There are many variables in the bid for an Olympic gold, but one thing Olympians Steffen Peters and Karen O’Connor have pledged to keep constant is a once-a-day helping of SUCCEED to help their horses stay on the top of their games.
Here at Freedom Health we’re rooting for Steffen and Karen all the way, so follow along with us as we chronicle their rides (and hopefully, their medals) at the 2012 London Olympics. First up, a look at Steffen Peters’ horses, his projected outcome, competition, and of course, when to keep an eye out for them to appear first.
Steffen Peters’ Olympic Horses: Ravel and Legolas 92
Steffen will likely be riding his top mount, Ravel, in next week’s London Olympic Games, but will have Legolas 92 as his reserve. Ravel, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, is a veteran to the Olympic stage, having helped Peters clinch the top U.S. Team spot going into the 2008 Olympics. The pair took fourth place in Hong Kong, and are once again at the top of the U.S. Dressage Team list.
Since then, Steffen won two individual bronze medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, was a three-time USEF Equestrian of the Year, and won the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach in January 2012 for the second consecutive year, where he set a record in their Grand Prix with a score of 81.383%. He has been named “the most successful American dressage rider of all time,” and had an undefeated U.S. season in 2011 with Ravel.
Legolas, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding, is Steffen’s alternate horse — which, due to his relative inexperience, is exactly where Peters wants him.
Watch Steffen and Ravel’s 2012 World Dressage Masters Freestyle:
Predictions for Steffen Peters at the Olympics
Steffen is ranked first of the U.S. dressage team going into the Olympics, and many believe he will be unstoppable in London. At 48 years old, he’s an experienced contender with a team bronze from 1996 and experience as an alternate in Athens in 2004. He missed the podium by a scant .02 percent in Beijing, and many believe he’ll be back to win this time around.
Other Competitors to Watch Out For:
In a recent interview, Steffen reckoned that Germany, Holland, England, Denmark and Spain were all tough contenders in the team category. He also noted that if Ravel puts in a performance equal to or better than the ones he’s been producing, that they “could stand a good chance.”
Watch Steffen Peters at the Olympics
Day one of the individual equestrian events begins August 4, from 10:00 am – 2:15 pm BST. Of course, that means 5 am EST; tune in to NBCOlympics.com for scheduling and results.
Steffen Talks SUCCEED
Steffen began feeding SUCCEED seven years ago when his wife, Shannon, an accomplished FEI trainer and Grand Prix dressage competitor in her own right, put three of Steffen’s horses on SUCCEED and made him guess which ones. After two weeks, Steffen guessed correctly, citing the three horses’ improved attitudes, better work ethics, and all-around comfort as the deciding factor.
“We feed SUCCEED to all of our competition horses and see a tremendous difference when traveling,” Peters says. “We used it with Ravel when traveling to Hong Kong, and I noticed that he recovered very quickly from a challenging travel situation.”
Up Next: Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott
Stay tuned for our next Olympic update on SUCCEED-sponsored rider Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott as they go for gold in three-day eventing. Be sure to subscribe to the SUCCEED blog for full Olympic coverage of Steffen and Karen.
