Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat wins opening STAWAG Prize at CHIO Aachen…

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Switzerland is this year’s partner country of the CHIO Aachen. And in the opening jumping competition a Swiss rider was able to take the victory in the STAWAG Prize: Steve Guerdat finished the course consisting of obstacles measuring up to 1.45 metres with Qui Vive De La Tour in the fastest time, followed by Germany’s veteran show-jumper Ludger Beerbaum from Riesenbeck and Felix Haßmann from Lienen. For Guerdat it was the ideal kick-off to the CHIO week in Aachen. As the Olympic gold medallist, he automatically qualifies for the Grand Prix, where he could write equestrian sport history on Sunday in the scope of the Rolex Grand Slam. Having won the last major leg in Geneva, he has the chance to be the first rider to win two competitions of the series, which was initiated one year ago in Aachen, in succession.

The day before, during the official reception of the Swiss delegation on the market square in Aachen, Steve Guerdat had announced ambitious aims. “I have never won the Grand Prix and this is my main goal this year, perhaps even more so than winning the World Equestrian Games,” said the 32-year-old. Numerous victories over the past weeks and months, among others his victory at the CSI in Mons, Belgium, prove that he and his horses are top fit. And in the very first competition on the holy grass at the Soers, the Olympic gold medallist of London demonstrated his skills. He finished the 450-metre course comprising of eleven obstacles, which was built by the course designer Frank Rothenberger, with the ten-year-old chestnut mare in 63.68 seconds and crossed the finish line almost two seconds faster than his fellow competitors. Ludger Beerbaum came second with his KWPN stallion Zinedine in 65.67 seconds, followed by Felix Haßmann, who only took three hundredths of a second longer with his Baden-Württemberg bred stallion Horse Gym’s Quali Quanti (65.70).

The Canadian rider Eric Lamaze with Fine Lady, Philipp Weishaupt with Calado as well as Denis Nielsen, Henrik von Eckermann, Guerdat’s compatriot Janika Sprunger, Katharina Offel, Reed Kessler and Jerome Hurel also jumped clear. Patrick Stühlmeyer, the winner of the opening competition last year, came twelfth after picking up just one time fault with his top horse Lacan.

Source: CHIO Aachen

STAWAG Opening Jumping Competition- CHIO Aachen 2014

Rank CNR HORSE – Breeding
sex \ colour \ born \ sire x siredam
RIDER
Owner
EUR 1st
Round
Time
1 221 Qui Vive De La Tour – SF
Mare \ Chestnut \ 2004 \ Helios De La Cour Ii x Rif Du Crocq
Steve  Guerdat
I.h.e. Intra Horse Establishment
SUI
1000.00 0 63.68
2 260 Zinedine – KWPN
Stallion \ Chestnut \ 2004 \ Guidam x Heartbreaker
Ludger  Beerbaum
Madeleine Winter-schulze
GER
800.00 0 65.67
3 245 Horse Gym´s Quali Quanti – BAWUE
Stallion \ DarkBay \ 2005 \ Quidam De Revel x Non Stop
Felix  Haßmann
Reinhard Hassmann
GER
600.00 0 65.70
4 230 Fine Lady 5 – HANN
Mare \ Bay \ 2003 \ Forsyth x Drosselklang Ii
Eric  Lamaze
Llc Artisan Farms
CAN
400.00 0 67.05
5 142 Calado 2 – HOLST
Gelding \ Bay \ 2001 \ Calando I x Landgraf I
Philipp  Weishaupt
Stange-steinmetz Gunter
GER
280.00 0 67.26
6 11 Cashmoaker – DTPF
Stallion \ Grey \ 2006 \ Calido I x Lafitte
Denis  Nielsen
Paul U. Gestüt Sprehe Gmbh Wendeln
GER
220.00 0 67.32
7 83 For Sale 6 – WESTF
Mare \ Bay \ 2006 \ For Pleasure x Cassini I
Henrik  Von Eckermann
Ludger Beerbaum Stables Gmbh
SWE
160.00 0 67.86
8 282 Uptown Boy – KWPN
Gelding \ DarkBay \ 2001 \ Odermus R x Joost
Janika  Sprunger
Georg Kähny
SUI
120.00 0 68.43
9 144 B Once Z – ZANG
Mare \ DarkBay \ 2004 \ Baloubet Du Rouet x Lavaletto
Katharina  Offel
Jump Horse Gmbh Scherer & Offel Sportpferde
UKR
120.00 0 69.13
10 262 Cos I Can – ISH
Gelding \ Bay \ 2003 \ Olympic Lux x Harlequin Du Carel
Reed  Kessler
Iron Works Partners
USA
100.00 0 69.15
11 287 Bonjovi – KWPN
Gelding \ Bay \ 2006 \ Verdi x Corland
Jerome  Hurel
Sarl Ar Tropig
FRA
100.00 0 71.63
12 150 AD Ashleigh Drossel Dan – HANN
Gelding \ Grey \ 1998 \ Drosselklang Ii x Ashleigh Brigadier
Doda  De Miranda
A.de Miranda & Victory Equestrian Sport Bv
BRA
75.00 1 73.78
12 192 Lacan 2 – OLDBG
Stallion \ Bay \ 2003 \ Lando x Contender
Patrick  Stühlmeyer
Bernfried Erdmann
GER
75.00 1 73.78