Richard Vogel wins Saturday's highlight at the CSI5* Hong Kong

Fresh and rested after a break of several weeks, both Richard Vogel’s and Hans-Dieter Dreher’s horses have been in Hong Kong for a few days now. The foresighted planning is paying off right now.

Saturday’s highlight today was a 1.55 meter jumping competition with two rounds and prize money of 105,500 euros, with only the top ten pairs from the first round being allowed to start again in round two. Five pairs made it through round one clear: Hansi Dreher with Cous Cous, Simon Delestre on the Leipzig World Cup runner-up Gatsby du Tillard, the Swiss rider Dominik Fuhrer in the saddle on DSP Crazy Nut, Denmark’s Zascha Nygaard in the saddle on Com’on Miss Ogano Sit.

Showdown at the end

The second round started from zero. The clear rounds had only given the five clear riders a strategic advantage with regard to the starting list for the decision. This meant that Richard Vogel was the last rider with his famously fast Phenyo. This promised an exciting finish. After Hans-Dieter Dreher’s 14-year-old Holsteiner gray by Cachas took a pole, they had to hope for mistakes from their competitors. But they didn’t do them any favors. Thanks to a clear round in 36.62 seconds, Simon Delestre and Gatsby du Tillard felt like they were on the road to victory for a moment. The joy did not last long. Zascha Nygaard and her ten-year-old Ogano Sitte daughter easily took more than two seconds off the French duo. Faultless, 34.48 seconds, that looked like winning potential!

But no show jumping competition is won if Richard Vogel has not yet had his turn – especially not when he is riding Phenyo. Since Vogel took over the stallion less than a year and a half ago, the pair have collected no fewer than 24 top three placings, including 15 wins. Number 16 was added today.

Vogel and the eleven-year-old Belgian stallion Nygaard were the last pair to take another 0.25 seconds. Richard Vogel thus secured the lion’s share of the prize money. Zascha Nygaard finished second ahead of Delestre. Hansi Dreher was delighted with fourth place.

Another loop for Viehweg, premiere for Roth

The champions of the Münster show were also placed, Michael Viehweg and his successful partner Contario. Their time with one knockdown in the first round was not enough for the top ten, but still enough for twelfth place.

Mikka Roth, who won the Golden Saddle for young riders in Leipzig, is making his debut in the five-star tour in Hong Kong and it’s an impressive performance, even if it wasn’t enough for a ribbon. Tonight, the 19-year-old and his Irish horse Rossmount Flamenco by Je T’Aime Flamenco had one knockdown and one time fault in the normal course. Tomorrow is Roth’s first five-star Grand Prix on the program.

You can find all the results from Hong Kong here.