“IT’S easy when things go well, but when they don’t and people stick by you – how can you put that into words? There’s so much gratitude for that. Last year was tough.”
Sitting in the VIP tent at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Florida, Steffen Peters appears to be on top of the world. On the day we meet, he had won the World Cup qualifier grand prix the previous night. That evening, he would win the freestyle too. A glance at his FEI record a couple of months later shows that he and Suppenkasper were unbeaten during the AGDF season, winning 11 classes, with scores up to 83.5%.
But the emotion Steffen showed after those wins tells the story, which goes far beyond a mere scorecard. Because, despite being the holder of six Olympic and world medals, the 55-year-old has suffered from severe confidence problems over the past 18 months.
Oddly, Steffen’s issues started with one horse, his current top ride Suppenkasper (Mopsie), and yet that horse has also been the key to his return.
LET us start from the beginning. Steffen found Mopsie in the summer of 2017, through his friend Dr Ulf Möller.
“He had started to work for Andreas Helgstrand, so I called up and said we were looking for a top horse for Tokyo,” he explains. “He said he might have something and called back to say it was Suppenkasper. I had heard of him, so I looked at videos and loved him.”
Steffen was heading to Europe around the same time for shows, so he tried the horse with his former rider, Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg.
Denne historien er fra April 16, 2020-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra April 16, 2020-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Gemirande provides 24-carat magic
Venetia Williams sparkles again in the December Gold Cup and jockey brothers dead-heat
‘Happy hunting, everyone'
“The season for talks, dinners and parties has finally arrived for Tessa Waugh, whose distress about the snags of middle age fades away with some rousing festive spirits
'Monaco deserved this victory
Seemingly destined always to play the bridesmaid’s role, Harrie Smolders’ great partner Monaco finally tops an incidentpacked Rolex grand prix
'It had to end sometime'
The closure of beloved Hampshire saddlery Calcutt Sons is a loss to the hunting and wider equestrian worlds, as Octavia Pollock reports
'You couldn't want for more
The Ludlow's peaceful country makes for a day in \"hunting paradise\"
The greatest gift of all
Christmas is fast approaching and while we all like a bit of tinsel, the festive season is also a perfect time for giving to a horse charity. Niki Hinman finds out some of the options
Winter him well
A horse's winter routine can differ dramatically from his summer structure but what’s the knock-on effect? Ellie Hughes asks vets how to optimise routine management for the season
Neat feet
Excellent hoof care is a year-round concern but the winter months present their own problems. Richard Stephenson MRCVS explains the seasonal challenges afoot and how to stay one step ahead
In bygone days
Modern vets have much scientific knowledge behind them, but what about their forebears? Kieran O’Brien MRCVS opens up the world of Victorian vets in London
'When I joined the Pony Club it was just two boys and 48 girls'
Pepsi Kohler on being delightfully outnumbered by girls in the Pony Club, a leg-up from a royal and the H&H advert that changed his life
