Riding at the 38th International STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Richard Vogel was victorious in the concluding highlight in front of 7,800 total ecstatic spectators in the fifth qualifying leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World CupTM 2024/2025 after posting a clear round in the jump-off in 41.39 seconds. The victory earned him not only 20 valuable points for the World Cup final in Basle, Switzerland from 2 to 6 April 2025 but also a 56,100-euro purse.
Second in the three-man jump-off was the Irishman Denis Lynch who was penalty-free when passing the finishing line in 44.37 seconds on his 15-year-old gelding Brooklyn Heights. His reward for the day’s work was 34,000-euro prize money and 17 World Cup points. One place behind in third was the 2016 team Olympic champion and the 2009 individual European champion Kevin Staut (France) on the 11-year-old mare Dialou Blue PS after the pair incurred four penalties and needed 42.67 seconds. He is now 25,500 euro better off and has added 15 World Cup points to his tally. He now leads the rankings after five legs with 49 points. Just behind him on 42 is Richard Vogel.
“Luck was on my side at my home show. I’m speechless and it was great winning here in Stuttgart,” said the overjoyed victor. “The first round was tougher to ride than I thought, but United took it in his stride. I didn’t have much to do in the saddle.”
Denis Lynch had a happy grin on his face when saying: “It wasn’t a disadvantage to go first in the jump-off. Quite the contrary. It couldn’t have gone any better for me. The only disadvantage was to have Richie there too.”
“I always feel great here in Stuttgart. Today, I was really pleased with my mare as she did an outstanding job. The first round was difficult enough, but I tried everything and the mare was all in. I’m not at all disappointed,” said the third-placed Staut when summing up.
“Having such a starting line-up means you have to go to the edge,” explained the deputy course designer Louis Konickx (Netherlands) before continuing “It’s why the course was a little tricky – some horses had hardly any problems whilst others struggled a bit.”
Coming up in the Western European League are the following World Cup legs until the end of the year: Madrid (ESP/28 November to 1 December), La Coruña (ESP/5 to 8 December), London (GBR/17 to 22 December) and Mechelen (BEL/26 to 30 December). The final takes place – together with the dressage – in the St. Jakobshalle in Basle.
