Record breaking week for Phoebe Peters at pony Europeans
British dressage rider Phoebe Peters told H&H she has had “the most amazing week” after breaking two world records at the FEI European Championships for Ponies.
Held in Malmö, Sweden, from 5-9 August, Great Britain won team gold in the dressage, showjumping and eventing competitions.
Going into the championships, Phoebe and her ride, SL Lucci, already held the world record for the FEI pony team test and the pony freestyle test.
They had set the record for the team test at 80.12% at Compiègne CDI in France in 2014, and scored 84% in the pony freestyle test at the 2013 pony European championships in Arezzo.
The 13-year-old gelding, by Lukas, is owned by Phoebe’s mother Tracy.
“Training wise, Lucci felt really super going into the championships. We got the timings really right this year,” said Phoebe.
“You can always tell with Lucci how he is going to be from the first day.”
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In Thursday’s (6 August) team test, the combination scored 80.077% to put them in first place and help Team GBR secure the gold medal.
“Going into it, we all thought we had the ability to win gold,” added the 16-year-old.
“I just took the attitude that me and Lucci wanted to focus on the test.
“He warmed up like an absolute dream – he was just fantastic.”
On Saturday (8 August), Phoebe and Lucci added another world record to their collection to win gold in the individual test with 81.39%.
“He was obviously a little bit more tired because he had put so much effort in for the team test,” she said.
“I enjoyed every minute of it.”
She said she has never scored 80% in the individual test before and her aim was to score above that in all three tests at a competition.
The pair, who are now in their fourth season together, continued their winning streak in Sunday’s (10 August) freestyle and broke the world record they had previously set at the 2013 pony Europeans.
Their score of 85.825% put them more than five percent ahead of Germany’s Nadine Krause and Cyrill WE, who took the silver medal.
The combination also collected their third gold medal and second world record of the championships.
“It was the last time I get to ride the freestyle on Lucci and it is my favourite test,” she said.
“I just wanted to have fun.”
Phoebe added she did not expect to break her freestyle record but Lucci was with her “every step of the way”.
GCSE results are next on the cards for Phoebe and she is also working towards the LeMieux National Dressage Championships at Stoneleigh (17-20 September).
Lucci is qualified for the medium open and she will be riding Denford Surprise in the advanced medium open.
The gold medal-winning dressage team won on a total score of 222.87% – less than one percent ahead of second placed Germany with Denmark in third.
The team consisted of Phoebe, Rebecca Bell on Valido’s Sunshine, Clare Hole on Rembrandt and Isobel Berrington on DHI Langar.
“It has been the best championships,” she said.
“We have all got on so well and the support within the team has been amazing.”
World, European and Olympic number one Charlotte Dujardin sent her congratulations to the team.
“Amazing news from Malmo. Well done to the British pony team!!” she tweeted on Thursday (6 August).
Charlotte and Valegro will be defending their European title at the FEI European Dressage Championships in Aachen this week (12-16 August).
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.