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The speed and handiness competition over ditches and banks is one of the classics at the CHIO Aachen. Richard Vogel announced just after the victory in the Prize of Handwerk with Phenyo van het Keyserbos, that the Feinkost Käfer-Prize is the right competition for his horse. He was right.

The Irish rider Cian O’Connor had saddled Fox Chapel – which sounded like a promising combination for the Feinkost Käfer-Prize, the speed and handiness competition over ditches and banks and the pair actually did originally take the lead. However, the last pair to go, Richard Vogel and Phenyo van het Keyserbos, sped round the course and steamed past the entire field. They knocked nearly three seconds off O’Connor and his Selle Français mare’s time, which is almost an eternity when riding against the clock. Vogel had already raved about the “basic speed” of his nine-year-old gelding after the Prize of Handwerk. This also paid off today. Cian O’Connor had to make do with second place. Philip Rüping with For Dilando PS finished third in a time of 64.29 seconds.

In all the years the Swiss rider, Martin Fuchs, has been competing here in Aachen, he has never succeeded in winning a gold rosette in one of the main classes. Until today, when he jumped to victory in the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Aachen’s Course Designer, Frank Rothenberger, presented the crème de la crème of the showing jumping sport with some tricky tasks in the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia. Ten pairs made it through to the jump-off. Martin Fuchs and his Hanoverian-bred gelding, Commissar Pezi (by Lord Pezi) were the second pair to go, after Daniel Deußer and Gangster v.h. Noddevelt had completed a clear round in a time of 45.22 seconds. Fuchs and Commissar Pezi knocked almost two seconds off his time. “It was good that I was able to watch Daniel ride. He did a few leave-outs that I wasn’t quite sure about. But my horse really went for the fences today.” Result: Clear in 43.06 seconds. A super time, but would it suffice? “I didn’t know if it would be enough with such a strong starter field to go behind me…,” is how Fuchs described his emotions at the moment.

The first time he had to tremble was two pairs later, when the German Champions, Patrick Stühlmeyer and Drako de Maugre, entered the ring. The Kannan son is in top form (that was clear round number four today and the fifth this week in Aachen) and Stühlmeyer steered him smoothly round the jump-off course at a fast pace. But he didn’t top Fuchs’ time, the clock stopped at 44.52 seconds, which meant second place.

Natalie Dean from the partner country, the USA, was the only other rider to stay under 44 seconds. But she and Acota M picked up four faults. Ireland’s Nations’ Cup winner of yesterday, Denis Lynch, didn’t find the right rhythm with Cordial: Four faults and much slower than the winning time.

Then, the bell went for Lorenzo de Luca with Denver de Talma. The Italian rider hasn’t been competing on the top circuit for a while, but with Denver de Talma he has now found a new horse for the bigger tasks. The pair demonstrated that today by crossing the finish line in 44.35 seconds, two tenths of a second faster than Stühlmeyer and Drako de Maugre. The two subsequent pairs, Janika Sprunger with Orelie and Kevin Staut with Dialou Blue PS, both knocked a pole, so they didn’t change the present ranking: Martin Fuchs ahead of Lorenzo de Luca, ahead of Patrick Stühlmeyer. And Daniel Deußer was delighted to finish fourth.

“That was a perfect afternoon,” summed up Martin Fuchs. “It is of course a wonderful feeling to win here at the best show in the world in front of such a fantastic crowd.”
Lorenzo de Luca added. “It is amazing to be here on the podium. I have been chasing an invitation to compete here since last year. Thank you for letting me be here!”
Patrick Stühlmeyer explained: “After the German Championships, coming third here is of course a super achievement for me. Riding here in this sold-out stadium, is phenomenal!” Whereby he already has his eyes set on his next goal: “We are looking forward to Sunday with excitement.”

Daniel Deußer described his horse, Gangster van het Noddevelt, which he has been riding since last December as follows: “He certainly lives up to his name – he’s a bit of a gangster. I am very pleased about how he feels in a big ring like this.” Whether he will follow in Killer Queen’s hoofprints one day and maybe win the Rolex Grand Prix? “I am sure he will perhaps win a Grand Prix like the one on Sunday, one day.”

“It is always nice to win, but to win in Aachen is all the more special” – Belgium’s Koen Vereecke said after he left the ring as winner of the VBR-Prize. It is his third visit to Aachen, but the first time he has claimed the gold rosette.

