A Golden Checkmark – At the Hamburg Championship
"Gentleman" would be different, but he enjoyed it: three-time Olympic participant from the Netherlands Harrie Smolders secured victory in the Hamburg Championship, the Prize of Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG, at the Al Shira'aa German Show Jumping & Dressage Derby. As the penultimate of the 16 jump-off competitors, he raced across the finish line flawless with the 13-year-old Belgian Mr. Tac in 42.98 seconds. With that, the 45-year-old pushed the until-then leading Jana Wargers off the top spot. "I actually thought the class was already decided after Jana's round. She was really fast," emphasized winner Smolders. "But Mr. Tac is a fast horse too. I started with a good rhythm and just kept going – it worked. He’s a fantastic horse."
Smolders is a Hamburg fan, he’s started here several times and Mr. Tac also feels comfortable on large grass arenas. "I know I’ve won the Grand Prix here once before," says Smolders. "But I don’t know if I’ve ever won the Championship," he adds with a grin, "but now I can check that one off too." And in fact, it was his first victory in the Championship.
Harry – the "feared rival"
Jana Wargers took seven-tenths of a second longer on the 16-year-old Dorette for the jump-off course. She was the sixth rider in the jump-off and gave it her all. "Dorette already jumped really well in the first round, so I thought: I'll give it a try! But I knew Harry was still to come, which was my big fear," the 33-year-old confessed with a laugh. "Unfortunately, I was right! But Dorette feels great and I have a good feeling for the Grand Prix on Saturday. Maybe I can raise the bar a bit more." With this, the runner-up winked at Smolders. Even before her second place in the Hamburg Championship, this day was special for the championship rider. This weekend, after four years in Belgium, she is moving back to Germany, to Nordwalde, her old home. "This morning the first horses arrived from Belgium. I’m so happy that for the first time, from Hamburg, I won’t be going back to Belgium with the horses, but back home. The best thing is, the collaboration with Ashford Farm will continue exactly as before. Nothing really changes—except that I can basically do everything from home. That’s perfect for me."
Harm Lahde from Elmgestüt Drei Eichen was also very satisfied. With his longtime partner Oak Grove’s Commander Bond, the Nations Cup rider took third place. "It’s my first time in Hamburg and we both feel very comfortable – Commander Bond and I. He simply jumps fantastically on grass arenas and gave it his all today."
After almost two tournament days in his debut year in Hamburg, tournament director Matthias Rath’s eyes are sparkling: "There were a ton of people here today and that makes everything even more fun. I got to watch the jump-off from our course designer Frank Rothenberger's booth. It was incredibly exciting and a great setting – fantastic!"
What a Premiere!
For the first time, the Al Shira'aa German Show Jumping & Dressage Derby hosted a five-star dressage tour. Double Olympic eventing gold medalist Ingrid Klimke met eight-time Olympic champion in dressage, Isabell Werth.
In the Grand Prix, the Prize of iWest-Tierernährung Dr. Meyer GmbH&Co.KG, Ingrid Klimke and Vayron delivered in top form: victory with a personal best score of 74.50 percent. "There’s the well-known motto: ‘No mistakes, you’re in the running!’ So today, I thought, if I go all in again with a strong canter and mess it up, then I’ll just ride point to point (laughs). And it worked really well. Vayron was incredibly calm right from the start and with me the whole time – it was so much fun." Earlier in the morning, the Vitalis son had curiously checked out the Anrecht-Investment Dressage Arena, but in the test, he was fully focused from the first salute. "I came here without expectations," said the riding master. "I still need to listen to him and get to know him better in the arena, that’s why I’m really happy that it went so well today." Ingrid’s father, Dr. Reiner Klimke, won Hamburg’s German Dressage Derby 15 times, so the winner knows Klein Flottbek from her youth as a spectator, but today was her first time competing here in person.
Completely Happy!
"It’s my first time in Hamburg and I love it," exclaimed Sweden’s Sofie Lexner. With her 12-year-old mare Inoraline W, she took second place in Hamburg's five-star Grand Prix with 72.413 percent. "It was a great atmosphere in the dressage stadium and my horse gave everything for me." Especially in passage, piaffe, and the strong trot, she felt very good. "I’m completely happy!"
For the 10-year-old Special Blend under Isabell Werth, it was only his fourth Grand Prix ever. "He really tried hard and wants to do everything right," Isabell Werth summed up. "And he was very focused in the arena. I'm very satisfied with him, less so with myself – I didn’t ride the canter tour that well today. The mistakes in the flying changes were definitely my fault." Piaffe-passage was very good though, he’s getting better, stronger, more collected. "And the walk was noticeably calmer than in Hagen. Of course, we need to reduce the error rate – both flying change tours and the second pirouette with mistakes, that’s a shame – but overall, I’m very satisfied." Werth last competed in Hamburg in 2008, when she won her sixth German Dressage Derby.
Klimke and Werth will compete in the Special on Saturday, while Lexner has chosen the freestyle on Saturday afternoon.
Matthias Meyer, CEO of iWest Tierernährung, was pleased: "I had a fantastic day today, the atmosphere is great, you really feel comfortable here on the Derby grounds, and the competition was just wonderful – I’m thrilled."
(KiK/pe&pa)