Frenchman Julien Anquetin's formula for success is as simple as that. "I just do it!". Three starts, three victories at the International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF). It's his first time competing in the Hessian capital and already his colleagues are quipping, "But next year he won't be allowed to come if he wins everything."
On Saturday afternoon, the 30-year-old won the peiker CEE Champions Cup. The Frenchman dominated the international show jumping competition with winning round in the saddle of the ten-year-old French Cesus de Fougnard. "This is an incredible tournament for me - my third victory and maybe I will even manage to win a fourth time this weekend," Anquetin explains and laughs. "Cesus is not yet my number one in the stable, but he is one of my future hopes. I'm also riding him in the Grand Prix here in Frankfurt on Sunday. He doesn't have that much experience at such a high level yet, but he should gain that now." Anquetin had won the opening jumping competition with the Belgian Gravity of Greenhill, in the Youngster Tour his winning partner was Farah Tame and now today Cesus de Fougnard. Three starts, three horses, three Frankfurt victories.
Second place went to Kevin Jochems from the Netherlands. He has only had his eleven-year-old partner La Costa in his stable for six weeks, Frankfurt is the third tournament for the two of them. "I often don't have my horses for so long. If they have had good successes, they are often sold." Just this year, Jochems started his own business with a training and trading stable in Belgium. "But I hope I can keep La Costa a little longer." The 27-year-old Jochems has competed four times at the European Championships for young riders, and his goal is clear: he would also like to compete in a championship in the senior camp - perhaps with La Costa...
Anquetin sped through the course of the winning round in 40.48 seconds, Jochems followed with 41.08 seconds. The Oldenburg Cornet Obolensky daughter Millfield Colette jumped to third place with Donald Whitaker (42.02 seconds) and fourth was the winner of Friday evening: Tim Rieskamp-Goedeking, today in the saddle of IB Ventago. "I didn't risk everything today," explained Rieskamp-Goedeking. "Ventago is still to go in the Grand Prix, so I didn't want to step on the gas too much today." The pair crossed the finish line in a 'safe' 46.03 seconds.
Ten of the 41 starters in this second qualification for the Grand Prix on Sunday were allowed to compete again in the winning round and ride for the victory, only four pairs remained clear in the winning round. It is obvious: The further the international three-star show jumping tournament in Frankfurt progresses, the more demanding the courses designed by course director Frank Rothenberger become. Rothenberger is one of the internationally best-known course designers, who already designed the course at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in 2006 and has been responsible for the obstacles in Frankfurt for many years.
Carina Peiker, who has close professional and private ties to equestrian sport and is a rider herself, felt very much at home in the successful men's round of the show-jumpers and admitted: "I was cheering every round. It was so exciting and so nice to see how the audience went along too - a great show jumping competition." Up to now, many equestrian athletes have tended to place the Peiker company in the dressage sport through the Ceecoach communication system. Therefore, the company has specifically chosen a show jumping competition at the IFRF this year: "We decided to support a show jumping competition this year, because we think it is important that the trainer can also communicate optimally with his student in show jumping. Optimal communication leads to success - between trainer and student is just as important as between horse and rider.
