EVENTS

Steffen Peters biography

You get the feeling with Steffen Peters that he is about to reach
yet another peak in his dressage career at the Beijing Olympics.

Peters and the flowing 17 year old chestnut Westfalien gelding Floriano, had their first sniff of Olympic fever in 2004 when they were an alternate horse and rider for the Bronze medal winning US team.

In 2005 Peters and Floriano made the Europeans sit up and pay attention as he rode to victory in the group 1 CDIO Grand Prix at the famous Aachen.

Since then the combination have been proving their worth to the US team with Peters performing a breathtaking freestyle at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen to clinch the team bronze.

In 2007 Peters stepped up once again to win the US Freestyle championship and then off to the Las Vegas World Cup to take home Silver in the Grand Prix, beaten only by Isabell Werth on Warum Nicht, and Bronze in the Kur.

Although Floriano is Peters' most famous ride, he has been enjoying international level success on several horses since 1993 including team Bronze at the Atlanta Olympics on Udon, the horse that really thrust Peters into International level dressage.

German born Peters had been riding since he was a boy, but at age 16 his father purchased Udon, the 3 year old KWPN gelding by Darling Boy. Peters and Udon moved to Jo Hinnemann's barn in Voerde, Germany and it was there that the American trainer Lauie Falvo invited Peters to work at her barn in San Diego in the summer of 1984. Captivated by the Californian weather and lifestyle, Peters returned with Udon to San Diego in 1985.

In 1992 Peters became a US citizen and four years later was on the winners podium representing his new country at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Peters had found an affliation with the American patriotism and was motivated by the feeling of being so close to one's country.

Forty three year old Peters still lives and trains in San Diego with his wife Shannon. He is in high demand for clinics around the world, and indeed Debbie McDonald enlists Peters' assistance as 'eyes on the ground' when preparing for international events with her horse Brentina.

While there is no doubt that we will see Peters and Floriano dance again in their gorgeous freestyle next year in the Beijing Olympics, when asked of his own ambitions for the future, Peters says 'I appreciate what I have and not always what I just want'.