News from Luhmühlen

Yasmin Ingham (GBR) and Banzai du Loir (29.3) take the win, Tom McEwen (GBR) and JL Dublin (29.6) finish in runner-up position, Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH (30.9) drop to third place but win German Championship title.

It was her weekend: Yasmin Ingham already placed third in the LONGINES CCI5*-L, before taking the win in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy with a beautiful clear round in today’s influential show-jumping course.
The British rider was delighted with her horse’s performance: “It means the world to me. This weekend he’s excelled in all three phases. He was absolutely fantastic yesterday in the cross-country, on all his lines with pricked ears, looking for the flags. In today’s show-jumping he was also pretty perfect and felt brilliant. He’s the perfect athlete because he has ability in every phase: very elegant with a lot of presence in the dressage, brave and fast in the cross-country phase and agile in the show-jumping. So he has the ability to come out on top in all three phases. I feel very lucky that I’m able to ride him.”
Fellow Brit Tom McEwen, was also full of praise for his horse: “Dubs has been absolutely fantastic, he can go a lot better on the flat but he was really smooth across country and the show-jumping was beautiful. I’m delighted with him.”
Michael Jung was in the lead until fischerChipmunk had a rail in today’s show-jumping, dropping the pair into third place. He still mananged to secure the title of German champion and didn’t show any disappointment, focusing instead on everything that went well: “It’s been a fantastic week. I want to thank my whole team and the crowd here in Luhmühlen. Thank you for cheering us on, it means a lot. I’m very proud of my horse. Sadly, we had one fence down, but he gave me a very good feeling in the warm-up and also in the course, I was just a bit unlucky in the last combination.”
Sandra Auffarth, runner-up in the German Championship with Viamant du Matz was very pleased with her Luhmühlen weekend: “I’m super happy. It was a pleasure to ride here, so much fun to ride in the cross-country course and the show-jumping today with the crowd cheering us on. My horse did a really good job in all three disciplines. We’ve really worked on improving the dressage and it’s starting to pay off.” Calvin Böckmann, who took the bronze with his horse Altair de la Cense, explained that he’d come to Luhmühlen hoping to improve his horse’s self-confidence further: “We’ve been partners for seven years now. Last season we had some misunderstandings in some of the courses, so this was just the second four-star again, so I just wanted to help him gain self-confidence and take it step by step and fence by fence. He was just amazing yesterday and today.”

Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (BEL) and Hooney d’Arville win the LONGINS CCI5*-L Tom McEwen (GBR) with CHF Cooliser and Yasmin Inham (GBR) with Rehy DJ take second and third place.

Lara won the hearts of the Luhmühlen crowd with the obvious love for her self-bred horse. Having steadily moved up the leaderboard from sixth after dressage to third after cross-country, the pair went clear in the final show-jumping. Happy, but not expecting to take the win, she retired to the warm-up for a quiet moment with Hooney. When the news hit, that she’d won the first five-star of her career, the first hug was reserved for her horse: “It’s hard to take in. My horse is an incredible athlete. I never thought there would be a chance to win the five-star today. I just knew I had a good horse and wanted to jump the best round that I could. Today was our day. I just managed to put everything together. Thanks to my team and thank you Luhmühlen for organizing a show of this caliber - all the public was amazing.”
Tom McEwen: “I’m absolutely delighted with Cooliser. She was brilliant yesterday and today. She’s very game and in the arena, I remembered why it’s much easier to do things her way. I wasn’t expecting to move up the ranks. Ros is probably the best rider in the world and Izilot is one of the best jumpers, so I absolutely wasn’t expecting this.”
Yasmin Ingham, who has climbed from 28th to third, finishing on her dressage score was delighted: “That’s the sory of eventing, it’s never over until we have finished on the final day. I was a little disappointed after the dressage because we lost some points there but I know what to work on now. I know he’s a phenomenal cross-country horse and jumper, so I was really looking forward to Saturday and today. He was just amazing, careful, rhythmical and fast, making my job so easy. He doesn’t look fast but he just eats up the ground and is just so ridable and adjustable, I don’t have to set him up much before the fences. We know each other inside out, because our partnership has developed over such a long time. I’ve had him for so long now and we’ve worked our way up the ranks from novice.”

Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH are at the top of the leaderboard in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy (26.1), followed by Laura Collett (GBR) with London 52 (26.4) and Yasmin Ingham (GBR) with Banzai du Loir (29.3)

Michael Jung added 3.2 penalties to his dressage score and now holds a tiny lead of 0.3 over Laura Collett after a riveting cross-country day. “Today was amazing – pure joy! fischerChipmunk is a real cross-country machine. He was brilliant, supple, attentive and focused, making made my job very easy today. In two lines, I added an extra stride, everything else rode as I expected when I walked it. The conditions were great, despite the rain.”
Laura Collett didn’t take any chances, tackling Mike Etherington-Smith’s intense four-star course with focus and determination: “You can’t not smile when you ride a horse like that. He’s just phenomenal. He seems to love it here, he loves the crowd. It was an absolute joy to ride. I got him when he was seven and he’s 15 now, like a fine wine he gets better each year and I’ve just thoroughly enjoyed every second of that horse. He’s just very, very special. The aim of today was to have a good, confident ride. He covers the ground and the ground is amazing. I was having a real wobble earlier when it was torrential storm. But it was absolutely perfect going, which meant I could just let him run and make sure I set him up for the fences to make sure there are no silly mistakes. He trusts me and I trust him, we’ve built a real partnership over the last years. I know how fortunate I am to ride a horse like him.”
With just 1.2 time faults, Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir moved up four places: “This year things have really come together and we’ve had some really exciting top results. To have had such a great round here today is absolutely exciting. He was pretty perfect everywhere, looking for the flags, an absolute pleasure to ride.”

Longinges Luhmühlen Horse Trials broadcast
NDR live (German broadcast)
Sunday, 16 June 2024 13.45 - 14.45

Horse & Country
H&C+Livestream, all days, both competitions German/English commentary

Start- and result lists: www.luhmuehlen.de

With a picture-perfect cross-country round, Rosalind Canter (GBR) and Izilot DHI held onto their Longines CCI5*-L lead (26.9) with Jennifer Kuehnle (IRL) and Polly Blue Eyes in the runner-up position (35.5), closely followed by Lara de Liedekerke-Meier with Hooney d’Arville (35.6)

A morning of rain, storm and brilliant cross-country: Ros Canter, who added only two time penalties to her dressage score on Izilot DHI, was overjoyed after her brilliant cross-country round: “I’m absolutely delighted, Izilot felt so grown up today. He’s brave and he’s genuine, sometimes he gets a little spooky, and he was at the beginning but then he really settled down and he gave me b ride. He was fantastic all the way around, absolutely on point today.”
Jennifer Kuehnle’s Polly Blue Eyes seemed absolutely unfazed by Mike Etherington Smith’s influential five-star course, smoothly tackling all the questions, one of only four horse-rider combinations to finish without time-faults: “My horse is just great. I’ve had her for six years and we’ve worked our way up the levels. She’s just the best horse I could ever wish for, she’s just amazing!”
Lara de Liedekerke-Meier, who only added four time penalties to her dressage score, worked her way up the leaderboard into third place. The joy about her brilliant cross-country made her beam: “I’m totally overwhelmed! Hooney d’Arville is now a five-star horse. She is such a fighter, I’m so happy!”
Tom McEwen, who had a brilliantly smooth round as pathfinder with CHF Cooliser and is in fourth place after cross-country (36.0), was full of praise for his 14-year old mare: “She jumped every fence well. The lines rode brilliantly, the ground is absolutely perfect, and we’ve even brought the British weather. She cruised, picked up everything on a lovely line, we had a brilliant flow – I couldn’t be happier!”
German five-star debutante Libussa Lübbeke was over the moon, despite eleven penalties for an activated MIM clip: “It was our first five-star, so I’m very happy with our round. Riding a five star really is something special. There’s a lot of time between the questions to think, recover and sharpen your focus again. I’m really proud of my horse, she fought for me all the way round. I think the eleven penalties were my fault. She didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the course. I’m as happy as I could be.”

Longinges Luhmühlen Horse Trials broadcast NDR live (German broadcast)
Saturday, 15 June 2024 14.30 - 16.00 Sunday, 16 June 2024 13.45 - 14.45

Horse & Country
H&C+
Livestream, all days, both competitions German/English commentary

Start- and result lists: www.luhmuehlen.de

With a beautiful dressage test, Rosalind Canter (GBR) and Izilot DHI took the five-star lead (24.9). The op-three positions are held by British riders: Tom McEwen and Laura Collett are currently in second (28.3) and third place (30.6).

