Stuttgart – “Currently the world’s best all-round rider”, (horse show director Gotthilf Riexinger) was – in the car – too slow: Though the eventing World Champion Michael Jung was cheered on rapturously by the 8,000 sell-out crowd in the Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle, the local rider came third in the MercedesBenz Jump and Drive on Wednesday evening. After riding the eight-year-old mare FBW Evita, which was bred locally, he then slalomed his way around the driving course to finish in a time of 96.78 seconds.
The victory and the Mercedes-Benz A 180 DT car valued at 27,900 euro went to Frenchman Julien Epaillard and Commissario, a 12-year-old stallion, in 90.03 seconds. The double 2003 European Champion Christian Ahlmann (Germany) who won the competition in 2004, 2005 and 2007, and his Holstein mare Caracas came second (95.68 seconds). Last year’s winner Alexander Schill (Germany) and his 11-year-old stallion Cartree Z (100.15) this time finished fourth behind “Gold-Jung”.
