Aight couples reached the jump-off for big money in Hamburg, five of them from Germany, one of them prevailed: Christian Ahlmann from Marl and his stallion Dominator raced across the wet grass of the Derby-Platz in Klein Flottbek at lightning speed, his ride remained flawless, his time: 50.51 seconds.
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Fastest, and that despite the fact that he had to dodge an unfortunate cameraman after a turn to a steep jump and had to jump over a flower pot to do so. But the 47-year-old veteran and his horse kept their nerves. “It was difficult to hit the jump,” said Ahlmann. He credits his horse with the fact that Dominator jumped on so unperturbed. “You need horses like that to be at the front in such competitions.”
In the end, he had the 100,000 euros in prize money in his pocket for the winner of this 300,000 euros show-jumping event in the international Global Champions Tour series. In the ice-cold rain, which repeatedly poured down on the facility in showers, Ahlmann did a brisk lap of honor on his horse – and the spectators stayed with them. The people of Hamburg want to experience something again after the long pandemic period, and they are ready to freeze for that.
Two couples in second place
Ahlmann was 0.8 seconds ahead of second place, which was crowded by two couples: European Champion André Thieme with his top horse Chakaria and Irishman Michael Pender with Calais both needed exactly 51.33 seconds for the jump-off in the expansive arena of Derby Park. With 52,500 euros each, they could console themselves for the fact that Ahlmann was faster.
Fourth place went to Mario Stevens (Molbergen) with the only nine-year-old gelding Starissa, fifth place went to one of the most well-known faces of German show jumping, Marcus Ehning from Borken with the stallion Stargold, whose success was spoiled by a tiny drop. A young German took sixth place: Gerrit Nieberg, son of the former championship rider Lars Nieberg from Münster, with Blues d’Aveline.
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Two real badass: Marcus Ehning (centre, right) and John Whitaker :
Image: dpa
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The sixth of 16 stages of the Global Champions Tour has the highest prize money and is therefore also the most important competition within the framework of the traditional derby tournament. But not the most popular. This is the German jumping derby for specialists in landscape obstacles such as the Great Wall and Pulvermanns Grab. It takes place this Sunday (2.30 p.m. on NDR and ZDF). Even if most of the cracks from Saturday have already left, it continues to fascinate people. After all: André Thieme will be seen again, the Mecklenburger, who has already won the Derby three times and who is one of the favorites again with the stallion Contadur. Provided the two master the bush oxer, their personal cliff.
