Friday's jumping results from the Tournament of Champions and from Valkenswaard
Ahlmann, Ehning, Weishaupt – Friday’s winners in the show jumping course
from Dominique Wehrmann 
Well, last year the sun was still shining during Baloubet's Rose and Marcus Ehning's performance in front of Münster Castle…
Photo: Archive, Sportfotos-lafrentz.de 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; she, 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. Speaking of which…
Weishaupt Wins 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.
The competition in this round of the Global Champions League is still underway. In the first round, Sandra Auffarth and Quirici H rode a clear round. More to come later.
