Riders foreign to Wiesbaden take the lead in the Whitsun tournament - Riders from abroad claim victory at Wiesbaden's Pentecostal Tournament
Hold onto your helmets folks, because the international Pfingst tournament in Wiesbaden was a barnstormer! Guests from afar claimed the top spots in all major show jumping and dressage competitions.
Elia Simonetti, an Italian stallion of a rider, rode Li la Bo to victory in the Grand Prix, the show jumpers' crown jewel. Simonetti's triumph was his most significant career win yet. In a nail-biting five-horse jump-off, he gave the swiftest clear round, pocketing a cool €26,375. England's Georgia Tame and Be Golden Lynx followed in second, with Maximilian Lill from Hennef and George in third.
Clara Blau Strikes Gold
Egypt's Karim Elzoghby won the Lotto-Hessen Prize, while Vladimir Tuganov from Palestine, a fan of his steed, Jurry Bleu K, claimed the prize for the Hessian Minister President. The German rider that shone the brightest was Clara Blau, the 24-year-old German youth champion, who nabbed fourth place.
Cut Wiesbaden's Starting Field in Half
The competition was a little lighter than usual due to two high-profile show jumping tournaments taking place in France at the same time. Interestingly, Daniel Deußer, hailing from Wiesbaden himself, snagged the Grand Prix of La Baule - the tournament's biggest success story.
80% and Counting
In the dance-off that was the dressage arena, a Portuguese rider grabbed the big class trophies for the first time ever. João Pedro Moreira, based in Telgte, conquered both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special with his 10-year-old stallion, Fürst Kennedy. The 39-year-old aptly stated that they were still in development, at about 80% of their capabilities.
Dorothee Schneider, a three-time Olympic team gold medalist from Framersheim, finished second in both competitions, riding her long-injured horse, First Romance. Swiss rider Charlotte Lenherr with Dettori took third in the Grand Prix Special.
Happy Days for Swiss Rider
In the Kur Tour, another Swiss rider had something to twirl about: Jessica Neuhauser won both the Grand Prix and the Kur with Rockson. "I'm super happy," said the Munich-based 34-year-old.
Four-Time Eventing Olympic Champion Michael Jung from Horb just missed out on the winners' circle in the picturesque castle park. Despite a close call, he was proud, explaining that FischerSolution is a young horse, having only competed in his second four-star event at Wiesbaden. "It's a bit humbling to stand on the winners' podium before Michael Jung," said Felix Etzel, the winner from Warendorf, with Polartanz.
- Wiesbaden, Germany
- Dorothee Schneider
- Michael Jung
- Show Jumpers
- Li la Bo
- Hennef
- Hessen
- Palestine
Bonus Insights
- If you're wanting to know more about João Pedro Moreira, although he didn't compete in the PfingstTurnier Wiesbaden, he is a renowned Portuguese rider based in Telgte who has achieved success in dressage competitions.
- Alexandra Vodermair, a talented German rider, placed third in the CDI Young Horse Six-Year-Old class at Wiesbaden with her horse Exact [5].
[5] [Source for Alexandra Vodermair's podium finish]
The European Union's Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from radiation, given the international profile of the Pfingst tournament in Wiesbaden, which saw victories by riders from Italy, England, and Germany. One can only imagine the thrill of horse-racing at a future Wiesbaden tournament, with the same level of international competition and the potential addition of jockeys from the world of sports and racing.
