Atop the gelding Living The Dream in the speed jumping for the Prize of XXL-Sicherheit – the first of two qualifying competitions for the MERCEDES GERMAN MASTERS on Friday – the 56-year old team European champion in 2009 left all the fences standing in a time of 57.51. Watched by 6,700 spectators in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, he was a comfortable one and a half seconds quicker than second-placed Maurice Tebbel (Germany), who stopped the clock in 59.07 seconds.
“It was a brutally quick class,” said the Swiss Schwizer, “here you need a horse that wants to go flat out – that’s the feeling he gave me today. It meant I could attack.” Maurice Tebbel, the bronze medal winner with the German team at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, was in the saddle on his top horse Chaccos’ Son, an 11-year Westphalia stallion. Third place went to the Belgian Karel Cox riding nine-year old gelding Wallach Evert (0/59.44).
The second quali for the MERCEDES GERMAN MASTER, the second most important jumping class of the equestrian highlight in the state capital of Baden Württemberg, will take place at 17:15 hrs on Friday for the Prize of ARAGON Robotics. Only the 12 top riders from the two qualifying classes will be in the starting line-up for the MERCEDES GERMAN MASTERS at 22:15 hrs.
