Vaulting

“It can carry on just like that,” was the conclusion of ALRV board member and CHIO Aachen Head of Sport, Birgit Rosenberg, after the first weekend at the Soers in 2024. A statement that above all the vaulters of Team Germany 2 would no doubt be happy to sign off.

The crowning glory of the first CHIO Aachen weekend was the Nations’ Cup in the Prize of Sparkasse. Here, the participating countries are represented by two individual vaulters and one group, all of whom perform their freestyle routine. The German teams were favourites to win again this year. This particularly applied to Team Germany 1, after Team Norka had won the Group classification hands down. The winner of the Ladies classification, Kathrin Meyer, should actually have been in the team. But since she had competed yesterday although she had a virus, she was replaced by Thomas Brüsewitz, who came second in the Men’s competition on Saturday. Team Germany 1 was rounded off by Annemie Szemes, who came second in the freestyle yesterday. So it was a strong squad, who were however under pressure, because Team Germany 2 had performed three fantastic freestyles. The score to beat was 25.461.

Thomas Brüsewitz with William II Z, lunged by Maik Husmann, improved his performance significantly compared to the previous day and laid a solid foundation for his team colleagues. Annemie Szemes started off well, but then something seemed to distract her horse Rubinio, who was lunged by Nina Vorberg. He bucked and Annemie had to interrupt her freestyle and restart. That cost her valuable points. Finishing on a score of 7.479, she remained well below her potential. Team Norka from VV Köln-Dünnwald did its best to compensate, but at the end of the day they had one thousandth of a point less than Team Germany 2, Fredenbeck Junior I. Their total score 24.914 which meant second place for Germany 1 – and the victory for Germany 2.

The winners were ecstatic. In addition to the teenagers from Fredenbeck (Average age: 13) Germany 2 comprised of Alina Roß with Baron, lunged by her father, Volker Roß and Alice Layher with Lambic van Strokappeleken, lunged by her sister Helen. It was a rookie team. None of them had ever taking part in a Nations’ Cup in Aachen before. “We were worried about whether we would hold our own here,” Fredenbeck’s lunger, Gesa Bührig, stated. Whereby she knows what it is like to perform in Aachen from zero to hundred. She succeeded in doing the same a few years ago with her senior team, which later claimed the world championship title and shortly afterwards disbanded. She was surprised that things went so well for her young team in the Albert-Vahle Arena, which made it all the more gratifying of course. Especially “since she would have been sad if we hadn’t competed in Aachen after the senior team disbanded.“ Now she brought a new team here and by the looks of things not for the last time either.

Alina Roß has competed at the Soers four times already, but has never been part of a Nations’ Cup team before. Although in her opinion the weekend “didn’t go too well” otherwise, in her debut appearance for Germany she was able to significantly contribute towards the victory. Awarded a score of 8.503, her’s was the second best freestyle of the day. Only Thomas Brüsewitz achieved a higher score. Alice Layher won the U21 World Championship title last year and it was her first season competing for the senior team. Her summary of the weekend: “I was really nervous during the compulsory test. But today I was able to really enjoy it!”

And with “it” she most certainly meant above all the atmosphere and the crowd in Aachen. The arena was full, the atmosphere was fantastic. It is difficult to explain to anyone, who has never done vaulting, what it is like to run into the circle, one of the athletes of the team from RFZV St. Hubertus Herne stated on behalf of her lunger, who was so emotional that she couldn’t speak for tears. Considering they are not even part of the German squad, it was a huge victory for the vaulters from the Ruhr region to even qualify for Aachen. They didn’t make it to the Nation’s Cup, but they were allowed to compete in the Group freestyle in the Prize of Sparkasse today and walked off with the victory. But that was just the cherry on top of the icing. “Running into the circle here is like Christmas, Easter and a birthday all at once and even better,” the athlete from Herne explained.

Pas de Deux goes to Harwardt and Künne

Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne know what their colleagues are talking about. They won the Pas de Deux in 2023 already and left no doubt about their supremacy this year either. They already had a huge lead with DSP Sir Laulau, lunged by Andrea Harwardt, the day before and today they were even awarded a 9. The combined score of their two freestyles was 8.825, which left the second German duo trailing behind. That was Gisa Sternberg and Linda Otten, who collected an overall score of 8.112 with Espresso, lunged by Cornelia Ammermann.

All in all a totally successful weekend for the vaulters, in the opinion of the national coach, Kai Vorberg: “As is always the case in Aachen, it was a fantastic experience. In terms of the sport, all of the athletes have to practice one thing or the other. But a small reminder here and there is always good!”

The first results at the CHIO Aachen 2024 have been decided. Today, the Groups, Ladies and Men battled it out in the Prize of Sparkasse. All of the defending title holders were able to assert themselves again – which is not as matter of course as it perhaps sounds.

