Hamburg: Where Tradition Meets Excellence

Grand Prix Hat-trick: Ahlmann Does It Again

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Christian Ahlmann and Dourkhan Hero Z delivered the performance of a lifetime to claim Ahlmann's THIRD Hamburg Grand Prix title. Following victories with Codex One (2013) and Dominator Z (2022), this win with yet another different horse proves Ahlmann's remarkable ability to produce multiple horses at the highest level.

Frank Rothenberger's 1.60m course was vintage Hamburg—technical, demanding, and using every inch of that historic arena. With an unforgiving 88-second time allowed, the track asked questions from start to finish. The open water jump provided serious drama, with even the eventual winner having what he described as "a bit too exciting" moment there, nearly unseating him before making a remarkable recovery.

The course did its job perfectly—eight combinations went clear to the jump-off, but a telling 15 pairs finished with exactly four faults, including big names like Marlon Modolo Zanotelli, Takashi Haase Shibayama, and Harrie Smolders. Teike Friedrichsen and Greece 5 were particularly unlucky, dislodging a pole at the very last fence. That spread of faults shows Rothenberger crafted a true test, not just one bogey fence catching everyone. There were 9 riders who did not complete the course.

The jump-off was absolutely electric. Going last, Ahlmann watched Christian Kukuk and Checker 47 post what looked like a winning 42.13 seconds.

But that's why they play the game—Ahlmann found another gear, blazing home in 40.99 seconds for a stunning victory.

Podium:

1. Christian Ahlmann (GER) / Dourkhan Hero Z - 40.99s

2. Christian Kukuk (GER) / Checker 47 - 42.13s

3. Peder Fredricson (SWE) / SV Vroom de La Pomme Z - 44.12s

Kukuk was pure class in defeat:

That's sportsmanship right there.

Fredricson's third place was smart riding too—he's clearly building SV Vroom de La Pomme Z carefully for the long term.

Derby Drama: Thieme's Historic Fourth

André Thieme and Paule S conquered the legendary Hamburg Derby for Thieme's FOURTH title, joining an extremely exclusive club. Only two pairs went clear over that brutal 1230-meter course with its iconic banks and drops—that's just the 164th and 165th clear rounds in 94 years of this competition.

The jump-off provided incredible drama when Spain's Esteban Benitez Valle, riding borrowed horse C the Stars in his Derby debut, was disqualified for missing a turn flag despite jumping clear. "I didn't expect that. It was my first time in the Hamburg Derby. I just wanted to enjoy it and have a good round," Benitez Valle said. This left Thieme needing only to finish to win, which he did with 8 faults in 60.23 seconds.

Thieme showing that careful preparation breeds great results, planning well in advance for this event:

Podium:

1. André Thieme (GER) / Paule S

2. Esteban Benitez Valle (ESP) / C the Stars

3. Charles Hubert Chiche (LUX) / Andain du Thalie

Props to Benitez Valle though—getting a clear round on a borrowed horse in your first Derby is extraordinary. The guy's an Olympic eventer, so he knows how to handle tricky terrain, but the Hamburg Derby is something else entirely.

Special shoutout to 70-year-old Karl-Heinz Markus, who competed on his home-bred mare Fiona.

That's what the Derby is all about—the magic, the history, the sheer audacity of it all.

St. Gallen: Where Legends Are Made

Grand Prix Glory: Brash and Hello Jefferson Show Their Class

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Scott Brash and the incredible Hello Jefferson reminded everyone why they're still absolute legends with a masterful victory in the €500,000 Longines Grand Prix of Switzerland. The 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood—yes, SIXTEEN—proved age is just a number, delivering a blistering 46.12-second jump-off round that was pure poetry in motion.

Gérard Lachat's 1.60m course was a proper test—14 fences and 17 efforts across that expansive Gründenmoos grass arena. The Swiss course designer crafted something with "several long and open distances" that encouraged a forward pace, but then demanded ultimate precision at the business end with a "delicate penultimate double of verticals and the final Longines oxer." From 50 starters, 16 made it through clean to the jump-off.

What made this win even sweeter? Brash went second-to-last in that 16-horse jump-off, knowing exactly what he had to beat. France's Nicolas Sers had thrown down the gauntlet early with Eleven de Riverland in 46.22 seconds, and for most of the jump-off, that looked unbeatable. But Brash found that extra tenth of a second when it mattered most.

