Friday's jumping results from the Tournament of Champions and from Valkenswaard

Tournament of Champions in Münster

The two new team world champions, Marcus Ehning and Sophie Hinners, had already proven their resilience in the rain during the award ceremony in Aachen. That quality came in handy today at the Tournament of Champions in Münster as well. At one point, the rain was pouring down so hard that the competition had to be interrupted. Ehning and Hinners were among the riders who weren’t fazed by this—and neither were their horses.

Marcus Ehning won the 1.45-meter speed class riding the 11-year-old Hanoverian mare Baloubets Rose Dree Boeken by Baloubet du Rouet with the only clear round under 60 seconds. This was already the second victory for a German show jumper that day, after Hannes Ahlmann had earlier won the opening jumping competition riding the nine-year-old Holsteiner Cimarosa, a daughter of Comme il faut.

The rider who came closest to Ehning’s time was his Aachen teammate Sophie Hinners, who rode the nine-year-old KWPN gelding Michael Jackson by Diamant de Semilly, who in turn finished ahead of Stefan Engbers on the ten-year-old AES mare Be Gledis. Be Gledis is a daughter of Golden Hawk—who enjoyed international success with Shane Breen—was also bred by Breen Equestrian Ltd., and is owned by Beerbaum Stables.

Baloubet’s Rose wasn’t the only horse that brought Marcus Ehning joy today. In the day’s main show jumping competition—a 1.50-meter race against the clock—he had saddled his Aachen champion, Stargold, who was in top form and jumped a clear round to finish in second place.

The only rider faster was Hans Thorben Rüder, riding his veteran Singu by Singulord Joter, who proved his 17 years a lie by completing the course in exactly 67 seconds. Third place went to the ZfdP gelding Christian’s Carrado by Christian, ridden by Irish rider Ciaran Nallon for Beerbaum Stables. Speaking of which…

Weishaupt and Riesenbeck Triumph in Valkenswaard

Twenty years after its founding, the Global Champions Tour is returning this weekend to where it all began: at Jan Tops’ facility in Valkenswaard. The first 1.60-meter jump has already been decided, with Philipp Weishaupt coming out on top, along with his rising star Callao L was victorious once again. With a lead of more than three seconds, they secured their qualification in the individual class ahead of Ireland’s Marc McAuley, riding L’Arc En Ciel Z, and the Holstein Association duo Arne van Heel (NED) and his ten-year-old Keaton, who is increasingly following in the footsteps of a Casall or a Zuccero.

Newly crowned riding champion Sandra Auffarth also placed—in ninth place—on Comcador, whom she had trained herself, despite one knockdown. And Daniel Deußer, riding Bingo Ste. Hermelle, had two knockdowns, finished 13th, and also placed in the money.

In the Global Champions League leg, the Riesenbeck International team further extended its lead in the overall standings with a victory. Marco Kutscher, riding Pikeur Lemar NRW, and Maximilian Weishaupt, riding the former Holsteiner Association stallion Zuccero, were the only pair to remain faultless in both rounds.

Global Champions League newcomer Sandra Auffarth made a very good impression riding for Team Valkenswaard United. Both she, riding Quirici H, and Hans-Dieter Dreher, riding Elysium, had clear rounds. The fact that the team still finished in sixth place was due to the knockdowns by team captain Edwina Tops-Alexander on Fellow Castlefield (4) and Caetlin van de Heffinck (8).

Individual Standings

The German show jumpers also earned several placings in the individual standings of the two rounds. In the first round, over 1.60 meters, Scott Brash was the first to demonstrate that he had recovered well from his nasty fall at the World Championships in Aachen. Riding Hello Chadora Lady, he beat France’s Simon Delestre on Golden Boy by nearly a full second.

Behind Victor Bettendorf (LUX) and Gibbs Un Prince in third place, Katrin Eckermann, riding Iron Dames Cascajall, finished fourth as the top German rider. Marco Kutscher and Lemar placed eighth, Dreher and Elysium tenth, and Weishaupt and Zuccero twelfth.

In the second round, Sandra Auffarth celebrated her fifth-place finish, while Marco Kutscher took sixth place and earned his third ribbon. Weishaupt finished ninth.