Stuttgart – Brazil ahead of Belgium and Italy: Alvaro Miranda won the opening jumping competition for foreign riders at the 26th International STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS Horse Show on Thursday. Riding his stallion AD Norson, the 37-year-old took first place in the Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle after going clear in a time of 55.75 seconds. Behind him in second was the World Champion Philippe Le Jeune aboard the mare Boyante de Muze (56.64). Third place went to Emanuele Gaudiano on the seven-year-old Westphalen mare Cocoshynsky (57.57). Competing on his second horse, the gelding AD Asleigh Drossel Dan, Alvaro Miranda had a time penalty and finished 16th. World Champion Le Jeune added to his prize money tally after coming tenth on Querlybet Hero.
The opening jumping competition for German riders immediately afterwards was won by Thomas Weinberg. Riding Escobar, the 23-year-old – he is a member of Germany’s squad of young prospects – was faultless in 54.32 seconds and therefore a full seconds quicker than his rivals. Local rider Timo Beck was second after also going clear in 57.00 seconds on Fidji Island. Jürgen Kraus and Rahmannshof’s High Valley was back in third in 62.11 seconds. Down the field were the double team Olympic Champion Lars Nieberg, who came fourth, the 2009 European Championships silver medal winner Carsten-Otto Nagel (10th) and the team World Champions Marcus Ehning (8th) and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (12th). Eventing World Champion Michael Jung from nearby Horb and his nine-year-old stallion Der Dürer TSF finished a creditable 13th in the field of specialist jumpers.
