Richard Vogel sensationally wins the Grand Prix with United Touch S –

Richard Vogel won the World Cup show-jumping in the Stuttgart Schleyerhalle on the ten-year-old Westfalen United Touch by Untouched-Lux with a clean kick in 35.35 seconds. Already at that point, after the sixth of 12 starters, it was clear that it would be difficult to catch up with his time. “For me, the jumping was decided,” said Paul Schockemöhle, who was there as a spectator. Vogel presented United Touch for the first time internationally just under two months ago. Before that he was ridden by the Dutchman Bart Bles.

It was the first World Cup competition for the couple. “I tried not to go in any other way than in a 1.40 jumping test,” Vogel explained his good nerves. The jump-off was decided in two turns to the left, once towards a compact, unfriendly wall without side parts. Anyone who got too close, like Dutchman Willem Greve on Grandorado, risked being rejected, and the further way cost time. The lucky ones sat on a horse with acrobatic skills, like Jana Wargers, whose 13-year-old Holsteiner Limbus-Cambridge son Limbridge twisted in the air to avoid touching the obstacle. In the end, the time (37.92 seconds) was only enough for seventh place, which shows the quality of the starting field. The riders had to make a similar decision in front of a big blue and white oxer at the end of the course. Richard Vogel, who lives not far from Stuttgart, was delighted with the enthusiastic support of the audience every day, who enthusiastically cheered every performance.

Shared second place for Guerdat and Lynch

In second place with exactly the same time of 36.80 seconds was Irishman Denis Lynch on 13-year-old Brooklyn Heights v. Nabab de Reve-For Pleasure (BWP) and Steve Guerdat on the nine-year-old mare Dynamix de Belherne by Naike Blondel-Cornet Obolensky. The 2012 Swiss Olympic champion showed his class in the deliberate lap, which didn’t seem hectic for a moment.

Fourth was reigning World Champion Henrik von Eckermann on the KWPN mare Iliana by KWPN, who was also only nine years old. Cardento Gentleman (0/37.03).

One of the nine riders in the jump-off who remained undefeated was Hans Dieter Dreher on the gray Holstein gelding Elysium v. Zirocco Blue-Coronado (38.75, eighth place). Marcus Ehning on the eleven-year-old Plot Blue son Priam du Roset came twelfth in the jump-off after a knockdown and then a quiet round.

After the first riders in the round had time errors, the time was increased to 75 seconds. Twelve of 39 riders, almost a third, reached the jump-off. Janne-Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann, among others, was no longer there. After an unfortunate rumble from Minimax on an overbuilt oxer, she left the saddle and had to retire. Also Sophie Hinners, the runner-up in the Masters show jumping on Friday, gave up after several knockdowns by Vittorio. Her mare Graphik von Freitag has meanwhile been sold to Belgium. The Briton Scott Brash was also unexpectedly eliminated when his horse Hello Jefferson refused to climb the wall. The second attempt worked, but there were already 24 errors.

After the stage, the overall classification of the western European league now sees Henrik von Eckermann in front, Richard Vogel is in seventh place together with Julien Epaillard and Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli.

All results from the Stuttgart Grand Prix can be found here.

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