For the second CSI** of the year last weekend, almost 120 riders from Germany and all across Europe once again travelled to Riesenbeck, bringing with them more than 330 horses. The sport already got underway on Wednesday evening with the first competition of the Medium Tour. After 125 combinations had competed, the two winners were decided: Hendrik Dowe with the 11-year-old Lajacuma NRW and Eiken Sato with the 9-year-old Miss Paris Blue Olsen Stables claimed victory with two fast, fault-free rounds to open the tournament.
In the Youngster Tour on Thursday morning, the win went to Dutch rider Jesse Berkers. At just 18 years old, he secured victory with the 7-year-old gelding Oklahoma VG. The pair continued their strong performance on Friday, dominating the competition for 6- and 7-year-old horses and taking another win back to the Netherlands.
The victory in Thursday’s 2* Ranking class stayed in Germany, as Josch Löhden and EIC Schabernack claimed a convincing win with a margin of more than two seconds ahead of Sandra Auffarth and C’est à la Vie. Third place went to Italian rider Giampiero Garofalo aboard Lambrusco.
A total of 65 combinations competed in the final of the Medium Tour on Friday, where Hendrik Dowe once again secured the win with Lajacuma NRW. The pair had already won the first section of the opening competition on Wednesday. Second and third place went to Hannes Ahlmann and Liesje Vanderwegen.
In the second Grand Prix of Riesenbeck of the new year, 58 combinations took part on Saturday afternoon. Only seven of them managed to complete the course designed by Peter Schumacher and his team without faults, thus qualifying for the jump-off. As the fifth combination to go, Giampiero Garofalo and the 10-year-old Lambrusco entered the jump-off. The time to beat had been set by Josch Löhden, who as the fourth starter had stopped the clock at 42.55 seconds.
Giampiero Garofalo and Lambrusco, who had already finished third in the Ranking class on Thursday, delivered a fault-free and even faster round. After just 40.06 seconds, the clock stopped and the Italian pair took the lead with a margin of more than two seconds. Young Czech rider Sara Vingralkova tried to challenge the leading time as the penultimate starter, but despite a confident, fault-free round, she had to settle for third place. The victory therefore went to Italy, with Giampiero Garofalo and Lambrusco securing the Riesenbeck Trophy.
In just two weeks’ time, Riesenbeck will host two national competition days, before the Riesenbeck Pony Show returns from March 6 to 8. Admission to both events is free.
