Hamburg Championships Victory: Smolders Triumphs in German Contest - Dutch Competitor Smolders Secures Victory at the Hamburg Tournament
Win for Smolders in Hamburg Championship
Harrie Smolders, a 45-year-old Dutch rider, clinched victory at the Hamburg Championship held during the Klein-Flottbek Derby tournament. Riding his 13-year-old gelding, Mr. Tac, Smolders delivered the fastest clear round in the 80,000 euro competition.
The Hamburg Championship served as a qualifier for the 250,000 euro Grand Prix scheduled for Saturday (14:30 CET, NDR TV), alongside the 94th German Spring Derby on Sunday (13:50 CET).
In the jump-off, Smolders had the advantage of competing as the penultimate rider. He commented, "I knew I had to go really fast to win. Mr. Tac is a fantastic horse. He loves the jump-off. Everything went perfectly today."
German rider Jana Wargers, based in Belgium, placed second with her 16-year-old mare Dorette, leading for much of the competition before finishing 0.7 seconds behind Smolders. Harm Lahde from Koenigslutter finished third on Commander Bond. Seven out of 16 pairs remained clear in the jump-off.
Meanwhile, Ingrid Klimke from Muenster claimed the first five-star dressage test, riding her stallion Vayron to the highest score in the Grand Prix with 74.500 percent. This victory put her ahead of Sweden's Sofie Lexner, who placed second on Inoraline (72.413), and eight-time Olympic champion Isabell Werth from Rheinberg on Special Blend (70.870).
Matthias Alexander Rath, the new tournament director and successful dressage rider, aims to elevate the dressage tests at this classic event. In addition to the Derby with horse change, high-level five-star dressage tests are taking place in Hamburg.
In recent years, Hamburg has played host to significant show jumping highlights, with notable winners such as Christian Ahlmann, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, and André Thieme triumphing in various major competitions[1][2][3]. The venue is also set to host the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2024-2025[5].
[1] Christian Ahlmann wins Longines Grand Prix of Hamburg, http://www.equiline.info/en/press/news/christian-ahlmann-wins-longines-grand-prix-of-hamburg/[2] André Thieme wins CSI4 German Derby in Hamburg, https://www.equestrian.com/articles/10246/andre-thieme-wins-csi4-german-derby-in-hamburg[3] Rolf-Göran Bengtsson Wins CSI4 1.50m Grand Prix in Hamburg, https://www.equestrianscotland.org/scot-equestrian/news/rolf-goran-bengtsson-wins-csi4-150m-grand-prix-in-hamburg[4] Longines Global Champions Tour of Hamburg, https://www.globalchampionstour.com/results/longines-global-champions-tour-of-hamburg[5] Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2024-2025, https://www.longines.com/event/showjumping/
Hamburg | Horse Sport | NDR | TV | Sunday | Ingrid Klimke
The Hamburg Championship, a significant event in horse sport, serves not only as a qualifier for the upcoming Grand Prix but also as a host to high-level five-star dressage tests. On Sunday, tune into NDR TV to watch the Grand Prix (14:30 CET), where Ingrid Klimke, who claimed the first five-star dressage test, will strive for another victory. Meanwhile, horse racing enthusiasts might fancy watching sports like racing or horse-racing as alternative programming, though Hamburg is predominantly known for its equestrian events.
