Beezie Madden claims the Grand Prix Europa at Aachen

The times set by her fellow competitors weren’t really a challenge for Beezie Madden. The rider from America was last to enter the ring in the jump-off of the WARSTEINER-Prize, Prize of Europe, which nine riders had qualified for.

Together with Coral Reef Via Volo the 45-year-old jumped to victory with a clear round in 48.27 seconds, ahead of the Swedish rider, Rolf-Göran Bengsston on Ninja la Silla (0/50.07) and Harrie Smolders from the Netherlands with Exquis Oliver Q (0/55.02). There wasn’t a German rider in the jump-off, the best German competitor after the first round was Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Thedinghausen) with Shutterfly. After picking up four faults they ranked 11th.

“That was the most significant jumping competition I have won so far with Coral Reef Via Volo, because I have only been riding the mare since March,” Beezie Madden said overjoyed with her victory. Coral Reef Via Volo is a 12-year-old mare bred in Belgium that descends from the stallion Clinton, who came second in the “Grand Prix of Aachen” in 2005 and fourth in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 with the Belgian rider, Dirk Demeersman. Her dam’s sire is Heartbreaker, who was successful at international level under Peter Geerink. Clinton x Heartbreaker – that is the same bloodline as Marco Kutscher’s stallion, Cornet Obolensky. Beezie Madden’s horse, Danny Boy, is also a Clinton son.

“It was a very fair course, which you could ride at a good pace,“ said the winner praising the course designed by Frank Rothenberger, which was 580 metres long and which led over 13 obstacles and 17 fences. “The course was great. The faults were divided up equally at the different fences,” was Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s assessment. The 48-year-old Swedish rider saddled his 15-year-old gelding, Ninja la Silla, with whom he claimed the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong in 2008. “I only enter a limited number of competitions with Ninja. After Aachen my aim is to compete with him at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky an.“

Whereas the Swedish rider has been living and working in Schleswig-Holstein for years, the Dutch rider Harrie Smolders lives in Belgium. “I have been riding at the stables of Axel Verlooy in Grobbendonk for around seven or eight years,” the 30-year-old reported. He took longer to complete the course than his fellow competitors. “On the one hand Exquis Oliver Q is not the fastest, but he is a fighter, who I have to keep under control, so I have to take things a little more slowly. On the other hand with such good riders following you, even if I had been four seconds quicker, Beezie and Rolf would still have ridden faster.”

LAUREN HOUGH WON THE SMALL CLASS AT ACHEN

Heavy winds or rain can only stop the riders at the Aachen Soers for a short while: After the skies cleared again, the winning round of the best 18 riders in the “Prize of StädteRegion Aachen – in memory of Landrat Hermann-Josef Pütz“ resumed.

And once again the national anthem of the USA was played: The US American rider, Lauren Hough, who had saddled the 14-year-old Oldenburg stallion Prezioso S rode to victory with a clear round in a time of 44.00 seconds. The French rider, Olivier Guillon, took only eleven hundredths of a second longer to reach the finishing line with Luigi d’ Amaury, and thus secured himself second place. The Irish rider Denis Lynch who lives in Germany and who won the “Grand Prix of Aachen“ last year came third. Lynch, who finished in a time of 45.80 seconds, rode All Inclusive NRW, who competed at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong under Ludger Beerbaum (Riesenbeck) in 2008. The best German rider was Janne-Friederike Meyer (Schenefeld) with Chika’s Way who ranked fourth with a time of 45.91. The 29-year-old rider will be making her debut as a member of the German Nations Cup team at the CHIO Aachen.

BRAZILIAN BERNARDO ALVES WON THE CLASS FOR YOUNG HORSES

They are perhaps the stars of tomorrow and they are given the unique chance of getting to know one of the most famous courses in the world at the CHIO Aachen. Among others the famous E.T. under the Austrian rider, Hugo Simon, took his first fences in Aachen in the Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup, a jumping competition exclusively for seven and eight-year-old horses. Incidentally, at the time the chestnut gelding threw his rider off and left the ring on his own after courageously jumping over the entrance barrier. Later in 1998, the pair went on to win the “Grand Prix of Aachen”.

The Brazilian rider Bernardo Alves didn’t have any such problems today with his eight-year-old Holsteiner mare, Canturada. On the contrary: He left the rest of the field trailing behind. The 35-year-old won the first qualifier in the Sparkasse-Youngster-Cup after jumping clear in a time of 71.95 seconds. He was 4.03 seconds faster than Marcus Ehning (Borken), who came second with the seven-year-old Hanoverian stallion, Campel, and 5.34 seconds faster than the British rider, John Whitaker, who had saddled the eight-year-old Arko son, Argento.

Canturada is a Holsteiner mare by Canturo, Alves’ former top horse, with whom he won the “Prize of Europe” in Aachen in 2005. The stallion no longer competes on the jumping circuit, instead he is pursuing his stud career in Belgium.

Alves, who is competing at the “World Equestrian Festival” for the sixth time, has been living in Lasnes, near Brussels for years. “My mare is a quality horse and she has a lot of respect for the obstacles,” was how Alves described his horse. “I don’t know how much potential she has yet. But I think the jumping sport is developing in such a way that not only a horse’s ability is decisive, today easily rideable horses with respect for the fences are called for. Like Canturada.” Alves rides for the Brazilian stud, Haras Joter, which has owned the mare since she was a three-year-old. Alves already won two jumping competitions up to 1.40 metres with the mare in May during the Derby in Hamburg.

The Brazilian rider’s next major goal is to qualify for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. If Alves achieves his aim he will saddle Vancouver d’ Auvray, who is a full-brother to Toulon, the former top horse of the French rider, Hubert Bourdy.