Grand Prix Special Neumünster 2026
First special, first victory for DSP (Roh-)Diamante Negro
from Dominique Wehrmann 
Juliane Brunkhorst and DSP Diamante Negro, winners in both competitions of the national tour of Neumünster. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de It was a close decision early on Sunday morning in the Grand Prix Special of the national tour in Neumünster. But in the end, DSP Diamante Negro and his trainer Juliane Brunkhorst came out on top with 71.471 percent against Nicole Wego-Engelmeyer and DiCaprio OLD. The score here was 71.294 percent. Three judges had Brunkhorst and Diamante Negro in first place, two in second place. It was the other way around for the duo from Hof Kasselmann.
Nicole Wego-Engelmeyer can also claim to have been the trainer of the horse in third place, the eleven-year-old black mare Santa Maria. She now belongs to the Swiss rider Daniela Eggenberger, who scored 69.196 percent today. The Sandro Hit great-granddaughter has impressive mechanics, but should work much more through the body.
DSP (raw) Diamante Negro
The winning pair Juliane Brunkhorst/Diamante Negro have been riding together in the arena for four years. Brunkhorst took over the riding of the Brandenburg DSP gelding by DeLorean, bred by ZG Krohn and Dötschel, shortly before the 2022 Bundeschampionat. This was their first show together. By winning the small final, they qualified for the final, where they finished 15th. Two years later, Diamante Negro took second place in the Nuremberg Burg Cup. The following year, he had reached advanced (S***) level and competed in the Louisdor Prize Final, where, however, he was clearly below his normal form.
That was different in Neumünster. Even in the Grand Prix – the third in the ten-year-old’s life – the pair managed to put in an exceptionally beautiful round, which was deservedly rewarded with victory. Even if the highly elastic dark bay still needs time to gain more strength. That was also evident today.
In the passage reprises he wasn’t always closed and didn’t always follow through evenly. He also needs to become more closed in the pirouettes. And the piaffe are active, diagonal and tactful, but still very forward. At the same time, Diamante Negro has a real talent for these movements, especially the transitions.
The highlights of today’s performance included the two-in-hand changes, the trot and canter traversals and the reinforcements, but above all the positive overall picture of the trustingly cooperating gelding with contented, fine contact.
Too bad: a mistake in the single changes between the pirouettes cost unnecessary points. But all in all, it was still a great Grand Prix Special debut, which should have been at least a small consolation for Brunkhorst for the performance of her rider Enno yesterday in the Grand Prix of the World Cup Tour.