His partner in success was the ten-year-old BWP mare, Oilily de Muze by Vigo d’Arsouilles. It was her first time in Aachen and she was slightly overwhelmed by the Main Stadium in the first few days, Koen Vereecke reported. He thinks a lot of the mare, he brought her on very slowly and also gave her plenty of time to settle and get used to Aachen. “She was rather surprised on the first day and knocked a pole at the first fence. In the second class she picked up four faults towards the end of the course, but jumped very well. I wanted to ride her in a further competition, so that she can get used to the atmosphere.” The result was first place in the VBR-Prize, a 1.50-metre two-phase jumping competition.

Oilily was one of eight horses to jump clear and she reached the finish line just under a second faster than her fellow four-legged friends. Philipp Weishaupt finished second with the ten-year-old Hanoverian-bred Mescorial PS by Messenger (28.39). The Swiss rider Romain Duguet came third with the OS mare, Stawita PS by Stakkatol, who like Mescorial was bred at the Lewitz Stud, hence the appendix to the name “PS” for Paul Schockemöhle.

It is the third time Koen Vereecke is competing at the CHIO Aachen, this was his first victory. “I always wanted to ride here one day and now we are here for the third time in a row,” he said proudly. What is so different about Aachen compared to other shows? Koen Vereecke explained that it is the crowd. “That is the most impressive thing. Everyone here comes to see the horses, the riders and the horsey people. They even applaud when one has a fence down. They feel with the riders. That is what impresses me most about Aachen.”

Philippaerts, Merschformann, Haunhorst, Morssinkhof, Wachman – there certainly wasn’t a lack of famous names in the Young Riders Tour in the battle for the NetAachen-Prize 2024. In the end, it was an 18-year-old aspiring Dutch rider, who perhaps not that many people of heard of, who won, but this probably won’t be the case for long.

“I simply wanted to put in a nice round. But my horse is simply fast and loves galloping. And of course, that is definitely possible here,” the 18-year-old Siebe Leemans said about his commanding victory after his debut appearance at der Aachener Soers. Shortly before he had been crowned as Dutch Champion of the Young Riders. He nevertheless commented humbly: “The fact that I am here now is to an extent due to luck and a lot of support.” Leemans comes from not far from Eindhoven and trains with his father. The horse that carried him to victory today, is the nine-year-old KWPN mare, Karamella, whose sire, Plot Blue, jumped many a sensational round at the CHIO under Marcus Ehning in the past. Reaching the finish line in a time of 68.17 seconds she and Leemans left their 19 fellow competitors trailing behind them.

Second place went to the Irish rider, Tom Wachman, who had the pleasure of watching his trainer, Cian O’Connor, jump to victory in the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup yesterday. He had saddled the Luidam daughter, Obora’s Laura, and they took 69.57 seconds to master the course. Skye Morssinkhof, who also comes from the Netherlands, came third with Oui d’Emma (70.53).

Tom Wachman has already won team European Championship titles in the Pony and Junior classifications. He additionally claimed silver at the U18 European Championships in Gorla Minore, Italy, last year. Skye Morssinkhof won bronze at the European Championships of the Young Riders in 2023, also in Gorla Minore. Siebe Leemans is looking forward to competing at his first Young Riders European Championships this year.

The last time the “The Soldier’s Song”, the Irish national anthem, was played over the Holy Grass at the Soers was in 2010. Today, the time had come again. The show-jumpers from the green island were victorious in the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup 2024. And that on the 70^th anniversary of the partnership between the automobile manufacturer with the star and the CHIO Aachen.

“To say that I am happy, is a total understatement. This has been on my bucket list for a while! It is an honour to be here,” said the Chef d’Équipe of Ireland, Michael Blake, radiating a certain satisfaction. With good reason too, after his team that was in fantastic form rode to victory in the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup 2024. The heroes of the evening were Denis Lynch with Vistogrand, Bertram Allen with Pacino Amiro, Shane Sweetnam with James Kann Cruz and Cian O’Connor with Fancy de Kergane. Whereby the latter only had a part-time job this evening, because he didn’t even have to compete in the second round. The Irish team had already secured themselves the gold rosette after the third rider jumped clear.

