The 52-year-old German, who won his fourth gold medal with his country’s team at the World Equestrian Games in
Aachen, appeared to be in irresistible form in the arena where he has celebrated his biggest indoor successes. His time of 254,65 seconds after the two rounds gave him an easy victory in the Prize of iWEST for four-in-hands.
The four time World Cup winner will again go into the race on Saturday for the SCHENKER GERMAN MASTER – a qualifying event for the FEI World Cup Driving – as the one everybody is chasing.
Thirteen seconds to the good over second placed driver Christoph Sandmann, his team mate in the gold medal winning team in Aachen, Freund also appears to be on the right track to continuing his exceptional record of being the only winner of the MASTER competitions in Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle. It would be his 13th win in succession.
German course designer Falk Böhnisch designed a very technical course with several sharp turns and a difficult serpentine.
None of the seven four-in-hand drivers managed to finish the course without knock-downs. In the second round, which had a shortened course and was open to all drivers, only Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz stayed clear.
Check the results.