The Olympic Gold medalist was very pleased with her horse: “He’s fantastic, I’m absolutely delighted with him. He’s become a real professional. He can obviously be a bit spooky which he wasn’t today, he’s much more settled in his brain than he used to be and he’s very established with his movements now, so now I’ve just got to train the brain and keep him in a happy place.”
Having walked the five-star course four times, Ros Canter’s focus is now on Saturday. “I’ve got a good plan and I’m going out with the intention of going fast and clear. I haven’t come here to be middle of the pack. So hopefully I can give him a good start. It’s quite nice here at the start in that it’s not overly dressed. I’m going to go out and give it a good shot.”
After having secured a great result with CHF Cooliser yesterday (30.8, rank 4), Tom McEwen now has two irons in the fire: “Brookfield Quality was absolutely brilliant. Outside he was struggling with people on benches but in there he switched to focus and was just mega! He’s pretty perfect and always performs on the day - whatever he’s up to outside you can always trust him.”

Cross Country flash quotes
Laura Collett: “It’s a five-star course. The first water is serious. It comes very much up in your face. But I think they’ve been very kind in that there’s a get out of jail card. If things go wrong in the first part you can take a long route. There are questions all the way round, so you’ve got to be on your game.”
Tom Mc Ewen: “We came here because the ground’s always good, especially considering how much rain we’ve had. I’ve got three different rides, two very different rides in the five star, so I can reevaluate between both horses and assess what needs to be done on each one. But for him I think it will suit him really well. I just need to build him up into the course and flow because there’s plenty of questions all the way round – a lot to do!”
Nicolai Aldinger: “It’s very intense, there are a lot of questions all the way round so you have to focus and the horses have to be fit. Timmo is a super cross-country horse and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Going cross country with Mike Etherington-Smith
“I think one of the biggest developments over the last years is that the communication between riders and officials has become much closer. We’re all in this sport together and share the same values and objectives. If any athlete has a query or a question, we are keen that they feel they can talk to us at any time. As it happens, we haven’t had any questions at all this year but it’s important to have an open line of communication. Other major improvements in the sport in recent years is the development and increasing use of frangible pins and MIM Clips. We use them on fences wherever we can. Led by research in the UK, we also spend a lot of time considering what horses see and how they see it. We know through research that they see in contrast and definition and we also know the colors that horses can see well.
We are also very conscious about the background and all of this helps horses understand what is in front of them.
Another important aspect is the profile of the fences. The rules now state that all fences have to have ground lines but it goes beyond this: it’s about the height and type of material used.
Additionally, we are conscious of trying to manage speed without sacrificing the flow and the rhythm. One way of doing this is to place the fences off a turn. The final ingredient is the ground. Horses need to feel secure and so the importance of good ground cannot be overestimated. We’re lucky here in Luhmühlen in that the ground is primarily sand and will hold up in any weather conditions.”

Longinges Luhmühlen Horse Trials broadcast NDR live (German broadcast)
Saturday, 15 June 2024 14.30 - 16.00 Sunday, 16 June 2024 13.45 - 14.45
Horse & Country
H&C+
Livestream, all days, both competitions German/English commentary
Start- and result lists: www.luhmuehlen.de
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.de

Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH are at the top of the leaderboard in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy (22.9), followed by Laura Collett (GBR) with London 52 (24.8) and Anna Lena Schaaf (GER) with Fairytale (26.0)

With the highest ranked test of the day, Michael Jung secured the top position before tomorrow’s cross-country day. Even after so many shared achievements, Michael Jung’s praise for his horse never gets old: “In general he was really good. He was very calm, beautiful to ride, balanced but also powerful - so I could just enjoy myself. It’s such an asset that I can depend on him, it makes my job very easy.”
With the dressage done and dusted, Michael Jung’s focus is now on tomorrow’s cross-country day: “He’s a powerful horse, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. The course has got a long straight, positive start. We do have skinnies, angles, corners, so the course is intense but the questions are clear. “It’s a very nice course with a lot of interesting questions. With a bold dressage test, Laura Collett and London 52 secured the runner-up position before tomorrow’s cross-country day. It was interesting to see that especially contenders for the Olympic games were using the dressage phase to take risks, sometimes leading to mistakes to learn from: “I was probably a little too brave but we’re trying to see where we can push the extra bits and what needs tweaking. I know he can go in and do a safe test, but the motto of the day was - go big or go home.”
Laura Collett, who won the LONGINES CCI5*-L last year, is now looking forward to tomorrow’s four-star track: “It’s obviously a different feel to the five-star course but it’s very intense. You have to be on your A-Game and the horses have to react quickly. I think it’s a great track, the ground looks amazing and I’m really looking forward to having a spin. For me it was a no brainer coming here, doing dressage and show-jumping on this surface and the type of track, quick and intense. In my opinion it’s the closest to what Paris is going to be. Obviously, we don’t get selected until later on but I think you have to prepare like you’re going, so you know you’re ready.”

