In 2018, Daniel Deußer’s, Killer Queen VDM, was successful in the Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup, now she already claimed the victory in one of the most important competitions of the CHIO weekend, the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Nine-years-old, the most successful horse in the Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup 2018, victorious in a jumping competition in the 4* Tour at the Hamburg Derby and now also in the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia at the CHIO Aachen in 2019 – Daniel Deußer’s Killer Queen VDM by Eldorado v. Zeshoek is something like a four-legged wonder child. “I always knew she is a horse for the Big Tours. I am glad that the results are already starting to reflect this!”

In a time of 44.65 seconds, Killer Queen crossed the finish line in the fastest time in the second round, which meant he took a second off the time of Olivier Philippaerts and the very experienced Cue Channa, whom Malin Baryard-Johnsson competed at the Olympic Games with in Rio in 2016 and who was also a member of the Swedish squad that won team silver in 2017, (0/45.79). Third place went to the overjoyed Luciana Diniz with her new crack, Vertigo du Desert, whom she has been jumping from top result to top result with since March (0/46.42).

In the presence of NRW Minister President, Armin Laschet, Daniel Deußer and Killer Queen demonstrated how the course of Frank Rothenberger could be mastered best. Some of the other riders got into trouble along the way, particularly at the open water jump. This is where André Thieme and his just nine-year-old mare, Crazy Girl, took a fall, which looked quite bad at first, but fortunately both horse and rider didn’t sustain any serious injuries. Crazy Girl had a gash on her left front leg that was treated in the veterinary clinic on the showgrounds. Philipp Weishaupt and his mare Che Fantastica, went their separate ways without the water being involved. The mare’s bit snapped, so Philipp Weishaupt couldn’t steer her and he had to jump off. He landed rather unfortunately on his coccyx, but was able to leave the course on foot. Che Fantastica sustained no injuries.

Deußer is now in the favourable position to have qualified three horses for the Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday: Killer Queen, Calisto Blue, the horse he claimed second place with in the Nations Cup yesterday and Tobago, whom he came third with on Wednesday in the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe. However, he has already decided who he will saddle: Tobago Z.

In the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia the mare of the show-jumper André Thieme, Crazy Girl, took a fall at the open water jump and sustained a wound, which had bled strongly at first. The veterinarians were on-site immediately to carry out the necessary first aid measures in the arena, before the mare was transported away from the ring in the horse ambulance. She was brought to the veterinary clinic at the Soers. After a thorough examination, the team of vets gave the all-clear: Crazy Girl had suffered a gash that had bled quite heavily, but which was only a few centimetres in length. A few stitches and the wound was sewn together. Otherwise, the mare is fine and her rider didn’t sustain any injuries either and was able to leave the ring on foot.

Her debut appearance at the CHIO Aachen 2019 is guaranteed to stick in the mind of the 25-year-old Swedish rider Evelina Tovek for a long time to come. After her victory in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup with the team yesterday, she went one further today in the VBR-Prize.

Riding the ten-year-old, Rhineland-bred Contendro daughter, Cortina, Evelina Tovek namely recorded the fastest time in the 1.50-metre two phase jumping competition, the VBR-Prize. The clocked stopped at 32.48 seconds. As the last to go, it lay within the power of the Dutch rider, Jur Vrieling, to snap the victory away from the Swedish rider with his eleven-year-old Dallas by Douglas, but he ultimately took 0.52 seconds longer to reach the finish line. Third and fourth place also went to the Netherlands thanks to Willem Greve with Faro (32.25) and Maikel van der Vleuten with her experienced horse Verdi (36.46), who already carried him to team gold at both the European and World Championships.

Evelina Tovek has been living in Germany for two years. She is located at Henrik von Eckermann’s Stables near Bonn and her current focus lies on competing. Since she has been training with the rider who used to work for Ludger Beerbaum and who is the current contender for the Rolex Grand Slam, her performance has continually improved. But neither she nor her trainer had reckoned with her joining the ranks of the world elite that fast: “Yesterday, Henrik said to me that he had never imaged at the beginning that we would win the Nations Cup in Aachen together just two years later.” Tovek’s goal this year is to compete at the European Championships. Next year her aim is to be nominated for the Olympic Games.

There are moments in life when a few hundredths of a second can really hurt. In the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup the German team experienced one of those moment, whilst Sweden celebrated a perfect victory thanks to a superb round by their European Champion.

Sweden finished on an overall score of 4 faults to claim the victory in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup 2019. One single time fault from the first round prevented the German team from celebrating their fourth triumph in succession. Third place went to the partner country, France on a total score of eight faults. The French team comprised of Pénélope Leprevost with Vancouver de Lanlore, Olivier Robert with Vangog du Mas Garnier, Guillaume Foutrier with Valdocco des Caps and Kevin Staut with Calevo.

The German/Sweden duel

After the first four riders all jumped clear, everyone was amazed: Had the course design Frank Rothenberger underestimated the horses and riders that much? Not at all. It turned out that on the contrary he had done a perfect job. Henrik von Eckermann kicked off the competition with Toveks Mary Lou for Sweden, the pair that will enter the ring on Saturday in the Rolex Grand Prix as contenders for the Grand Slam, after they won the Grand Prix in s’ Hertogenbosch. If the mare jumps like she did tonight, their chances of picking up an extra bonus are pretty good. The Westphalian-bred Montendro daughter jumped superbly. But the same also applied for the first German pair, the World Champions Simone Blum and Alice: Clear round, the Soers exploded.

