51 pairs took part in the 1.50-metre competition against the clock, the STAWAG-Prize 2025. The subsequent winner was the third to go already and his time proved unbeatable.

That was the US American show-jumper McLain Ward and the twelve-year-old SBS-bred gelding, High Star Hero. It is the first season that the pair have competed in Europe together and Aachen is the third five-star Nations Cup show in succession they have won a 1.50-metre class at. So, it wasn’t surprising that they immediately delivered the winning round with their time of 66.86 seconds.

“It is always important to win here in Aachen,” said McLain Ward, after it was certain that he would be leading the lap of honour. And then he added confidently: “This is the year we are finally going to get the Rolex Grand Prix!” He won’t be saddling High Star Hero on Sunday though, but Imperial HBF instead.

The second fastest time (67.85) in the STAWAG-Prize today was produced by the Brazilian rider, Stephan de Freitas Barcha, who on his first appearance at the CHIO Aachen won the Opening Jumping on Tuesday straight off. Today his four-legged sports partner was the French stallion, Dinozo Imperio Egipcio.

He was followed in third place by Daniel Bluman and the ten-year-old KWPN-bred mare, Kapitaal L. This pair came second yesterday in the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe. Today, the Cornet Obolensky daughter reached the finish line in a time of 68.36 seconds.

The best German pair were Sandra Auffarth, whose name is already engraved on the Winners’ Board as winner of the Eventing, and the Comme il faut son, Comcador, whom the Auffarth family bred themselves. The pair came ninth in the ranking.