In Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony they have been at home for ten years now: the GERMAN CLASSICS were first founded as a championship rematch, but are now a top tournament with a slightly different handwriting – with the World Cup status in driving, a station of the international DKB-Riders Tour and above all a meeting place for the horse and breeder scene. From 28.- 31. October the first decade of the Hanoverian GERMAN CLASSICS will be celebrated in exhibition hall 2.
A sporty celebration with riders and drivers from 26 nations. For the difficult world ranking jumping – four of them – athletes from 18 countries have announced themselves, seven drivers from five nations are aiming at the launch of the Driving World Cup, including the new world champion Boyd Exell (Australia) and the two team world champions Ijsbrand Chardon and Koos de Ronde (The Netherlands). To set the stage for this equestrian event in three disciplines – jumping, carriage driving, dressage – a budget of 1.3 million EUR, is required, the total prize money makes up around 260,000 €.
Spread out over 25 competitions with the final of the Hermann Schridde Memorial Award, presented by Gelha – and the Grand Prix, the highlight of the 10th GERMAN CLASSICS anniversary with the Hessian solar technology company Stiens as title sponsor, which is now called the “Solartechnik Stiens Grand Prix”.
Just this event is also a pivot point for the DKB-Riders Tour, with its fifth and penultimate stage in Hanover. Only the 40 best pairs from the qualifying on Saturday participate in the Solartechnik Stiens Grand Prix. After two World Cup wins in Oslo and Helsinki last year's winner Christian Ahlmann (Marl) is coming to the GERMAN CLASSICS in Hanover, aswell as Ludger Beerbaum (Riesenbeck) who is coming as the defending champion in the DKB-Riders Tour. Team World Champion Carsten-Otto Nagel (Wedel) will meet a number of World Cup participants from Kentucky in Hannover exhibition hall 2 again. The Australian Chris Chugg, the Dutchmen Jeroen Dubbeldam, Marc Houtzager and Eric van der Vleuten, the British Michael Whitaker, and the only amazon in the Belgian squad, who won a bronze medal at the World Cup – Judy-Ann Melchior.
Isabell Werth from Rheinberg leads the field of dressage at the GERMAN CLASSICS. The woman who won five Olympic gold medals, returned with a team bronze medal from Kentucky, and is already focusing on the next championships. With Klaus Husenbeth (Sottrum), a two-time European champions is also participating , just as Helen Langehanenberg (Havixbeck) from squad B.
Just as at the World Cup in Kentucky the list of nations at the GERMAN CLASSICS also reflects that there is no longer a European and American “playing field” in equestrian sport. In addition to the traditional equestrian nations other countries have established since. That’s why the participants of the four-day equestrian event come to Hanover from all directions, professionals as well as international amateurs: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, Republic of South Africa, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Spain, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary and the USA.