His performance earned him 77.900 per cent points. It meant he finished well ahead of Ann-Cathrin Rieg (Germany), who yesterday came third on Steendieks Derrick, a nine-year-old pony stallion. She was awarded 74.875 per cent. Last year’s victor Moritz Treffinger (Germany) and his ten-year-old mare were third being given 74.375.
“It couldn’t have gone any better,” said the beaming winner in the press conference afterwards. ”I love riding the freestyle. I get goose bumps every time, especially on this horse.” The wonderful atmosphere in Stuttgart spurred him on enormously. iWEST CEO Matthias Meyer explained: “We love our cup and the riders’ fan clubs are absolutely great.” Holger Schulze, director of the iWEST Dressage Cup announced that the series will be expanded in the coming year: “There will be one extra venue as we’ll be riding in Winterlingen at the Birkhof stud, at the Waldhauser Hof, in Donaueschingen and Ingolstadt.“
