Stuttgart – “I’m very proud to have won here today and that I’ve put my name on the famous board with the famous riders.” Riding Corradina, team World Champion Carsten-Otto Nagel was the fastest around the jump-off to secure the Grand Prix of Stuttgart – presented by Mercedes-Benz and the BW Bank – on Sunday afternoon. It was the final competition of the 26th International STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS Horse Show. In front of 7,000 highly enthusiastic spectators in the Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle, the 48-year-old German remained faultless in the fifth event of the ROLEX FEI World Cup JumpingTM and took 35.00 seconds to complete the jump-off course. “Corradina is an exceptional horse, the mare simply makes me look good,” said “CON” in praise of his “partner”. The reward for his efforts was a Mercedes-Benz ML 300 D Off-roader worth 53,000 euro as well as 20 points for the Rolex FEI World Cup™, Western European League ranking where he has moved up to sixth on 33 points.
Just ten one hundredths of a second behind Nagel was Marcus Ehning (Germany). “That was a really good week for me, no fences down and today a double clear,” said a happy two-time World Championships team gold medal winner, “and it’s been an incredible year for me generally – World Cup win, winner of the Global Champions Tour, team World Champion.” Saddled on the 13-year-old mare Küchengirl, he needed 35.10 seconds for the jump-off, “perhaps I could have eked out some time here and there.” His second place earned him 30,000 euro prize money and he is now 17th in the World Cup rankings with 20 points.
“This is my first time in Stuttgart and it’s an excellent show,” said Billy Twomey after coming third. The 13-year-old mare Serenade carried the Irishman to a clear round in 35.38 seconds in the jump-off – 23,000 euro and 15 ranking points were the fruits of his day’s work. He is now ranked tenth. “That was really tight in the end, six riders were within one second of each other,” said the 33-year-old.
