The judges awarded 75.350 points for the pair’s performance – the highest score ever recorded in the final of the iWEST Cup in Stuttgart. “I went into the class aiming to do no worse than I did in 2015. All I could do was come first,” laughed the current U-25 state champion. After her win in the last qualifying competition in Göppingen, she was only given a starting place after four riders were forced to pull out. “I only returned from holiday on Saturday and found out on Tuesday evening that I had a starting place,” said the winner when looking back on her curious path to the Schleyer-Halle. “I then brought Amaretto in from the fields. The holiday had done him a world of good too and I immediately felt that my horse is giving his all.” Sandy Kühnle studied equestrian management in Nürtingen and now runs the riding stables attached to the veterinary surgery belonging to her father Dr Harald Kühnle.
Second place went to Ann-Katrin Lindner in the saddle on Rubin-Renoir, a 14-year old stallion bred in Baden-Württemberg (74.800).
Gerhard Meyer, owner and managing director of iWEST, the sponsor of the dressage series, was highly satisfied with the winner’s ride and that over half the competitors were awarded more than 70 per cent.
