Dressage champs Steffen Peters and Ravel will sit out Olympic trials

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announced last week that Steffen Peters has submitted a request to not attend the USEF Selection Trials for the 2012 U.S. Dressage Team for the 2012 Olympic Games with Four Winds Farm’s Ravel. These Trials will be held as part of the USEF Festival of Champions in Gladstone, NJ. The USEF Dressage Selectors met on May 24, 2012 and approved his request to be considered for the Short List/FEI Nominated Entry on the team without attending the USEF Selection Trials in accordance with USEF Olympic Games Selection Procedure.

The USEF Selection Procedure for Dressage for the 2012 Olympic Games states:

The Selectors may name an athlete/horse combination to the third position that has not participated in or completed the entire Selection Trial in accordance with the criteria below if the combination has contributed to a team medal or has finished in one of the top six positions as an individual at a World Championship or Olympic Games within the past four years, excluding athlete/horse combinations which were drop scores or alternates at a team competition:

• The Applicant must meet all requirements in Section I.A
• To be considered, the Applicant must submit a request in writing to Jenny Van Wieren-Page, USEF Director of Dressage High Performance Programs prior to the completion of the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special in Round Two of the Selection Trial;
• The Applicant athlete/horse combination is qualified for an invitation to the Selection Trial in accordance with Section I.B “Tryout Events”;
• Applicant horses must submit to a veterinary inspection by the Team Veterinarian who will be accompanied by at least one of the Selectors. This veterinary inspection must be completed within four weeks prior to the conclusion of the Selection Trial and athlete/horse combinations being considered must make themselves available for the veterinary inspection according to the schedule of the veterinarian and selector(s).

Ravel and Peters won two Bronze medals individually at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and were fourth individually at the 2008 Olympic Games. Ravel was examined by USEF Team Veterinarian, Dr. Rick Mitchell on Monday, May 21st with a USEF Selector present.

The Short List/Nominated Entry will be announced following the Selection Trial which ends June 17.

Follow the U.S. Dressage team at USEFNetwork.com