Lynch, O’Connor, Sweetnam and Allen – it is the same team that claimed the European Championship title together in 2017. Back than it had been a “shamrock”, the Irish national symbol, that had brought the team luck. And lo and behold, Bertram Allen conjured up a neatly folded piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. Inside the same four-leaf clover that he had been carrying in Gothenburg, Allen assured. “I have been carrying it around with me for seven years! We are very superstitious…”

One might ask oneself whether it was the lucky charm that was mainly responsible for today’s victory or the skill of the horse and rider pairs involved. One thing is for sure, the four riders hadn’t been on a team together since Gothenburg and united again today they repeated their triumph. So it was definitely a very special victory for them: “That is the stuff that dreams are made of,” according to Shane Sweetnam. Cian O’Connor, who was also a member of the Irish team when they last won in Aachen in the year 2010 added: “It was the same adrenaline. It gets your blood racing. It is fantastic to be here! As always.”

The battle for second and third place was also thrilling. Mexico had travelled to Aachen on a wild card and the statistics of EquiRatings powered by SAP rated the team as total outsiders with only a 15-percent chance of making it onto the podium. The Brits on the other hand were at least estimated to have a 23 percent chance. Whereby their last Nations’ Cup victory was meanwhile 24 years ago. When the teams’ last rider entered the ring in the second round and Ireland was already the sure winner, it was clear: If Mexico’s and Great Britains’s final riders, Eugenio Garza Perez with Contago and Scott Brash with Hello Jefferson, jumped clear, both teams would have an overall score of four faults. Then, the time would decide who came second and who came third. And that is precisely what happened. And Mexico were faster. Their fan club on the stands went absolutely crazy as Garza Perez punched the air with his fist. It was a magical evening for him too.

“We are literally speechless. We are so grateful to the organisers for allowing us to take part. It is the most important show in the world. It is magic in every respect. To ride into this stadium gives you goosebumps. It is an amazing feeling, an adventure, a dream. We will never forget it,” is how Federico Fernandez summed up his feelings and those of his fellow team members Garza Perez, Nicolas Pizarro and Andres Azcarraga. The latter had flown in especially from Spruce Meadows. They also had an important message for their colleagues: “Thanks to the British for allowing us to come second!”

The Brits took it with dignity. Robert Whitaker summed up: “We were close to winning it. Everyone rode well and the horses jumped brilliantly. We are really happy with the result.”

And the Germans? Weren’t quite able to live up to their role as favourites that EquiRatings had predicted. Although Jana Wargers with Limbridge and the CHIO Aachen Nations’ Cup debutant Kendra Claricia Brinkop with Tabasco de Toxandria Z both jumped double clear, unfortunately André Thieme with Chakaria and Christian Kukuk with Mumbai both picked up four faults. A total of eight faults meant sixth place for the German team.

But there will be another Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup in Aachen in 2025, so they can try to win again next year. It was namely announced today that the partnership that dates back to 1954 is being extended.

It is the second time that rider, who was born in Egypt and now rides for Belgium, Abdel Saïd has competed at the CHIO Aachen. Today, he won his first gold rosette at the Soers in the STAWAG Prize.

Thanks to a 14-year-old French-bred mare called Arpege du Ru, who carried him to victory in a time of 63.04 seconds in the STAWAG-Prize, a 1.50-metre jumping competition. Just like yesterday Richard Vogel came second again with Cydello. Today, the pair reached the finish line in 63.45 seconds leaving McLain Ward (USA) behind them again, as in the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe on Wednesday evening. Ward had saddled the eleven-year-old OS mare First Lady by Don Diarado, who Justine Tebbel brought on into the sport before the mare was sold to Ward in the United States in 2021, only to return to compete in Aachen three years later.

Abdel Saïd and his Apache d’Adriers daughter have been a team for five and a half years already and have notched up diverse victories together. But Said explained that winning here in Aachen today is something special. He was above all delighted for his mare. “She is incredible! She always gives 1000 percent in every class!” Which is why he was very confident when he entered the ring in the STAWAG-Prize: “Well, after all, we are here to in. Whether I had expected it – I have a good horse, I am not the worst of riders, so, at least I’d hoped to!” And he certainly reached his goal.

Arpege du Ru now has some time off. She has made her contribution towards her rider celebrating a successful weekend. Said now hopes to qualify for the Grand Prix on Sunday with the two horses he has brought to Aachen with him for the Big Tour.