(mps) Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Germany) has done the double: after winning the MERCEDES GERMAN MASTER on Friday evening, she was also victorious in the ROLEX FEI WORLD CUP JUMPINGTM, the Grand Prix of Stuttgart – presented by Mercedes-Benz and the BW-Bank –, at the 24th International STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS Horse Show on Sunday afternoon. She was rewarded with a Mercedes-Benz ML 280 worth 50,000 euro. The first rider to win both the premium competitions in the same year was the Briton John Whitaker in 1988.
American born Michaels-Beerbaum won not only her second car over the weekend but also 20 World Cup points. The German’s triumph today has rewritten the horse show’s record books: it was the first time a rider has won the Grand Prix three times in succession. “It’s a great honour for me to rewrite history in this way,” said the pleased 38-year-old. “A hat trick and two victories in one weekend, it wouldn’t have been possible without my Shutterfly. The success is the crowning moment of our career.” Show Director Gotthilf Riexinger wholeheartedly congratulated the winner: “Meredith, Shutterfly and Stuttgart, it’s a dream combination.“
In the first round of the competition, the head course designer, Ulliano Vezzani, set a 12 fence course, which included a double and a treble, for the riders. Seventeen pairs went clear and they were then confronted with a jump off course that contained eight fences. None of them quite showed Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s mastery. Whilst she was twice very lucky in the first round when the bars stayed in their holders, her 35.26 jump off ride gave her the historical win. The 26-year-old Swiss Steve Guerdat secured second place and 27,000 euro after going clear in 36.43. Third was the Brazilian Alvaro Miranda (37.31), who received 20,000 euro.
