Competing in front of 7,100 spectators on Thursday evening, German Markus Kölz secured the win in the final of the BW-Bank Indoor Championship. After the qualifying classes in Ichenheim, Donaueschingen-Immenhöfe, Bietigheim-Bissingen and Bisingen, the 36-year old clinched a berth at the final in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle as the seventh best rider. In the warm-up competition yesterday, he was eighth and today he landed a major success. Atop the eight-year old gelding Wallach Ares RZ he was the quickest of the 14 starters in the jump-off clocking 36.89 when going clear.
“It was definitely a big win for me,” said the beaming winner of the unofficial state championship under a roof. “As a child I was brought here by my father and it’s therefore something special.” Second was Hans-Dieter Dreher in the saddle on the nine-year old gelding Lacidos (0/37.61). The Nations Cup participant finished ahead of Manfred Ege who went clear in 38.43 seconds.
Stefan Schütz, Director of Group Marketing at the LBBW, was well pleased: “The evening has exceeded our expectations, especially the spectators and the equestrian sport.” Norwin Graf Leutrum von Ertingen, Member of the BW-Bank Board of Managing Directors, then added: “Even before the end of the horse show we can say that we’ll continue as sponsors in 2014. There’s an extremely friendly and cheery atmosphere everywhere. We watched great and honest sport. It is a fantastic horse show and an event with a long tradition for us.”
