Two-time team Olympic champion McLain Ward (USA) is the measure of all things at the CHIO in Aachen.
On the 13-year-old gelding Contagious, Ward also won the second top show jumping competition of the tournament week for the NRW Prize on Friday (July 1st, 2022). Ward, who had already dominated the Europa Prize on Wednesday, prevailed in the jump-off ahead of London Olympic champion Steve Guerdat (Switzerland) with Maddox and Jur Vrieling (Netherlands) with Fiumicino.
Kukuk best German in the second top competition
One day after the German team won the Nations Cup, Christian Kukuk took fifth place on Nice van’t Zorgvliet. Kukuk, a rider in the stables of four-time Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum in Riesenbeck, was one of seven Germans in the jump-off and was the only one to remain clear.
With one down each, Christian Ahlmann (Marl) and Daniel Deußer (Wiesbaden) on their top horses Dominator and Killer Queen finished ninth and 14th respectively. A total of 16 riders had qualified for the jump-off.
National coach watches star rider Thieme with Chakaria
The attentive observer was national coach Otto Becker, who is working on his team for the World Cup in Herning/Denmark in August. European Champion Andre Thieme (Plau am See) with his mare Chakaria is as good as set.
“I am blessed with this very special horse,” said Thieme on Friday. With the victory in the Nations Cup, an eternal dream came true for him: “Now I almost don’t care how the number goes on Sunday.”
Then, at the end of the CHIO, the Grand Prix of Aachen instead of. Last year, Daniel Deusser won one of the most prestigious competitions in the world with Killer Queen in the Soers.
Versatility: Michael Jung leads the field
Meanwhile, the German fans had more to celebrate in the eventing competition. The three-time Olympic champion Michael Jung (Horb) is the leader of the individual ranking at the CHIO in the final cross-country event of the eventing on Saturday.
After the first two sub-disciplines, dressage and jumping, Jung and his 14-year-old gelding Chipmunk are ahead of the two Brits Tom McEwen with Toledo de Kerser and William Fox-Pitt with Little Fire.
Young and German team still with chances
In the Nations Cup, in which Jung competes with the stallion Kilcandra Ocean Power, Germany is second behind last year’s winner Great Britain. Apart from Jung, Olympic champion Julia Krajewski (Warendorf) with her gold horse Amande de B’Neville, reigning European champion Ingrid Klimke (Münster) with Siena just do it and former world champion Sandra Auffarth (Ganderkesee) with Viamant du Matz ride for the host team.
In contrast to international championships, dressage and jumping are on the program in Aachen on the first day before the decision is made in the cross-country on Saturday. Cross-country riding is usually the second sub-discipline.
