“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.
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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
'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
