Two USA Combinations in World’s Top 10, Charlotte & Valegro Still No. 1

Steffen Peters on Legolas in the Aachen CDI5* Grand Prix last month. © 2015 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 4, 2015–Steffen Peters on Legolas and Laura Graves on Verdades are in the Top 10 in the world, according to the latest standings posted Thursday, while Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain on Valegro remains No. 1 for the 22nd straight month.

Steffen of San Diego, California and the 13-year-old Westfalen gelding moved to the ninth slot based on results in Europe in May.

Laura of Geneva, Florida on the 13-year-old KWPN gelding remained at No. 10 where they were the previous month based on success at the World Cup Final in Las Vegas. Laura has not competed since then as she is training in Hailey, Idaho with Debbie McDonald in preparation for the Pan American Games next month.

This was the first time two American combinations were in the world’s top 10 since the first digital records of standings in July, 2009, according to a search by dressage-news.com. At that time, Steffen on Ravel was No. 2 in the world.

The rankings compiled by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) to the end of May also showed that Matthias Alexander Rath of Germany on Totilas slid to 28th in the world from third the previous month. The pair have no competed since Aachen, Germany in July last year but the rider has told dressage-news.com he plans to show at the German championships 10 days from now.

Germany and the Netherlands, the two powerhouse dressage nations, each have three combinations in the top 10 while Charlotte and Valegro are the sole British pair and Tinne Vilhelmsson-Silfvén on Don Auriello shows the Swedish flag.

The U.S. has been more aggressive in competing internationally in the past two years with at least 24 horses and riders in Europe this summer performing at the biggest shows and scheduled to field teams in the major Nations Cup events.

More American horses are riders thus become more familiar to judges and the higher rankings have added greater importance with changes in the starting order at some competitions where the higher ranked pairs a grouped with other elite partnerships.

Rankings as of May 31, 2015
Rank	Previous		Athlete		Horse	NF	Points
1	1		DUJARDIN, Charlotte		VALEGRO	GBR	3225
2	2		GAL, Edward		GLOCK’S UNDERCOVER N.O.P.	NED	2661
3	4		CORNELISSEN, Adelinde		JERICH PARZIVAL N.O.P.	NED	2599
4	5		SPREHE, Kristina		DESPERADOS FRH	GER	2572
5	6		WERTH, Isabell		BELLA ROSE 2	GER	2534
6	7		VILHELMSON SILFVÉN, Tinne		DON AURIELLO	SWE	2375
7	8		HEIJKOOP, Danielle		SIRO N.O.P.	NED	2310
8	9		VON BREDOW-WERNDL, Jessica		UNEE BB	GER	2308
9	11		PETERS, Steffen		LEGOLAS 92	USA	2288
10	10		GRAVES, Laura		VERDADES	USA	2281
11	12		MAX-THEURER, Victoria		AUGUSTIN OLD	AUT	2249
12	13		WERTH, Isabell		DON JOHNSON FRH	GER	2247
13	14		SALZGEBER, Ulla		HERZRUF’S ERBE	GER	2213
14	15		LÜTKEMEIER, Fabienne		D’AGOSTINO FRH	GER	2199
15	16		VAN SILFHOUT, Diederik		ARLANDO N.O.P.	NED	2177
16	18		MINDERHOUD, Hans Peter		GLOCK’S FLIRT	NED	2162
17	23		MINDERHOUD, Hans Peter		GLOCK’S JOHNSON TN	NED	2159
18	19		KITTEL, Patrick		DEJA	SWE	2149
19	21		HESTER, Carl		NIP TUCK	GBR	2139
20	28		GAL, Edward		GLOCK’S VOICE	NED	2128
21	17		TRUPPA, Valentina		FIXDESIGN EREMO DEL CASTEGNO	ITA	2108
22	26		KITTEL, Patrick		WATERMILL SCANDIC	SWE	2092
23	24		LANGEHANENBERG, Helen		DAMON HILL NRW	GER	2091
24	20		WERTH, Isabell		EL SANTO NRW	GER	2089
25	25		BARBANÇON MESTRE, Morgan		PAINTED BLACK	ESP	2088