Lasse Nölting tops U25 Jumping Cup stage in Balve

The U25 talents in the jumping saddle have three appearances in the individual qualifiers for Germany’s U25 Jumping Cup organized by the Stiftung Deutscher Pferdesport and Holger Hetzel. The first competition is still a warm-up, the second and third are for points. Today the biggest challenge was on the program, an S*** jumping competition over 1.50 meters with a jump-off. Five pairs made it to the jump-off, three of which finished clear a second time.

The newcomer to the talent pool of the Stiftung Deutscher Pferdesport, Lasse Nölting, was the most successful. He did have one knockdown yesterday with his KWPN gelding Javall by Zavall VDL and was not placed. But today they were not only twice clear, but also the fastest in the jump-off for the highlight of the weekend in Balve.

Lasse was thus crowned the winner. Second place went to Mick Haunhorst with Lily-Rose JT de la Limite Z, followed by Leila Bingold in the saddle on Christof, Philine Widmayer with Canan Plus-S and Calvin Böckmann in the saddle on Diro.

For Lasse Nölting, this means that he has qualified for the Grand Final of Germany’s U25 Jumping Cup for the third time in a row. This normally takes place as part of the CHIO Aachen. This year it is a little more exciting, because although the next generation of show-jumpers will be heading to Aachen again, this time the World Championships will be the setting for the final.

Premiere for Calvin Böckmann

At each stage of the U25 Jumping Cup, the five highest scorers in the second and third rankings are nominated for the final. Calvin Böckmann, who had the nine-year-old Hanoverian stallion Diro by Diamant de Semilly under his saddle, was one of them. He was bred by Dr. Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff – just like the Olympic eventing champion Chipmunk, to whom Diro is not related.

But eventing is the key word, because Calvin Böckmann is actually an event rider and as such highly successful with a chance of being part of the WEG team in Aachen. But even if that doesn’t work out, thanks to Diro he can now definitely ride in Aachen. Yesterday they were fourth, today fifth.

For the 25-year-old, who has already competed for Germany at the European Championships in the Children’s and Junior classes, it will be a premiere in the show-jumping course in Aachen in his last year in this age group.

The other nominees

The following three riders also made the leap to Aachen in Balve:

• Mick Haunhorst (22), for whom Aachen will be a premiere. His older brother Max took part last year. Mick, however, can draw on the experience of six European Championships in the junior field.


• Leila Bingold (25) was also not present in Aachen last year. She has not yet ridden a championship for Germany, but this weekend she did not have a single knockdown with her Holsteiner Christian son Christof.


• Hannes Ahlmann (25), last year’s runner-up in the Final in Aachen and a regular at the U25 Jumping Cup.