Show jumper McLain Ward secured victory at the first highlight of the CHIO in Aachen. The two-time team Olympic champion from the USA prevailed in the European Prize on Wednesday evening.
In the saddle of Contagious, the 46-year-old won after two laps with the fastest clean-shooting ahead of Martin Fuchs from Switzerland with Conner Jei.
Deußer is eighth
Daniel Deußer just missed out on victory. The Hessian, who lives in Belgium, was the fastest rider with bingo, but he only finished eighth due to a knockdown. The second-best German starter in the test, which was worth 200,000 euros, was Tobias Meyer, who lives in the Netherlands, and came in twelfth with Greatest Boy. The German champions of the previous year received eight penalty points.
European champion Andre Thieme (Plau am See) with Conacco dropped out after the first round, as did four-time Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum (Riesenbeck) with Mila and three-time World Cup winner Marcus Ehning (Borken) with Priam du Roset. 13 couples shot clean overall in the first round but were too slow to advance to the second round.
Meyer-Zimmermann rides in an obstacle
Previously, show jumper Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann caused a moment of shock at the start of the second day of the tournament. With luck and skill, the show jumper avoided a fall in the saddle of her horse Messi. The winner of the 2011 Aachen Grand Prix rode into the last obstacle in Wednesday’s first competition. “I was surprised myself,” said the 41-year-old from Pinneberg. “The last jump showed that the horse might still be a bit shy after all.”
The fight for a World Cup ticket almost ended prematurely for Meyer-Zimmermann. The team world champion from 2010 got back into shape in good time after her baby break and has a top horse under her saddle again in the ten-year-old gelding Messi. On Thursday she is supposed to ride in the CHIO national team.
“It can happen, but it shouldn’t,” commented national coach Otto Becker on Meyer-Zimmermann’s fall, which was just averted in the afternoon. The rider said: “He had a brief moment of uncertainty and might have needed more reassurance from me.” She believes that Messi “is not insecure now – and neither am I”. The Belgian Wilm Vermeir won the show jumping in the saddle of Linguini.
Ehning does not compete in the Nations Cup
In addition to Meyer-Zimmermann and Messi, three other couples have been nominated for the Nations Cup on Thursday evening: Christian Kukuk (Riesenbeck) with Mumbai, European Champion André Thieme (Plau am See) with Chakaria and Jana Wargers, who lives in Belgium, with Limbridge. “The Nations Cup is an endurance test with a view to the World Cup,” said the national coach. “They can prove themselves there.” Marcus Ehning decided not to start in the CHIO quartet. “I agreed that with Otto,” said the team’s Olympic champion, referring to the national coach.
