FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES FEBRUARY 2013 69
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University. She had left behind the
horses, but never forgot them. Akiko’s
passion for horses revived early in
her marriage to the unsuspecting
Jerry Yang. One horse led to many,
but it was Jerry’s suggestion that they
look for a horse for Steffen to ride in
the Beijing Olympics.
When asked what moments she
cherishes most in Ravel’s career,
Akiko replied, “Beijing 2008. World
Cup 2009. Aachen 2009. Kentucky
(WEG) 2010. Being the crowd’s
favorite in Aachen 2011. There are
just too many special moments, but
one of the special moments was to go
on a trail ride with Steffen and Ravel.”
Every few weeks Steffen travels
from his training facility in San Diego
to Four Winds Farm in northern
California to work with Akiko, who
rides Ravel three to four days in
the arena and one day on the trails.
“When Steffen comes out to give me
lessons, he gets on him, and one
time I couldn’t get him off of Ravel,” exclaimed Akiko. “He is an
incredible teacher and still seems happy to do his work.”
Ravel may be retired, but not his rider. Steffen plans to compete
on Akiko’s Legolas 92 in the World Dressage Masters in Palm
Beach, Jan. 23-27. The bay Westphalian gelding, now 11, who
had been trained to Grand Prix in Germany by Ulrich Kasselman,
arrived with little show experience in June 2011. Legolas won
the 2012 US Grand Prix Championship and went to London as
reserve horse for Steffen.
“Custom Saddlery is a proud sponsor of
Steffen Peters.
“We are proud to welcome Steffen Peters
to Team SmartPak. We look forward to
partnering with him, the horses and his
whole team in the years to come.”
“Respond Systems would like to thank
Steffen Peters and Ravel for many years
of hard work and dedication in the sport of
dressage.”
Ravel’s Rocking Resume
By Lauren R. Giannini
Ravel, the dark bay Dutch Warmblood gelding, and his rider
Steffen Peters are the most successful American Grand Prix
dressage combination in many years. Bought in 2006 and
imported from the Netherlands by Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry
Yang for Steffen, Ravel had been trained by Edward Gal of
Moorlands Totilas fame. In early 2008 they stormed the dressage
bastille, earning their place on the U.S. team for the 2008 Beijing
Olympics where they placed fourth individually.
In Las Vegas in 2009 they won both the Grand Prix and the
Grand Prix Freestyle at the Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Final,
besting the Netherlands’ Salinero and Anky van Grunsven (nine
World Cups and three Olympic gold medals), and Germany’s
Satchmo and Isabel Werth (fve gold Olympic medals). Later that
year, Ravel and Steffen scored another frst for the U.S. when
they swept all three classes at the prestigious CDIO Aachen.
The duo earned two bronze medals at the 2010 Alltech FEI
World Equestrian Games. It was the frst time ever that a U.S.
dressage horse had won an individual medal at the World
Championships. You had to be there – the crowd went crazy.
They also won two U.S. Grand Prix Championships and, along
the way, the hearts of people around the world.
In 2012, Steffen and Ravel dominated the World Dressage
Masters CDI4* Palm Beach presented by International Polo
Club, winning the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle. (The
photo on the cover of this issue is Ravel and Steffen at the 2012
World Dressage Masters.)
Ravel is a fve-time Horse Of The Year (HOTY), presented
by the United States Equestrian Federation. He earned three
consecutive Adequan/USDF Grand Prix Horse of the Year titles
(2009-2011), The Chronicle of the Horse’s 2009 Horse of the
Year and the 2010 USEF Farnam/Platform Horse of the Year.
At the London Olympics last summer, the U.S. Dressage Team
fnished sixth overall. Steffen and his longtime sponsor Akiko,
who owns Ravel, had made the decision to retire their 14-year-
old wunderkind after the Games. Hopes ran high for them: they
were the only U.S. combination to qualify for the freestyle, which
decided the individual medals, but it wasn’t the great horse’s day.
Ravel’s career ended without a trip to the podium and fnal blaze
of glory. Steffen honored his wonderful equine dancing partner
with moving words which have been quoted all over the media
map: “Ravel owes us nothing. We owe him everything.”
Ravel was inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of
Fame at the USDF annual convention in December.
Ravel poses with a group of
admiring visitors.
Photo Courtesy of Akiko Yamazaki