April 21st, 2009
Team Matrix Member Steffen Peters is Crowned Dressage World Champion at 2009 Dressage World Cup Finals
Las Vegas, Nevada - Team Matrix member Steffen Peters became the first American in 23 years to be crowned the dressage world champion, a title he earned at this year's Dressage World Cup Finals held April 16-18 at the Thomas and Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
More than 6,000 people were on hand during the final night of competition to witness Peters' historic win and he was clearly the crowd favorite. He earned the world championship title with his 2008 Olympic partner Ravel, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Akiko Yamazaki. Among those in the crowd was Dr. Marvin Hausman, creator of the Mushroom Matrix line of nutritional supplements. "It was so exciting. Steffen and Ravel had a beautiful ride," Dr. Hausman said of the pair's musical freestyle ride that earned them the world title.
Peters and Ravel were clearly favored to win after finishing first in Thursday's Grand Prix competition, but they faced tough competition. Challenging them for the world title was Dutch rider and nine-time world champion Anky van Grunsven riding the fabulous KWPN-stallion IPS Painted Black. They finished the World Cup competition in third place. Finishing second was another one of the world's best riders, German rider Isabell Werth riding the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding Satchmo.
Peters was overjoyed with his World Cup win and gave most of the credit to his partner. "Ravel has an amazing mind and tonight, he was so with me," he said. "I can't take credit for his mind. That's how he was born and I'm a lucky guy to get to ride a horse like this."
Peters wasn't the only Team Matrix member making an appearance at this year's World Cup competition. Competing in the Show Jumping World Cup was Team Matrix member Will Simpson. Simpson also competed in a reining competition that pitted a U.S. team of three riders - a professional reining competitor, a dressage rider and a show jumping rider - against a similar team of international riders.
Although the reining event was all in fun, Simpson made it clear prior to the competition that the U.S. team had no intention of losing a competition that featured the very American sport of reining. After international team member Rodrigo Pessoa predicted a win by his team, Simpson replied, "Rodrigo just doesn't know one thing - we're in Las Vegas now and we're ready to open a can of Wild, Wild West on him like he's never seen before." Simpson was right, the Americans won.
Also riding at this year's World Cup was Team Matrix member Elizabeth Ball who teamed up with Guenther Seidel to compete in the Dressage Pas de Deux Challenge. The pair rode to the music of the Phantom of the Opera and they not only won the Pas de Deux Challenge, but their ride was so popular that they were asked to perform it again during the break in the World Cup Dressage competition on Saturday night.
Peters, Simpson and Ball are just three of many of the world's top riders and trainers who are members of Team Matrix. Produced by Golden Gourmet Mushrooms of San Marcos, California, the Matrix is a special blend of organically-grown medicinal mushrooms that comes in formulas for humans, small animals and horses. Mushrooms contain L-Ergothioneine (ERGO), an antioxidant far more powerful than that found in other substances such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. Antioxidants are the body's defense system and aid in the prevention of the cellular damage that contributes to aging, injury, cancer and many other diseases. Rich in this vital antioxidant, Matrix supplements provide multiple health benefits for horses, including promoting healthy joints, reducing inflammation, boosting the immune system, increasing stamina and reducing stress and anxiety.
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