Ahlmann – Coster: the Challenge goes to Germany

Germany takes home the victory in the 11th “Vincenzo Muccioli Challenge“ Grand Prix “Gruppo Poste Italiane” at San Patrignano’s CSI5* with the incredible performance of Christian Ahlmann and Coster, who finished the jump off with a double clear and a time of 38.05.

Right behind by a matter of seconds, the Ukranian rider Gregory Wathelet with Latinus 3 (0/0-38.37) and Markus Ehning on Cinderella (0/0, 38.57). Italian rider Juan Carlos Garcia rode very well on Toronto Van De Pandeborre (0/0, 43.63) and came in fourth. One couldn’t help but be disappointed at Jerry Smit’s sixth place finish after two incredible clean rounds on Nadir di San Patrignano, but slid down the rankings with a time penalty.

“Coster is a fantastic horse and I feel very lucky to ride a horse like him.”, exclaimed Christian Ahlmann. “He has been getting better and better every day ever since the World Championships at Aachen last year.

The Grand Prix course this year didn’t particularly have one fence that was harder than all the others – the challenges were distributed all across the field rather evenly in a course that required speed and precision”.

“As for the European Championship at Mannheim”, concluded Ahlmann, “it won’t be easy to predict the winner as we know it will be a long and difficult competition. I hope to be on the team and to compete for Germany”.

Christian Ahlmann, fresh from a recent victory in Nations’ Cup with his team at the Aachen Csio, began the CSI5* a third place in the final class Friday. Fifth in the international ranking list, he has a long list of achievements to his credits, including an individual gold at the 2003 European Championship and a team gold at the same event in 2005 at San Patrignano. Last year he won a team bronze at the WEG with Coster, a fourteen year old grey Holsteiner stallion by Calato and out of a broodmare by Constant.

Swiss course directors Rolf Ludi and Heiner Fischer created a Grand Prix that saw 34 riders on the field in the first round, nine of which made it to the jump off. A series of broken lines created just enough of a challenge to live up to the event’s reputation and commitment to excellence. One of the toughest fences proved to be a combination with Russian dolls – a vertical followed by an oxer – which was placed in the middle of the arena facing away from the entry gate.