Next in the ring for Germany was the “Nations Cup returnee”, Christian Ahlmann, who like Daniel Deußer was representing the team for the first time since 2016, after they both recently signed the athlete agreement of the German Olympic Committee again. His Clintrexo put in a fantastic performance. Up until the last fence, where the pole fell. In retrospect Ahlmann explained: “I was a bit worried that we wouldn’t make the time. So, I rode a little faster to the last obstacle. Then I wanted to pull him a bit, but he didn’t react the way I thought he would. The take-off to the last fence was right, but we didn’t have enough momentum and we knocked the top pole.”

Daniel Deußer was the next to ride for Germany with the twelve-year-old, Chacco Blue son, Calisto Blue. He flew over the course in huge leaps and reached the finish line clear. But unfortunately, he picked up one time fault and one already speculated that this could be decisive, which ultimately turned out to be the case.

Because like Christian Ahlmann, Marcus Ehning also picked up four faults at the last fence with his self-bred Funky Fred. After the first round five teams were all on a total interim score of four faults and Germany was lying in sixth place behind them on five faults.

The second round

The course designer, Frank Rothenberger, raised three of the fences before the second round, this time the riders started in reverse order. The combination between the higher fences, the growing darkness and the floodlights and the dwindling strength of the teams evidently faced the teams with new challenges. More and more mistakes were made, including also refusals. The Swedish team on the other hand remained constant and the German riders also put in excellent performances.

Henrik von Eckermann and Mary Lou jumped double clear. The newcomer Angelie von Essen, who runs a training and sales yard in England and who competed at the CHIO Aachen for the first time after 16 years also jumped clear with her AES gelding, Luikan Q. After jumping clear in the first round, the youngster of the Swedish team, the 26-year-old Evelina Tovek, picked up four faults in the second round with Dalila De la Pomme.

And the German riders? Simone Blum, Christian Ahlmann and Daniel Deußer all stayed clear. As such, Marcus Ehning didn’t need to ride again, because he wouldn’t have been able to improve the team’s result. It all depended on the performance of the other teams.

Ultimately, the Swedish European Champion of 2017, Peder Fredericson and his Namelus R son, Christian K decided the outcome of the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup. Everything started well for them, but then they had a few hairy moments, like when the gelding fell into trot in middle of the triple combination. But luck was on their sides and miraculously none of the poles fell, zero faults. That meant the victory for Sweden and second place for the German squad. The crowd celebrated the Swedes with standing ovations and cheered just as loudly for the Germans.

So, it was hardly surprising that Dr. Carsten Oder, Chairman of the Executive Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales Germany, explained: “It is an honour for us to have been the partners of the CHIO Aachen for 65 years.”

Christian Ahlmann was visibly stirred after his comeback as a member of the national team: “It is something very special when you enter the ring and it is that quiet you could hear a pin drop. It is better than any Championships!”

And Marcus Ehning, who contributed to all three Nations Cup victories in the past years added: “I am very glad that the two of them are on board again! I don’t want to undermine the performances of the riders of the previous years, but no team in the world can afford to do without such riders!”

Pius Schwizer claimed the STAWAG-Prize for Switzerland with a fast-paced round. One other pair was actually even faster, but unfortunately, they were disqualified.

In the STAWAG-Prize, a speed competition, Pius Schwizer (SUI) and his 13-year-old OS gelding, Chaquilot, raced across the finish line of the 1.50-metre course built by the course designer, Frank Rothenberger, in a time of 63.46 seconds. “It really was a very fast jumping class,” stressed Pius Schwizer, while at the same time admitting that there was one other rider, who had actually beaten his time: The French rider, Roger-Yves Bost, with Sunshine du Phare. However, during the examination by the veterinarian after the ride, it turned out that the chestnut horse had blood on his flank. This led to his disqualification in accordance with the regulations. That meant the victory for Schwizer, who was full of praise for his four-legged partner, whom he has only been riding since the start of the year: “He is a true speed specialist, very careful and he has a super attitude!” This has brought Chaquilot and Schwizer in the short time they have been together (he was previously ridden by the German show-jumper Philipp Houston) three golden rosettes and placings under the top ten in almost every class.

Philipp Weishaupt has had a fantastic show so far with two victories and a second place. His ten-year-old Hanoverian-bred Coby by Contagio won two of the rosettes. A gold one for winning the Prize of StädteRegion Aachen yesterday and a silver one today for finishing second in the STAWAG-Prize with a clear round in 64.49 seconds. Coby was obviously listening yesterday when his rider said he has the feeling the gelding is destined for greater tasks!

Behind Philipp Weishaupt, winner of the Grand Prix of Aachen in 2016, came Gregory Wathelet, who won the Major here in 2017. The clock stopped at 65.09 seconds for his Erco van’t Roosakker daughter, Iphigenia de Muze.