Marcus Ehning and Jana Wargers also did not have a medal in jumping at the World Championships in Denmark – in the end it was the worst result in German World Championship history.
When the individual title at the World Championships in Denmark was awarded, European champion André Thieme had long since left.
After his spectacular fall in the botched team classification, the show jumper could only watch on TV how Marcus Ehning and Stargold achieved the best German result and rode in fifth place. Due to the unusual drop from his mare Chakaria, Thieme was disqualified for the individual classification and unintentionally became the symbol for the worst World Championship record in German equestrian history.
Thieme falls as a favorite
Thieme flew off his mare Chakaria in a high arc and landed in the sand of the converted FC Midtjylland football stadium in front of around 10,000 spectators. “I landed on the ground and didn’t know what happened”said the show jumper afterwards.
The departure from the saddle of Chakaria was uncomfortable for him. “It’s probably the most embarrassing moment of my life because I know who was watching“, said Thieme. After his gold coup at the European Championships a year ago in Riesenbeck, he was one of the favorites for the World Cup.
Just a bronze medal for spoiled riders
“You think you’ve seen it all”commented national coach Otto Becker and added: “But not like that.” Ironically, the European Champion was thrown off the horse and thus also out of the classification. After all, there was still fifth place and thus the Olympic qualification.
The dressage team also qualified early for Paris. That was that “minimum target”which Dennis Peiler had issued as head of sports for the FN association. “That’s important”said Peiler: “So we can work towards the big event in peace.”
Added together, there was only one bronze medal in jumping and dressage in Herning by the dressage team and thus a poorer World Championship performance than ever before. “In the end the result was so-so”said Peiler and added: “We were spoiled for success.”
Fifth place in jumping for Ehning
On the final day no medal was to be expected in the individual competition. Thieme was eliminated due to his fall, Christian Ahlmann, who was far behind, decided not to start. Marcus Ehning from Borken with Stargold and Jana Wargers with Limbridge, who lives in Belgium, reached the round of the last twelve couples on the final day and ensured a halfway conciliatory end with places five and ninth. But they were already too far behind to intervene at the very front. Ehning completed two clear rounds on the final day, Wargers ended the World Championship with a down and two penalty points in the last round.
After fifth place, Marcus Ehning spoke with Stargold of one “small satisfaction”because he received eight penalty points in the Nations Cup and had contributed to the disappointing fifth place in the team ranking. “The last few days have been annoying”, summed up the 48-year-old senior of the quartet. For a better placement in singles “I should have ridden better before”said Ehning.
Wargers satisfied as World Cup debutant
“Insanity” was Wargers’ conclusion after ninth place with Limbridge. “My horse is in a really good mood”enthused the world championship debutant about her gelding. “He makes it easy for me.” The fact that the rider from Emsdetten did not advance further was also due to the too slow time jumping at her first world championship ride on Wednesday. “We now know that we have to be quicker on the first day”she explained with a grin.
World Champion was Henrik von Eckermann from Sweden with King Edward ahead of the Belgian Jerome Guery on Quel Homme and the Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten in the saddle by Beauville.