What an anniversary! Coinciding with the tenth birthday of the Rolex Grand Slam in Aachen, there was a German trio on the podium and the heroes of the hour are Marcus Ehning and Stargold.

Five pairs reached the jump-off, three from Germany: Philipp Weishaupt with the nine-year-old Zineday, then the winning pair from 2021, Daniel Deußer with Killer Queen, and Marcus Ehning with Stargold. The two further pairs were the Mexican rider, Eugenio Garza Perez with Contago and the Olympic gold medallist, Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) with Major Tom. They were the first two pairs to go in the jump-off, but both picked up four faults each. Then it was the turn of Weishaupt and Zineday – they were as fast as lightning: 43.36 seconds, but they too knocked a rail. But they were nevertheless still in the lead. Next to go: Deußer and Killer Queen, the winners of the Rolex Grand Prix in Spruce Meadows in 2022 and thus contenders to win a 250,000-Euro bonus. They delivered a super round, fluent, clear in a time of 45.73 seconds, the new leaders.

Marcus Ehning and Stargold entered the ring. The stadium fell silent. One could even hear Stargold’s rhythmic snorting from the top rows of the stand. The stallion didn’t waste a millisecond in the air and nor did Ehning on the ground. He didn’t quite find the right take-off at one fence, the whole crowd gasped, but the rail stayed up. And then they jumped the last obstacle clear, Ehning glanced swiftly to the clock: 45.12 seconds, 1st place. Marcus Ehning tore his helmet from his head, cheered, hugged his stallion’s neck, waved to the crowd, evidently not knowing what to do for pure joy. He had succeeded. For the third time, for the first time with Stargold. What a memorable moment!

He could hardly hold back the tears during the prize-giving ceremony. Stargold on the other hand stood relaxed on a long rein in front of the Rolex Grand Slam Trophy, laughed like a stallion, looked around full of confidence and seemed to be fully aware that he was the hero of the hour. A star that is worth his weight in gold. His rider says he is “probably a bit arrogant, but in a nice way”. And a “real pal”. Ehning’s conclusion: “Today, was our day. I had a good feeling all week. He likes the stadium, he was in super form two weeks ago. But to win the Grand Prix of Aachen is unbelievable!”

It is a good thing he hasn’t been competing the week after Aachen for years. “I decided that because one never knows what might happen. I have had so many good and bad experiences over the years here in Aachen.” But he does know what is going to happen this week: “We will celebrate a nice party!”

It was a very expensive sixth tenths of a second for Daniel Deußer. But he took coming second and missing out on the bonus in his stride: “I am very, very happy with the performance of my horse today. We had three really fantastic clear rounds. I thought the jump-off was good for my feeling. I tried to put a bit of pressure on Marcus. I have mixed feelings, of course I would like to be stand on the winning podium, but even if I had ridden a second faster, Marcus would probably have done the same.“

Philipp Weishaupt, who finished third, certainly hadn’t reckoned on coming under the top three with his just nine-year-old, Zineday. “No one else had such a young horse. So, sitting here on the podium next to these two guys with their experienced Championship horses is a great result. He said knocking the rail was his fault. “I took the oxer too direct, I could have chosen the line a bit better and then it would have took Daniel and Marcus a little bit more to beat us. But to come third here in Aachen with a 9-year-old horse is fantastic!”

And all of this at the anniversary edition of the Rolex Grand Slam in Aachen. CHIO Aachen Head of Sport, Birgit Rosenberg stated: “I think if you saw the competition today, it says it all about this series. Top sport, tradition, the best crowds, the best organisers in the world come together here. The series is fantastic for the sport. Thank you Rolex! The home crowd here in Aachen was superb, I am really proud of these people, they made this week very special.”

His business partner Richard Vogel was responsible for the ribbons in the big classes at the CHIO Aachen 2023. However, David Will in fact claimed his third victory in one of the classes of the supporting programme today, in the Prize of BEMER International AG..

In the 1.45-metre jumping competition against the clock, the Prize of BEMER International AG, David Will and his eleven-year-old OS gelding, Accoton PS, mastered the course in the fastest time of 60.94 seconds, followed by René Dittmer and the ten-year-old Holstein-bred mare, Corsica by Connor in second place with a time of 62.40 seconds. The French rider, Marc Dilasser, came third in the Allianz-Prize yesterday and he also won the white ribbon today with E2K Abricot Ennemelle, whom he already won the Prize of Handwerk  with on Wednesday. He crossed the finish line just eight hundredths of a second after Dittmer.

The Belgian Nations’ Cup riders dominated the second competition of the NetAachen-Prize, the Young Riders jumping competition with a jump-off.

The Young Riders opened the final day at the CHIO Aachen 2023 with the NetAachen-Prize. The first national anthem that rang out today, was the Belgian anthem, namely for Thibault Philippaerts and his just eight-year-old, Kannan son, Pompidou van het Kuilenhof. The 21-year-old rider jumped clear in 38.11 seconds, pushing his fellow countryman Thibeau Spits back into second place. The latter had saddled the chic Zangersheide-bred stallion, Calvino II de Nyze Z by Calvaro Z and the pair crossed the finish line in 40.76 seconds. The reigning European Champion of the Juniors from Finland, Jone Illi, came third. However, he didn’t compete with his European Championship horse, Eolita L, but instead with the also Finnish-bred gelding, Celtas Quillian by Uriko. The just 15-year-old (!) took 41.97 to master his first jump-off at the Aachener Soers.

Thibault is the second youngest of the four Philippaerts brothers. He reported that he had ridden in the Deutsche Bank Stadium once during the COVID pandemic, but that Friday and today was the first time he’d competed in the Main Stadium. “I am very happy!,” he said overjoyed. “It is a young horse and still very inexperienced. I am really happy to have won in the big arena of Aachen! That’ always been one of my dreams.”

The Soers rocked as six triathlon teams, each comprising of an eventer and a show-jumper as well as a four-in-hand team attempted to outtrump each other in the MERKUR Casino-Cup. The Australian/Swedish trio won in the end.

Andrew Hoy (AUS) with Cadet de Beliard, Fredrik Spetz (SWE) with Lexus and Boyd Exell (AUS) with Bajnok, Barny, Maestoso Jupiter and Neapolitano Nimrod in front of the carriage left their fellow competitors trailing behind in the MERKUR Casino-Cup, a combined jumping, eventing and driving competition that is staged as a relay race.

After achieving a score of 165.28 points, they left the neighbouring countries out in the cold: Lara de Liederkerke-Meier from Belgium with Pumpkin de la Liniere as the cross-country specialist, Jur Vrieling with El Rocco (who already won the Feinkost Käfer-Prize yesterday, the speed and handiness competition over ditches and banks) in the show jumping and the driver from the Netherlands, Bram Chardon. The team achieved a combined score of 165.85 which put them into second place.

Until the above two trios hit the Soers by storm, Team 2 had headed the field: Gemma Stevens (GBR) with Santiago Bay over the solid obstacles, Pim Mulder with Ibylle over the show jumping course and the Swiss driver Jérôme Voutaz with his four Freiberger horses in front of the carriage. This trio finished on an overall score of 168.36 points.