HORSE NATION

Steffen Peters and Ravel will not seek to compete in the World Cup in The Netherlands in April, setting their sights instead on the Olympics.

Photo: http://www.horseypeople.co.za

The full story from dressage-news.com:

Ravel, ridden by Steffen Peters to the 2009 World Cup title, will not seek to compete in the Word Cup Final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, in April.

The 14-year-old KWPN gelding (Contango x Hautain x Democraat) owned by Akiko Yamazaki is being prepared for the Olympics in London this summer.

Akiko, Steffen and his wife, Shannon, decided against the World Cup and the trasatlantic travel from California to Europe, following the victory by Ravel at the World Dressage Masters in Palm Beach last week, for the second year in a row.

“It is all about preserving Ravel,” Steffen told dressage-news.com of the horse that has created history for American dressage.

He said that it was “too soon” to seek to qualify Legolas 92 for the World Cup although the horse scored above 80 per cent in his only competition so far, a CDN before a single judge at Thermal, California.

Akiko bought the Westfalen gelding (Laomedon x Fürstin x Florestan II) two months ago.

Steffen and Ravel are one of only two combinations from the U.S. ever to win the World Cup–Debbie McDonald and Brentina were the first–and the only pair to win world championship individual medals, which they did at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010. They also are the only Americans to win the CDIO championship at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, considered the most prestigious horse show in the world, which they did in 2009.

Earlier this month, Steffen won his third U.S. Equestrian of the Year title, more than any other rider since the award was inaugurated.

The pair have not competed in a World Cup Final since winning the title in Las Vegas.

Ashley Holzer, the Canadian Olympian who has been a top contender from the North American League for several years for World Cup Finals, has indicated she, too will not compete at ‘s-Hertogenbosch on Breaking Dawn, her new mount, as her focus is on the Olympics.