Outstanding Cathrine Dufour in the Tesch Family Prize

"I like hot horses!" That's exactly why the Dane Cathrine Dufour wanted to try out her ten-year-old Vitalis son Vamos Amigos when he came to her stable at the age of six. At that time he was a bit between genius and madness, says Dufour. She turned him into one of the best Grand Prix horses in the world. At least since today, after he won the Tesch family prize with 81.544 percent. Horses that score over 80 percent in Grand Prix classes are potential individual medalists. It wasn't just the test that was impressive, but above all the serenity with which the Westphalian gelding received his frenetic applause after the second salute, looked around calmly and then left the track with measured steps and hardly sweating. Especially given its history. Training work as it should be. Cathrine Dufour: "I think today was a statement from him: 'I'm not a baby anymore!'"

The joy was not only great for the winner, but also for the other participants. Second place went to Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain, who were also the best German couple. The two achieved 77.217 percent today, the second-best result of their careers so far. Only at their home tournament, the Horses & Dreams in Hagen, did the couple from Hof ​​Kasselmann get a few more points in April. “I'm so happy to finish second with Duke of Britain and still the best German today. I'm especially happy for Duke because he's been so consistent for a long time, no ups and downs, it's always been up. I think he gained strength again last year and we are mostly faultless – which is very important in a strong field like this.” Wandres himself said that he doesn't actually come from a horse family. Pony, junior, young rider tours, he didn't experience any of that because he didn't have the opportunity to do it at home. Instead, he rode dressage with show jumpers. That only changed when he began his horse management training at the Kasselmann farm. There he met the then Prix St. Georges mature Duke of Britain – and now they are second in Aachen. Third place was a surprise: The Finn Henri Ruoste and his twelve-year-old Contendro son Kontestro achieved the third-best result with 76.783 percent. A huge success for the 40-year-old from Menden. "Sure, I think I'm as surprised as everyone else. But my horse has a big heart and always gives his best. Often even a bit too much, which then manifests itself in tension in him. But I hope it gets better step by step. But it's an honor to sit here now. It's an honor to be able to ride here at all. But then to still be in the top three, that's special." Incidentally, his career was a little different than that of Wandres: "My parents put me on a pony before I could say that I played ice hockey want. Then I stuck with it and am very happy about it.” In the Lambertz Nations Cup classification, things will get really exciting in the decisive Grand Prix Special! Denmark is currently leading with 229.740 points overall, ahead of Germany with 228.499 points and the Netherlands with 219.608 points. Everything is still open, especially between the two leading teams. It would be the first time for Denmark's dressage riders to win the Lambertz Nations Cup at the CHIO Aachen.