Jur Vrieling wins Friday highlight in Leipzig ahead of Michael Jung

The highlight today on Friday in Leipzig was the Range Rover Cup, a 1.55 meter time jumping competition, which was also a qualifier for the World Cup jumping competition. The fastest pair against the clock was Jur Vrieling and his new star in the stable, the 15-year-old Belgian stallion Grand Slam VDL, in 63.72 seconds.

The Dutch rider took over the Cardento son from Marlon Manolo Zanotelli just last fall. Under Zanotelli, Grand Slam was placed several times in World Cup and other five-star show jumping competitions and also competed in Nations Cups. However, as the VDL stallion station is not far from Jur Vrieling’s facility and he had and still has other “VDL horses” under the saddle, the cooperation was obvious. Zanotelli last rode the stallion at the Saut Hermès in March. Zanotelli presented him for the first time at the beginning of November and competed with him shortly afterwards at the Global Champions League Play-Offs in Prague. In Frankfurt, they came second in the qualifier for the Grand Prix. Leipzig is now the fourth major tournament for the pair. And today they celebrated their first victory together.

Michael Jung, the clearer of Leipzig Friday

Eventing icon Michael Jung had a super day today at the PARTNER PFERD. First he won the 1.45 meter time jumping competition this afternoon in the saddle on Eclaire Z, then he went one better this evening in the Range Rover Cup with Heros Z: second place behind Vrieling with a penalty-free time of 64.65 seconds. Both horses, Eclaire Z, a daughter of Christian Ahlmann’s five-star winner Epleaser van’t Heike, and Heros Z by Hotspot, are only nine years old. Michael Jung was already “over the moon” after this afternoon’s success. Now he has even more reason to be beaming.

Especially as he had once again managed to leave Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf behind him. This afternoon he had been second with Cancun Torel Z by Consinhus. This evening he had saddled up his current top horse, the Nabab de Reve son Doha de Riverland. The pair crossed the finish line after 66.11 seconds.

Other winners

The best German in fifth place was Patrick Stühlmeyer in the saddle of Conterno-Blue PS in fifth place behind Eiken Sato for Japan in the saddle of another “PS horse”, the Chacco Blue son Chadellano, who now no longer has the initials of his breeder Paul Schockemöhle in his name, but the “JRA” for the Japan Racing Association, which also looks after other horses apart from gallopers. After the World Championships in Herning, Chadellano was sold to Japan. At the World Championships he was still competing under the Italian flag with Emanuele Camilli.

Sweden’s Malin Baryard-Johnson finished sixth behind Patrick Stühlmeyer and impressively demonstrated how fit her now 18-year-old team Olympic champion Indiana still is. The Kashmir van’t Schuttershof-daughter has had a break from competition in recent weeks and delivered a confident clear round today, showing Felix Hassmann’s ten-year-old Vivant-son Vithargos (also a Lewitzer) the irons.

Great success for Michael Kölz: The local hero from Saxony, who has one of the shortest journeys to the event, placed ninth with his top horse Cellato.

You can find all the results from Leipzig here.