The 36th STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS offered high tension until the last ride. 13 pairs from seven nations qualified for the decisive jump-off after the challenging round in the Grand Prix of Stuttgart, qualification for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup 2022/2023. And in the end, the national anthem of the hosts sounded at the award ceremony, because Richard Vogel - at home in Marburg and competing for Mannheim - galloped to the greatest success of his extraordinary career. In the saddle of the ten-year-old United Touch S (Untouched/Lux Z), Vogel took full risks. Tight turns and the great canter of the Westphalian stallion ensured the absolute best time (35.35 seconds).
The native of Upper Swabia thus celebrated his first victory in the World Cup. On Thursday, the exceptional rider stood in front in the BW Bank Indoor Championships. Never before has a BW Bank Champion achieved this double triumph. "I grew up not far from here. My family, friends and the Stuttgart crowd have supported me all week. That's why I put all my eggs in one basket today," explained the German show jumper in front of 6,200 spectators in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle. Second-placed Denis Lynch from Ireland reached the finish line in the jump-off more than one and a half seconds slower on the 13-year-old Brooklyn Heights - at the same time as Steve Guerdat (36.80), winner of the Grand Prix of Stuttgart in 2017, on Dynamix de Belheme. This was the sixth time that the Swiss rider had finished second in the final jumping competition in Stuttgart.
World Champion Henrik von Eckermann (Sweden) and Iliana, Harrie Smolders (Netherlands) in the saddle of Bingo du Parc and the Frenchman Kevin Staut on Visconti du Telman took fourth to sixth place. The best amazon, Jana Wargers (Germany), took seventh place with her successful horse Limbridge.
The Stuttgart audience also lived up to its reputation on the final day. The show-jumpers from all over the world were celebrated frenetically. Steve Guerdat said: "I can only congratulate the organisers. Our sport was presented in a great way here on a big stage. Stuttgart is one of the very best tournaments in the world." A total of 49,400 visitors came to this year's STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS over five days. In the Western European League, the World Cup stops in Madrid (24 to 27 November), La Coruna (2 to 4 December), London (14 to 19 December) and Mechelen (26 to 30 December) are now on the agenda.