The drama was palpable—home heroes Steve Guerdat and Nadja Peter-Steiner both went faster than Sers but caught rails trying to chase the time. That's Grand Prix showjumping for you—millimeters and milliseconds decide everything.

Podium:

1. Scott Brash (GBR) / Hello Jefferson - 46.12s

2. Nicolas Sers (FRA) / Eleven de Riverland - 46.22s

3. Katharina Rhomberg (AUT) / Cuma 5 - 46.95s

The Austrian results were incredible—Rhomberg third and Alessandra Reich fifth. Dr. Angelika May, Austria's Chef d'Équipe, was rightfully thrilled: "I am incredibly proud of my riders..." What a way to announce yourself on the biggest stages.

Nations Cup: Germany's Masterclass in Domination

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Otto Becker's German squad didn't just win the Land Rover Discovery Nations Cup—they absolutely demolished the competition with ZERO faults across both rounds. Seven clear rounds from eight attempts? That's not just good, that's historically dominant.

Gérard Lachat set a "tough challenge" for the nine nations, and the Germans just made it look easy. Marcus Ehning and Coolio 42, Sophie Hinners with Iron Dames Combella, and Richard Vogel aboard United Touch S all delivered double clears. The experience of Ehning combined with the rising talent of Hinners and the world-class form of Vogel (ranked 9th globally) created an unstoppable force. Hans-Dieter Dreher and Elysium contributed a crucial first-round clear, with their second-round 12 faults being the discard score.

"I am totally happy to win this traditional Nations Cup," Becker said.

That's what a Chef d'Équipe dreams of—when your team executes that perfectly, there's nothing left to chance.

Podium:

1. Germany - 0 faults

2. Belgium - 4 faults

3. Switzerland - 12 faults

Belgium put up a valiant fight with Jos Verlooy and Thibeau Spits both jumping double clear, but when Germany's on this form, second place is really winning the "best of the rest" competition. Switzerland's home crowd got to celebrate a podium finish thanks to brilliant double clears from Nadja Peter Steiner and Steve Guerdat.

Quick Hits

Devon's American Excellence

$226,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4 (May 29)* Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25 delivered when it mattered most, winning Devon's feature class in a blazing 33.70 seconds. The 56-year-old veteran was the final rider in a four-horse jump-off and knew exactly what he needed to beat. Shane Sweetnam had set the target at 34.29 seconds with Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, but Vale and the 12-year-old Holsteiner found that extra gear.

Podium:

1. Aaron Vale (USA) / Carissimo 25 - 33.70s

2. Shane Sweetnam (IRL) / Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z - 34.29s

3. Alex Matz (USA) / Ikigai

This win was massive for Vale—it's opening doors to Rotterdam and Aachen (his first time there!). With seven of the world's top 50 riders in the field, this was proper elite competition. Vale also claimed Leading Open Jumper Rider honors.

Thunderbird's Irish Invasion

CSIO4 Grand Prix (May 30) & Nations Cup (June 1)*
Daniel Coyle absolutely dominated Canadian soil, winning the $117,000 Grand Prix (39.890s with Incredible) after a smart bridle change strategy. He used a pelham for control in the first round, then switched to a snaffle for freedom in the jump-off. Genius move.

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Grand Prix Podium:

1. Daniel Coyle (IRL) / Incredible - 39.890s

2. Conor Swail (IRL) / Casturano - 40.610s

3. Tiffany Foster (CAN) / Electrique - 42.240s

Then Ireland claimed their THIRD straight Nations Cup at Thunderbird—a true family affair with Daniel, Jordan, and Christian Coyle plus Conor Swail finishing on just 8 faults.

Nations Cup Podium:

1. Ireland - 8 faults

2. Canada - 12 faults

3. Mexico - 12 faults

French Finesse at Cabourg

€105,500 Grand Prix CWD de la Ville de Cabourg CSI4 (June 1)*
Kevin Staut and Vida Loca Z were absolutely on fire, winning Cabourg's inaugural CSI4* Grand Prix in style. In a nine-horse jump-off, they blazed home in 38.05 seconds—over three seconds faster than second place! This capped a perfect week after they also won Thursday's big 1.50m class.