Yes, it was the title defenders, who proved to be the best Group in the Prize of Sparkasse again this year: Team Norka from VV Köln-Dünwald. But it was no easy task. Because although the successful team from the Rhineland had worked hard on a new freestyle routine over the winter, two of the two-legged and indeed the four-legged pillar of the European Championship team had to pull out due to injuries. After tearing her cruciate ligament, Bela Lehnen has only just started training again. Philip Goroncy broke his foot and their horse Calidor also has a sick note. The latter was substituted for by the junior horse, Ecuador. Thomas Brüsewitz and Justin van Gerven, who actually already left the Group in 2022, were reactivated as replacements for the two injured athletes. New athletes with their individual strengths had demanded a new freestyle routine, their trainer, Torben Jacobs, reported. That in turn meant that the past few months certainly weren’t boring for him and his team. “What one normally works on over the winter during training, had to be rehearsed within a few weeks.” Hence, the reigning European Champions were thus not putting themselves under pressure this year. “Of course, we have high ambitions (also with regards to the World Championships in Bern, editor’s note), but we are doing this for us.” And of course for the crowd in Aachen, which raised the roof of the Albert-Vahle Arena, when the local heroes put in an immaculate performance. And they cheered just as loud again when the score was announced. Team Norka from VV Köln-Dünwald were already the best team in the compulsory test yesterday on a score of 7.806. In the freestyle that accounts for 60 percent of the overall score, the group from Cologne scored 8.861, which left their fellow competitors trailing behind. Their overall score was thus 8.439, which secured the team from the Rhineland their next victory.

Second place on an overall score of 7.983 went to the German Team Fredenbeck Junior I with Capitain Claus, lunged by Gesa Bühring. The junior team made its debut appearance in Aachen this year. The horse and lunger are used to the feeling of winning the Prize of Sparkasse. In 2021, Capitain Claus carried the Seniors of the vaulting club from North Germany to victory. The senior team has disbanded in the meantime. Gesa Bührig certainly can’t complain about a lack in aspiring young talents. “We have 100 members. Fredenbeck has 5,000 inhabitants.” Which is not a bad quota. The average age of the athletes in Bührig’s new top group is 13, last year they claimed the World Championship title in the Juniors classification. Bührig’s secret of success? “I don’t think we are more talented. We simply work hard.”

The Swiss team with their horse Fjall Raven, lunged by Alexandra Löwy, came third with a score of 7.711. The Swiss sextet finished second yesterday in the compulsory test ahead of Fredenbeck. But finishing fourth in today’s freestyle (7.978) didn’t suffice to hold on to this ranking.

Victory for Meyer despite being ill

Kathrin Meyer was in bed ill up until 1 p.m. – with “some sort of infection”, which had chosen the weekend of the show in Aachen of all times to knock out the defending title holder of the Ladies in the Prize of Sparkasse. Or at least it tried to, because two and a half hours later, Kathrin Meyer performed her freestyle routine as if there was nothing wrong with her. That was important. Meyer was under pressure. She had to perform well if she wanted to win the overall classification. The newcomer, Alice Layher, who won the U21 World Championships last year and who is competing for the first time in Aachen this year, had namely gained a small lead over Meyer after the compulsory and technical tests. But Meyer had slept like a log nevertheless. “I find it easier to attack than to be on the defence,” she said. In spite of having a virus, she impressed both the judges and the crowd with her freestyle routine, which portrayed the careers of her mother, her horse and herself. The trio put in a fantastic performance in the freestyle and finished on an overall score of 8.603, which Layher had to beat.

The performance of the 22-year-old, was good, but not good enough. Small errors in her choreography today, meant that she could only secure fifth place – not enough to defend the narrow lead. She thus ended her first ever appearance at the CHIO Aachen in second place on a final score of 8.483. Disappointed? No: “I am very proud of how well it went!” she stressed. Especially since she had been “pretty nervous” before the first compulsory competition because of the atmosphere in Aachen, she revealed.

Thanks to consistently good performances in all three tests, the Swiss World Cup bronze medallist, Danielle Bürgi, also ranked third here in Aachen. And she only just missed coming second. The final score for Bürgi and her Bartolino, lunged by Lisa Huber, was 8.434.

Jabet’s “intensive” weekend

France’s Quentin Jabet didn’t have any problems defending his title in the Men’s competition. He had already won the compulsory and technical tests with his horse Ronaldo, that was lunged by Andrea Boe, and today in the freestyle test he was once again the judges’ clear favourite. His end score 8.713. His summary? “Intensive! Time is so short and the emotions come so quick,” he gushed, still totally out of breath and full of enthusiasm. Especially for the crowd in Aachen, that doesn’t celebrate the athletes according to their nationality, but instead based on their performances. “The spectators here are incredible, crazy, better than at any championships!” the French vaulter exclaimed, who is already looking forward to being able to read his name on the winners’ board in the Main Stadium a second time.

