For decades, Steffen Peters has been one of the most well-known names in American dressage. Originally from Wessel, Germany, Peters met U.S. trainer Laurie Falvo who invited him to work at her barn in San Diego in the summer of 1984.
Captivated by the lifestyle and the weather, Peters made a life-changing choice and moved to San Diego where he still lives today with his wife Shannon, an accomplished Grand Prix rider and trainer in her own right. He became a U.S. citizen in 1992 and rode his first of five Olympic Games in 1996.
In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Peters, 58, has had the good fortune to have trained and ridden many remarkable horses, including his current mount Suppenkasper, otherwise known as Mopsie. Together, they helped the U.S. win team silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
Most recently, Peters and Mopsie finished fourth and were the highest placed American pair at the FEI Dressage World CupTM Final in Omaha, Nebraska. Two weeks after that event, he talked with Dressage Today co-hosts Stephanie Ruff and Aviva Nebesky.
DT It’s been about two weeks since the World Cup. How was your overall experience there?
In just the last few days I’ve been able to reflect on that because I was home for two days after the final, and then I went to the Midwest Horse Fair and was presenting there, and that was very busy. The last few days have