Podium:

1. Kevin Staut (FRA) / Vida Loca Z - 38.05s

2. Robin van Thillo (BEL) / My Jewel's Magic Touch - 41.11s

3. Dimme d'Haese (BEL) / La Costa - 41.54s

Dutch Dominance at Home

Wim van der Leegte Memorial - VDL Groep CSI3 Grand Prix (June 1)*
Bas Moerings led a Dutch 1-2-3-4 sweep in the Eindhoven Grand Prix—when the home team takes the top four spots, you know the crowd went wild.

Podium:

1. Bas Moerings (NED) / Ipsthar - 40.67s

2. Willem Greve (NED) / Grandorado TN N.O.P. - 40.89s

3. Hendrik-Jan Schuttert (NED) / Kailon - 42.81s

American Consistency at Tryon

$120,000 FEI CSI3 Grand Prix (May 31)*
Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run's Jireh scored a notable double, winning both the Grand Prix and Thursday's Welcome Stake. Smart strategy paid off as she admitted not going "full tilt" in the qualifier.

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Podium:

1. Kristen VanderVeen (USA) / Bull Run's Jireh - 35.13s

2. Luis Fernando Larrazabal (VEN) / Condara - 35.26s

3. Megan McDermott (USA) / Nintendo - 37.09s

Jung's Jumping Genius

CSI3 Grand Prix München-Riem (June 1)*
Michael Jung—yes, the eventing superstar—won the showjumping Grand Prix aboard fischerDuoPower. The four-time Olympic eventing champion showing he's ridiculous on a horse no matter what discipline.

Podium:

1. Michael Jung (GER) / fischerDuoPower - 54.37s

2. Anna Dryden (USA) / Night van de Kwakkelhoek - 56.51s

3. Sören Pedersen (DEN) / Tailormade Casallorette PS - 56.89s

Industry News

Notable retirement: Peder Fredricson's brilliant Catch Me Not S called it a career on May 24th. That horse gave us some incredible moments—well-deserved retirement for a true champion.

The Longines League of Nations continues to evolve, with Italy joining the top 10 for 2025, replacing Brazil. The depth in international team jumping is getting scary good.

FEI Tribunal ruled on a case involving Spanish rider Mar Perez Bargues for a Controlled Medication Rule violation, reaching a settlement agreement based on "No Significant Fault or Negligence."

Looking Ahead

★★★★★ CSIO5 La Baule (FRA) (June 4-8)*
This is THE event of the week. Ten nations for the Barrière Nations Cup and seven of the world's top ten riders confirmed. Kent Farrington returns to defend his Rolex Grand Prix title, with Steve Guerdat, Scott Brash, and pretty much everyone who matters locked and loaded.

★★★★★ CSI5 Spruce Meadows 'Continental' (CAN) (June 4-8)*
The legendary Spruce Meadows summer series kicks off with the 'Continental' tournament. That grass arena and Calgary atmosphere create something special every time.

★★★★★ CSI5 LGCT Cannes (FRA) (June 5-7)*
French Riviera glamour with Ben Maher, Christian Kukuk, Maikel van der Vleuten, Max Kühner, and Simon Delestre confirmed. The LGCT championship battle heats up.

★★★★☆ CSI4 Upperville (USA) (June 2-8)*
America's oldest horse show celebrates 172 years with their $200,000 Jumper Classic. History and sport in perfect harmony.

★★★★☆ CSI4 Wiesbaden PfingstTurnier (GER) (June 6-8)*
The Longines Grand Prix serves as a qualifier for the 2025 European Championships—expect serious German firepower.

★★★☆☆ CSIO3 EEF Nations Cup Drammen (NOR) (June 6-9)*
Part of the EEF Series, crucial for teams in the Northern region looking to progress.

The calendar is absolutely relentless right now, and I'm here for every second of it.

Rating: 8.7/10

This week delivered everything we love about this sport—German precision in St. Gallen, Hamburg's unique blend of modern Grand Prix excellence and historic Derby tradition, plus global action from Devon to Thunderbird to the European circuit. Ahlmann's third Hamburg GP win on a third different horse, Thieme's fourth Derby crown, and Germany's Nations Cup masterclass were the standout moments.

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