Cross-Country flash quotes
Anna-Lena Schaaf (GER): “Some questions are similar to last year’s course, but it feels more intense with a good number of skinnies and it will be difficult to stay within the time but I’m really looking forward to it and.
James Avery (NZL): “It’s a nice big and bold track, very well presented so it looks like a lot of fun. I think it will be a good day of cross-country
Louise Romeike (SWE): “The cross country looks beautiful, as always here in Luhmühlen. I think it’s a bit trickier this year, with a lot of skinnies, three waters and I think the time will be tough.”

Laura Collett (GBR) and her 13-year old mare Hester produced a superb dressage test to take the lead on the first dressage day of the Longines CCI5*-L (30.6). She only has a 0.2 penalty advantage over Tom McEwen and CHF Cooliser. The pair scored 30.8 points and are currently in second place, closely followed by Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (BEL) with Hooney d’Arville (31.6)

The Olympic Gold medalist was absolutely delighted with her horse: “She’s just getting better and better. I think she’s really starting to trust me and realize it’s not the end of the world when she goes into the dressage arena. Each time she goes in and doesn’t lose her mind it’s a step in the right direction. I’ve had her for nearly three years and it’s been a process of figuring out her brain. She can do all of the moves apart from the changes when she’s relaxed. She only makes mistakes from wanting to do it right. Her trot work is stunning, the next step is to get the canter just as secure. I’m absolutely over the moon with her.” Laura Collett is now looking forward to tackling Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross-country course on Saturday: “The track should suit her, it’s a great. It’s a five-star course and she’s not a proven five-star horse yet but hopefully at the end of the weekend we can say that she is. The first water is serious. It comes very much up in your face. But I think they’ve been very kind in that there’s a get out of jail card. If things go wrong in the first part you can take a long route. There are questions all the way round, so you’ve got to be on your game all the way round.” Fellow British rider Tom Mc Ewen was also very pleased with his mare’s performance: “I’m absolutely delighted with our test. She was brilliant, listening to me all throughout the test. It was rhythmical and smooth, probably one of the best tests she’s ever done. I’m really looking forward to Saturday. It’s a proper five star: lots of width on the tables, lots of skinnies and a great use of the ground. There’s plenty to do throughout the course so you have to make sure you’ll find a good rhythm.”

Longinges Luhmühlen Horse Trials broadcast NDR live (German broadcast) Saturday, 15 June 2024 14.30 - 16.00 Sunday, 16 June 2024 13.45 - 14.45
Horse & Country H&C+ Livestream, all days, both competitions German/English commentary
Timetable, start- and result lists: www.luhmuehlen.de
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.de

Anna Lena Schaaf is currently at the top of the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy leaderboard

With a mark of 26,0, Anna Lena Schaaf (GER) and Fairytale 39 are at the top of the leaderboard today (Thursday), closely followed by Michael Jung (GER) with Kilcandra Ocean Power (27,1) and Tim Price (NZL) with Coup de Coeur Dudevin (28,1)
After her test, Anna Lena Schaaf was full of praise for her mare: “I could have asked for a little bit more, to get her in front of the leg – so we lost a few points, especially in the walk and I could have risked a little bit more in the canter phase, but overall I’m very happy with our test. She’s seventeen now, so we know each other inside out. She taught me everything I know and she’s always really focused. This might be our last season, as she’s already seventeen, so I want to enjoy every minute. She’s a family horse and she will stay with us for the rest of her life.”
Michael Jung was very pleased with Kilcandra’s dressage performance: “It’s a great start into the competition. We’ve already improved a lot of details, such as the flying changes and the halts on the center line. Obviously, we have to keep improving and there here’s still some work ahead of us but I’m really happy with our test.” New Zealander Tim Price has slotted into third place: “I’m happy enough with our test. He’s not the best dressage horse but he’s a very strong cross-country horse – so I’m happy with our result today and looking forward to Saturday.

Longinges Luhmühlen Horse Trials broadcast NDR live (German broadcast)
Saturday, 15 June 2024 14.30 - 16.00 Sunday, 16 June 2024 13.45 - 14.45
Horse & Country H&C+
Livestream, all days, both competitions German/English commentary

Timetable, start- and result lists: www.luhmuehlen.de
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.de