon he was kind of ‘eh,’ and we had some words about it,” said King-Dye. “He did his job in the show ring, so I was very pleased. With me it’s a big victory to be able to put the pressure on him.”
While the leaders look solid in their positions, they won’t rest easy until the trials wrap up next weekend.
“I’m not taking anything for granted. I work it day by day. It’s not over until next Sunday,” said McDonald.
The other riders in the selection trials moved around quite a bit from their finishes yesterday. Michael Barisone put in a mistake-free test with Neruda in the Grand Prix for sixth place on Saturday, but today there were problems in the one-tempis and a large pirouette.
Susan Blinks and Mark went in the opposite direction. After a lackluster Grand Prix test, Blinks stepped it up with Mark. They had one break into canter in the half-pass, but the rest of the test looked far more forward and connected for seventh place today.
Rociero XV also appeared more lively, so much so that he decided to be true to his Spanish heritage. The PRE stallion ad libbed a bit of Spanish Walk before heading into the first piaffe with Kristina Harrison-Naness, but the pair still finished in ninth place (66.00%).
Next week the Grand Prix riders will ride the Grand Prix again before showing off their freestyles.
For full results, visit http://www.dressageontheroadtohongkong.com/
