LEXINGTON, Ky. — The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) last week announced that the 11-year-old, 17-hand, Westfalen gelding, Legolas, owned by Akiko Yamazaki’s Four Winds Farm LLC, and ridden by Steffen Peters, is the 2013 Adequan/USDF Grand Prix Horse of the Year. Legalos’ median score of 75.926 percent made him the top horse in the United States competing at this level and the recipient of USDF’s highest honor for the second year in a row.

Legalos was recognized at the 2013 Adequan/USDF Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet with a commemorative personalized plaque and an embroidered cooler and $400 gift certificate provided by Dressage Extensions. Also, Legolas is the recipient of the Colonel Thackeray Award and will have his name engraved on a silver trophy to be on permanent display in the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame housed at the USDF National Education Center, located at the Kentucky Horse Park.

“USDF is thrilled to be able to recognize this extraordinary horse for his many accomplishments during the 2013 competition season,” said USDF Executive Director Stephan Hienzsch. “We also congratulate his owner Four Winds Farm, Akiko Yamazaki, his rider Steffen Peters, and the entire Legolas team.”

In October, Peters won his second straight United States National Grand Prix championship with Legolas to set a record of seven titles by a rider that broke a tie with Robert Dover’s six championships.

Steffen called the winning freestyle under lights the best the pair has performed, earning 79.450 per cent — among their highest scores since the pair started competing together in 2011. Peters’s seven championships have come over an 18-year span — with Udon in 1995, Floriano, Lombardi, two with the now retired double-Olympic mount Ravel, and now two with Legolas. Like Legolas, Lombardi and Ravel are or were owned by Yamazaki.