The fans celebrated, Jana Wargers waved happily to the audience. The day after the disappointment in the Nations Cup, on Friday there was the home win that the CHIO spectators were longing for: Wargers rode Dorette to first place in the North Rhine-Westphalia Prize in a fast-paced manner.
In the jump-off of the EUR 200,000 test, the 31-year-old, who lives in Belgium, gave the competition no chance and won with the fastest clean-shooting ride. Second place went to Richard Vogel from Marburg with Cepano Baloubet in the main competition of the fourth day of the CHIO.
“I’m very happy about it, it’s something very special,” said the winner, who was almost two seconds faster than Vogel. “I knew she was very motivated,” commented Vogel, who had led until the last ride. “She rode at its finest,” the 26-year-old praised the faster competitor: “She deserved to win.”
Good idea from Beerbaum
At the important competitions of the CHIO, the Aachen crowd had been waiting for a home win and saw the national team finish fifth on Thursday evening. Only David Will (Marburg) achieved two successes in smaller classes before the Wargers won the NRW Prize.
Ludger Beerbaum, who only made his comeback a few weeks ago after a serious fall in March, also delivered a good performance. The 59-year-old veteran has had a rather unfortunate performance at one of the most important horse shows in the world, but convinced in the NRW Prize with two clear rounds in the saddle of Mila and sixth place. Marcus Ehning, on the other hand, was unlucky. His horse Revere lost a horseshoe in the course, and the three-time World Cup winner then stopped the ride.
For national coach Otto Becker, the NRW Prize was another opportunity to look at some candidates for the European Championship. “We still have time,” said the coach, who “wasn’t satisfied” with his performance at the Nations Cup the night before. In view of the European Championships beginning in Milan at the end of August, he announced: “We’ll think about it in peace.”
“We’re missing the overpair at the moment”
The German national team clearly missed out on winning again at the CHIO competition on Thursday evening. None of the four pairs managed two clear rounds. First place in the almost sold-out 40,000-seat stadium went to Switzerland ahead of Great Britain, Belgium and the USA team.
“There have been years when the scaffolding was more in place,” said the national coach about the nomination. “We’re missing the overpair at the moment, which consistently delivers clear rounds.” Becker did without two strong combinations at the CHIO: The EM candidates include individual European champions Andre Thieme from Plau with Chakaria and Gerrit Nieberg from Sendenhorst with Ben, who won the Grand Prix of Aachen last year and in the NRW Prize on Friday finished twelfth after being knocked down in the jump-off.
While Thieme, like Wargers, should be there with Limbridge in Milan, Nieberg still has to prove consistency. Christian Kukuk, who recently rode well and who starts in Monte Carlo this weekend, is also considered to have a chance of getting a ticket to the European Championships with Mumbai.
