Horses & Dreams U25 Jumping Cup final qualification: Clara Blau and Paul win
U25 Jumping Cup Final Qualification: Clara Blau and Paul – Deathly Hallows jump longer
from Jan Tönjes 
Clara Blau and Paul were not to be denied victory in the Holger Hetzel Prize, the first final qualification for Germany's U25 Jumping Cup of the Stiftung Deutscher Pferdesport in Hagen. Ten months ago, the Hungarian gelding was in poor health. Photo: sportfotos-lafrentz.de Clara Blau’s 15-year-old Paul, a Hungarian gelding, made the phoenix. Not quite from the ashes, but after a long convalescence, the bay flew onto the podium. In July 2025, he had survived a serious colic operation. Whether he would return to the sport was an open question at the time. That he would not only do so, but also win an S*** test over 1.50 meters – Clara Blau herself had not expected this. “Just a few days ago, I said to my grandparents that his old strength might not be back yet,” said the rider from Osnabrück. “There’s a difference between riding a medium (M) level show jumping competition and an advanced (S***) level here. But Paul is simply incomparable.”
Only three got through
Out of 18 starters, only three had qualified for the jump-off after the first round in this final qualifier for the U25 Jumping Cup of the Stiftung Deutscher Pferdesport and Holger Hetzel. Marie Flick and Ciro by Conlander also remained clear – but had to settle for second place with a time of 45.28 seconds. Third place went to Sina Knoop with Cayman K by Cristallo, a pair who could not be beaten in terms of time. But the fastest time in the jump-off, 44.64 seconds, was “garnished” with two knockdowns. Third place.
Aachen in your head
National coach Peter Teeuwen put it in a nutshell: “There was a lot of tension in the test. Especially in the first round, many of the riders were extremely tense, because the thought of Aachen was naturally running through their heads.” In 2026, the final of the U25 Jumping Cup, in which Richard Vogel, for example, has already emerged as the winner, will take place as part of the FEI World Championships in Aachen. Who wouldn’t want to be there on the grass at the Soers?
For Clara Blau, Hof Kasselmann on the slope of the Borgberg above the small town of Hagen is a place of special significance. She began her career at Hof Kasselmann in equestrian competitions. It was here that she later won her Golden Riding Badge with Paul.
Qualification status
The five pairs with the highest scores from the qualification and final qualifiers will qualify for the final. After the opening stage in Hagen, the following have qualified: Clara Blau, Sönke Fallenberg, Marie Flick, Henrike Ostermann and Johanna Beckmann.
National coach Peter Teeuwen has drawn an interim balance that makes you sit up and take notice: “I could imagine that one of these five will also be right at the front in Aachen.”
