Stuttgart – The world champion hits back: after finishing fourth behind the German trio of Philipp Weishaupt, Marcus Ehning and Gerrit Nieberg in the first qualifying on Thursday, Henrik von Eckermann (Sweden) today won the second qualifying class for the STUTTGART GERMAN MASTER scheduled for later this evening. Watched on by a 7,400 crowd (2,800 were in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle for the four classes in the earlier session), the double world champion in Herning went clear in 66.28 seconds on Glamour Girl in the Prize of iWEST. Trailing all of 1.63 seconds behind in the runner’s up spot was the Frenchman Marc Dilasser on Arioto du Gevres (0/67.91). Third was Germany’s Sophie Hinners in the saddle on the Holstein mare Zypria S (0/68.06).
Besides Eckermann, Dilasser and Hinners, the following riders have also qualified for the STUTTGART GERMAN MASTER set to begin this evening at 10.15 pm CET: Philipp Weishaupt, Marcus Ehning (both GER), Wilm Vermeir (BEL), Patrick Stühlmeyer (GER), Gilles Thomas (BEL), Lorenzo de Luca (ITA), Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER), Martin Fuchs (SUI) as well as Richard Vogel (GER) and Harrie Smolders (NED) who were equal on points.
