Source: USEF

Aachen, Germany - Team USA wrapped up the 2011 World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, Germany, with more strong performances, including a second-place finish for Steffen Peters and Ravel in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO and a win for show jumper McLain Ward on Rothchild.
 
Peters and Ravel, owned by Akiko Yamazki and Four Winds Farm, stepped up their game today and gave the best dressage horse in the world a run for his money in the Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO for the Deutsche Bank Prize.
 
The judges gave Ravel and Peters technical scores of 77.25, 77.00, 80.50, 80.50, and 76.75, along with artistic scores of 86.00, 83.00, 83.00, 89.00, and 87.00 for an overall 82.000% - just .825% off the winning score set by Matthias Rath of Germany and Totilas.
 
According to Dressage-news.com, Peters said, "It felt fantastic. I'm still searching for words to describe it. The icing on the cake was the reaction of the crowd. That was a huge honor. I finished fifth in the Grand Prix and the Special, so to come within fractions of Totilas and Parzival in the freestyle is amazing."

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email usdressage@usdf.org, or call (859) 971-2277.