To Feel the Victory – and Enjoy It!

It seems, that he felt the victory in the morning. On his way from the hotel to the fair ground Hanover the Dutch Gert-Jan Bruggink said, that the only thing still missing would be a golden ribbon…

Gert-Jan Bruggink, who bears the fitting nickname „The Flying Dutchman“, won the Solartechnik Siens Grand Prix at the German Classics. With his nine year old belgian gelding Primeval Dejavu he finished the jump-off nearly a whole second faster than his pursuer – being no one less than Ludger Beerbaum. It took Beerbaum with Chaman 33,32 seconds, while Bruggink only needed 32,44 seconds. „It was my first indoor competition and I am rather pleased“, explained Beerbaum. „I may not have pushed the envelope, nonetheless it would have been hard to ride nearly a whole second faster.“ And with his typical grin he added: „I had my 50th Birthday a few weeks ago, maybe Gert-Jan is the faster rider.“

Gert-Jan Bruggink got Dejavu as a young horse, trained the horse himself and this year was the first time he entered the Grand Prix with him – gaining great successes. „I won the Dutch championship with him. Dejavu jumps very often faultless and he is fast – he knows how it works.“ On third place they were pursued by a young lady from Switzerland.

Alexandra Fricker has been training about a year with two-times-Derbychampion Achaz von Buchwaldt and since then she works her way up to the top of the international world elite, getting ever more steady.

The organizer of the German Classics, Bettina Schockemöhle, was not saddened by the fact, that no German winner could be celebrated in the courses of Hanover this year. „I like it international! The main issue is that we had top sports. For me every day of the German Classics 2013 was a highlight!“ The audience took a similar point of view. In Hanover they are horse loving people, who cheer every strong performance in the course and during the German Classics, it were 42.000 who journeyed there, to do this.

The Drivers Love Hanover – and the other way around

The drivers of the four-in-hand class loved Hanover and the Hanoveran audience loved the drivers. As in the last years, the German Classics were the first stage of FEI World Cup Driving and the best of the world were starting there. The best on the places one to three of the World Cup Ranking were „snuggling“ against each other. In the end, it was the Dutch Koos de Ronde who won after two rounds. „Every time I have the feeling, that Hanover is like a finale of the World Cup. There are always the best drivers at the start“, explained de Ronde. „ In Hanover everything fits: the competitions, the audience, we have a great course designer – and I am happy, that I won.“ The winner of the World Cup 2012/2013 and five-times Team-World-Champion triumphed with two new horses within 183,65 seconds. The Australian Boyd Exell, who is stationed in England, made the second place in the finals of the World Cup in Bordeaux, this spring. He also came in second at the first World Cup Station in Hanover, before Ysbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.

Everyone greatly complimented Dr. Wolfgang Asendorf, who built the course for four-in-hands at the GERMAN CLASSICS. „On a scale from 1 to 10 for the course, it would have goten 10 points by me, today!“, said Ysbrand Chardon.

„Repeat Offender“ Balkenhol

Anabel Balkenhol and Diamonds Forever – the „repeat offenders“ of Hanover. After the Grand Prix on Saturday the German Olympic rider and her eleven year old horse Diamonds Forever, called Monti, also won the Freestyle Grand Prix at the GERMAN CLASSICS. With 76,708 percent the duo overtook the Spanish Borja Carrascosa Martinez on Famous Boy. The two-times Olympic Team winner Heike Kemmer came in third with Quantico.

„I am happy, that Monti run this competition so calmly“, rejoiced Klaus Balkenhol, father and trainer of the victorious. „That is a horse, which has all the chances.“ Balkenhol praised the good conditions for horses and riders in the fair halls of Hanover and added smilingly: „Actually, it is a pity that there were only two dressage competitions here.“

The German Classics 2013 were a special tournament for the professional Johannes Augustin. It was the last time, that he presented the 18 year old Norblin at a tournament and thereby ended Norblins career with fourth place in the freestyle and 73,583 percent. Since he was five years old Norblin worked with Augustin and together they reached the finale of the professional championship three times. They started at the Nations Cups in Rotterdam and brought home many Grand Prix positionings. „Norblin is in top shape and that is the way I wanted him to say good-bye in Hanover. The German Classics are also well known by laymen and we were always lucky here“, underlined Augustin. „Now he shall enjoy a few nice years on my field.“

Victorious Team with a Celeb

In the morning the team freestyle of the regional clubs, presented by the Pferdesportverband Hannover, opened the last day of the German Classics.

The freestyle events on M-level were ridden by four riders each. Six teams competed and the team of Hannover-South with team captain Fritz Fricke won. The winners had a real celeb in their midth: The eight year old Lissaro van de Helle, ridden by Wolfhard Witte and engaged in breeding at Landgestüt Celle. The son of Lissabon already raised a lot of furor in the scene: He was third at Federal Championsships for young horses and vice-world champion of the young dressage horses!

Results Sunday:

Nr. 23 Team Dressage Competition Class M* Freestyle:

1. 11 / Hannover-Süd – Fritz Fricke Wolfhard Witte, Leonie Bramall, Thomas Scholz, Iris Scheminowski
2. 12 / Braunschweig-Süd – Hendrik Gäbel Margit Christiansen Dr., Dagmar Rudolph, Vanessa Busch, Philipp Hess
3. 14 / Braunschweig-Nord – Sigrun Kosciol Anette Heumann, Sandra-Margaux Brauleke, Matthias Klatt, Alexandra Stübig
4. 16 / Hannover-Süd Jugend – Thomas Scholz Lisa-Marie Löhr, Anna Kahle, Irina Haller, Saskia Sophie Kunz

22 Grand Prix de Dressage Freestyle with Music, Prize by P.S.I. Performance Sales International:

1. Anabel Balkenhol (Rosendahl), Diamonds Forever, 76.708%;
2. Borja Carrascosa Martinez (Spanien), Famous Boy 2, 74.667%;
3. Heike Kemmer (Winsen), Quantico, 73.917%;
4. Johannes Augustin (Menslage), Norblin, 73.583%;
5. Nuno Palma E Santos (Portugal), Sal 2, 72.750%;
6. Leonie Bramall (Kanada), Märchenprinz 9, 71.458%

6 Int. Jumping Competition in two phases (1.55m), Solartechnik Stiens Grand Prix – DKB-Riders Tour Scoring Competition 2013 -Partial Score for the Solartechnik Stiens Nordcup 2013-:

1. Gert-Jan Bruggink (Netherlands), Primeval Dejavu, 0.00/32.44 Fault/Time;
2. Ludger Beerbaum (Hörstel), Chaman 4, 0.00/33.32;
3. Alexandra Fricker (Switzerland), Albfuehren's Paille, 0.00/33.74;
4. Mario Stevens (Molbergen), Little Pezi, 0.00/33.85;
5. Eiken Sato (Japan), Espyrante, 0.00/34.02;
6. Carsten-Otto Nagel (Norderstedt), Holiday by Solitour, 0.00/34.22

20 Int. Obstacle Driving Test by Time with 2 Rounds:

1. Ronde,Koos de (Niederlande) 0.00 183.65 Fault/Time;
2. Exell,Boyd (Australien) 5.00 187.82;
3. Chardon,Ysbrand (Niederlande) 0.00 188.33