Cian O'Connor wins the Hamburg Championships, Holsteiner Verband stallion Keaton third

A 1.55 meter jumping competition with two rounds decided victory or defeat in the Hamburg Championships. The best 16 pairs from round one qualified for the decision. However, three pairs withdrew, including André Thieme and his no-fault guarantee Chakaria, who really has nothing more to prove.

Then things got underway. The first clear round was delivered by William Whitaker (GBR) and the eleven-year-old OS mare Millfield Quick Step by Quiwi Dream in 46.79 seconds. However, Mario Stevens and his successful partner Starissa FRH were able to beat this time just one pair later, finishing in 46.66 seconds.

Holsteiner Verband stallion delivers

The last time a Holsteiner Verband stallion won in Hamburg was in Casall’s time. But now Elmshorn has representatives in the big tour again, today in the championships the ten-year-old Kannan son Keaton with Arne van Heel, who comes from the Netherlands but has been at home in Germany for a long time.

It became very quiet in Klein Flottbek when the two of them tackled the winning round. Arne van Heel gave it his all and so did Keaton. Obstacle by obstacle, it became clearer that they were just as good as the previous leaders Stevens/Starissa. When they crossed the finish line without any mistakes and the clock stopped, it was clear: they had even been a blink of an eye better, or to be more precise, a hundredth of a second better. New lead, huge cheers. For the Hamburg team, this could have been the end of the competition.

Winners and runners-up

But there were still two pairs who were faster. First the Swiss Olympic pair Edouard Schmitz and Gamin van’t Naastveldhof in 45.47 seconds, and then Ireland’s Cian O’Connor on Genghis Khan, another ten-year-old Selle Français gelding who, like Keaton, is by Kannan, who therefore had two horses in the top three. The clock stopped for O’Connor and Genghis Khan after a penalty-free 45.20 seconds.

The result was clear: victory for O’Connor ahead of Schmitz and Van Heel, fourth place for Stevens and Starissa as the best German pair. Jens Wawrauschek and Mava S (10th place) and Tom Schewe with Congress Blue PS (12th place) each had one knockdown in the winning round.

Hamburg today, pasture tomorrow

Cian O’Connor later revealed that he is actually only riding Genghis Khan as a substitute for his student Tom Wachman, who won a show jumping competition here in Hamburg yesterday. Genghis Khan was trained by Emeric George. He was considered a great hope for the future of French show jumping before he was sold to the Coolmore Showjumping team a year ago. Even though he is Wachman’s horse, he has primarily been shown by O’Connor at competitions to date. Most recently in Mexico before Hamburg, where they came second in a 1.45 and a 1.50 meter class.

However, today was the gelding’s first and last appearance in Hamburg, O’Connor reported later: “Tonight he goes back to his home stable in Belgium, tomorrow he can go out to pasture.”

You can find all the results here.