Gladstone, NJ—March 25, 2002—USET Olympic veteran Steffen Peters, of Escondido, CA, notched an impressive performance to earn eighth place in the FEI World Cup Final, held March 24, 2002 at the Brabant Indoor Horse Show in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Holland. U.S. rider, Lisa Wilcox, currently based in Germany, placed thirteenth. Fourteen riders competed in the Final won by Ulla Salzgeber of Germany on Rusty with a score of 76.98%.

In the preliminary competition held on Friday, March 22, Peters, aboard the Dutch Warmblood gelding Grandeur, placed eighth with a score of 68.39%. Wilcox aboard the Oldenburg stallion, Rohdiamant, also turned in a solid test for a score of 64.29% and thirteenth place. The placing in the preliminary class did not effect the final standings of the FEI World Cup Final but was used to determine the starting order for Sunday’s Final.

On Sunday, both Peters aboard Grandeur and Wilcox on Rohdiamant were able to maintain their positions in the Kur, earning them eighth and thirteenth place in the Final respectively. Peters finished with a score of 74.69% and Wilcox with a score of 70.72%. Peters was a member of the USET’s Bronze Medal team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics aboard Udon. Wilcox’s previous accomplishments include grand prix wins at Dusseldorf in Germany and Zwolle in The Netherlands in 2001, as well as a second place finish in the 1999 German National Championships.

In the 2001 World Cup Final, the highest placing U.S. rider was Tom Noone, who placed tenth. The 2003 World Cup Final for Dressage will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.