His strongest fellow competitor, the four-time winner in Aachen, Thomas Brüsewitz, who competed with William II Z, who was lunged by Maik Husmann, was not as happy. “I made life a bit difficult for myself in the second half,” he said about his freestyle choreography to Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous”. “I made one or two mistakes that shouldn’t have happened.” Whereby third place in the freestyle was enough to defend his second place in the overall ranking (8.447).

Julian Wilfling with Aragorn, lunged by Alexander Zebrak, managed to leap forward in the overall ranking after only coming fifth in the compulsory test and sixth in the technical test. It didn’t look like he was going to make it onto the winners’ podium yesterday, but after the trio put in a super performance in the freestyle competition that was rewarded with second place, they moved up into third place in the final rankings (8.171).

Harwardt and Künne in front

Last year Peter Künne and Diana Harwardt won the pas de deux competition in the Prize of Sparkasse for the first time. They danced to victory again today with their trusted four-legged partner, DSP Sir Laulau, lunged by Andrea Harwardt. The 2023 European Champions and silver medallists of the World Championships in Herning in 2022 won the competition in Aachen hands down today. Harwardt/Künne were awarded 8.726, compared to 8.041 for second place, which went to Gisa Sternberg und Linda Otte, who together with Espresso, lunged by Cornelia Ammermann, are also representing Germany here in Aachen. Before the concluding freestyle on Sunday, the Austrian vaulters, Emily Scherer and Valentin Schmid with Aragorn Elmar XV, lunged by Sabine Frauenschuh, are currently lying in third place (7.945).

There have been a lot of changes at the Aachen Soers over the course of its 100-year equestrian show history. But one thing is exactly the same as it was in 1924: From day one onwards the top athletes in each discipline offer thrilling sport. As was the case today during the opening competitions of the vaulters in the Prize of Sparkasse at the CHIO Aachen 2024.

The compulsory and technical tests of the individual vaulters were on the agenda in the Prize of Sparkasse today. In the ladies classification, there was a head-to-head race between the defending title holder, Kathrin Meyer, and Alice Layher, who is participating in Aachen for the first time. Both represent Germany.
Whereas Meyer, who won both the CHIO and the World Cup last year, excelled in the compulsory test with her trusted partner, San Classico S OLD, lunged by her mother, Dr. Sonja Meyer, with an overall score of 8.327. The outstanding talent, Layher, turned the tables in the technical test. The compulsory test entails the vaulters performing pre-defined movements in a set order. In the technical test, the vaulters can choose freely in which order they perform the set movements. In her first appearance at the CHIO Aachen, Layher, who came second behind Meyer in the compulsory routine (8.277), succeeded in achieving a higher score (8.713) than her experienced fellow competitor. Her four-legged partner, Lambic van Strokappeleken, and her lunger, Alice’s sister Helen Layher, made this possible. Kathrin Meyer finished second (8.607). Hence, the scores of the two leading vaulters lie only 28 hundredths of a point apart. Layher is currently in the lead with a total score of 8.496 points, Meyer lies in second place on a score of 8.468. The Swiss vaulter Danielle Bürgi, is presently third with Bartelino, lunged by Lisa Hube (8.337). So, tomorrow’s concluding, freestyle competition promises to be riveting!

In the Men’s competition, the defending title holder, Quentin Jabet from France won both the compulsory and the technical test. As with his victory at Aachen last year, at the European Championships in 2023 and his World Cup triumph in 2024, Jabet performed with Ronaldo 200 NRW and was lunged by Andrea Boe. The trio were awarded a score of 8.888 in the compulsory test and 8.236 in the technical test. Jabet thus has an interim total score of 8.562, the four-time Aachen winner, Thomas Brüsewitz, also proved to be in top form and achieved scores of 8.728 and 8.224 respectively. That means a total score of 8.476 and second place for him and William II Z (lunger: Maik Huesmann).

Three German athletes are currently lying third, fourth and fifth prior to the freestyle competition tomorrow. Leon Huesgen with Cairo, lunged by Claudia Döller-Ossenberg-Engels (8.009) is third, followed by the winner of Aachen in the year 2021 Jannik Heiland – who broke his foot in the spring and has made a recovery in time for the CHIO Aachen – with his successful horse, Dark Beluga FRH, lunged by Barbara Rosiny (7.976). Right behind them in fifth place are Julian Wilfling and Aragorn lunged by Alexander Zebrak (7.860).

The vaulting competitions in the Albert-Vahle Arena begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the freestyle of the pas de deux.