Second was his compatriot Padraig Mccarthy, who won the individual silver medal and team gold at last year’s World Equestrian Games in Tryon (USA). Third place went to the double European Champion Ingrid Klimke (Germany), the defending champion and 2012 winner in Stuttgart.
“I’ve only had Alcatraz a week now and it was my first competition with the horse – and a win straight away. I’m so happy with way everything has gone,” commented the delighted winner when looking back on his ride in front of a 7,100 crowd. The 14-year old Dutch bred gelding carried its rider error-free through the first phase and stopped the clock after the second one in 36.65 seconds. Padraig Maccarthy and his mare Rosemaber Lancuest were only three-tenths slower in 36.95 seconds.
Ingrid Klimke and her ten-year old Holstein mare Weisse Düne came fourth with a time of 38.47 seconds. Fellow German and record winner Michael Jung, who has already won the Indoor Derby in der Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle on eight occasions, took too many risks when knocking down two fences to finish sixth atop Star Connection FRH, an 11-year old Hanoverian gelding (39.98).
