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LOVE & VICTORY FOR PHILIP WEISHAUPT AT THE CHIO AACHEN
…. MET HIS GIRLFRIEND, GOT ENGAGED, WON THE ROLEX GRAND PRIX
What a story. Five years ago, Philipp Weishaupt met his girlfriend, Bliss Heers, at the CHIO Aachen –the native American is, like himself, also a show-jumper. Yesterday, the two of them got engaged and today he won the Rolex Grand Prix, the Grand Prix of Aachen.
And how he won! Two time faults after the first round, the entire world elite to follow. How high had he rated his chances of winning at that point in time? “Absolutely zero” he explained and has to laugh as he recalls the moment. Then, instead of preparing himself professionally for the second round, he chose to wonder round the CHIO Aachen Village with his Bliss. And went on to jump clear in the second round and experience how unluckily the second round ended for Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Gerco Schröder (NL) – all of a sudden his name is on the Winners’ Board of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen: 2016 Ph. Weishaupt. Weishaupt finds this “incredible” and “awesome”.
After the victory in this first Major of the year, Weishaupt’s personal Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping has begun, a victory at the next Major – at Spruce Meadows in Canada in September – would mean his this success story would continue. And there is also a special story behind this too, because this fantastic showground at the gates of Calgary is precisely where Weishaupt prepared himself for the Aachen Rolex Grand Prix.
Amid the backdrop of a full-house, the professional rider, who is employed at the Beerbaum Stables and the just nine-year-old Holstein-bred stallion, LB Convall, rode to victory in the Grand Prix of Aachen, the Rolex Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Festival. Albeit after a competition that the course designer, Frank Rothenberger, described to be the “most curious” in his career. The Federal Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, who is known to be a huge equestrian fan and regular guest at the CHIO Aachen (“It is always something special!”), summarised the atmosphere at the Soers: “I was fascinated that 40,000 people can be so quiet, when things get exciting!”
Weishaupt and LB Convall were clearly the best pair in this class. They reached the finish line double clear with just two time penalties. Predominantly, what Weishaupt saw from the tent city and afterwards from the stands was that his fellow competitors were picking up faults. Weishaupt’s colleague at the Beerbaum Stables, Henrik von Eckermann, had already prophesied in advance that the course was extremely tricky. von Eckermann particularly thought that the time was going to be the problem. How right he turned out to be! Those riders, who jumped clear, all had time faults. Besides Weishaupt, these were Gerco Schröder (NED) with Cognac Champblanc and Martin Fuchs (SUI) with Clooney.
SOURCE: CHIO AACHEN NEWS
DEUTSCHE BANK PRIZE WITH RECORD SETTING DRESSAGE MOMENTS
In the history of German dressage in Aachen this has never happened before: Three pairs over 80 percent in the Grand Prix, the Prize of the Tesch Family, three times over 80 percent in the MEGGLE Prize, the Grand Prix Spécial. That is an absolute record. And then the same three even took it a step further in the Deutsche Bank Prize by claiming the top three rankings there as well.
Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados won the most famous prize in the dressage sport in the most famous dressage arena in the world with a score of 88.825 percent, a personal record. Isabell Werth came second with Weihegold OLD on a score of 86.950 percent, followed closely by Dorothee Schneider with Showtime FRH on 86.925 percent. Rio here we come!
Kristina Bröring-Sprehe reported to the National Coach (who couldn’t watch her, because she was helping her two other protégés warm-up for the competition – “But I heard the music and knew exactly where she was in her choreography!”) after her ride somewhat timidly about the only mistake that she had made in the first double pirouette. But then when the scores flashed up, this moment was forgotten. “I am delighted,” sighed the number one in the world rankings, who almost beat the multi-championess Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) with Valegro at the European Championships last year. She came just a few points behind her. The two will come up against each other again soon…
Isabell Werth’s world was back in order again today. She was eliminated from the WOTAX Prize yesterday, because she made two errors of course – totally untypical for the many-time Olympic gold-medallist, World and European Champion! Today, she knew what route to take – even though she rode the slightly revised freestyle routine to new music, a 1970s Italo pop medley, for the first time today with Weihegold. The highlights of the freestyle have a special soundtrack: “Dance Samba with me” – very fitting!
Dorothee Schneider and Showtime FRH were the next pair to provide goose-bump moments today. Showtime performs to a piece of music that couldn’t be more fitting for the stately dark bay horse: the E guitar sounds of the queen classic “The Show must go on”. One can hardly believe Schneider that this show-maker used to be a rather shy and introverted horse. She has turned the 10-year-old gelding into a world-class horse that hasn’t reached the zenith of his ability by a long way yet! We look forward to welcoming Showtime at CHIO Aachen 2017 – let’s wait and see if he can perhaps leave his colleagues trailing behind him then.
America’s Steffen Peters finished fourth again, this time on a mark of 76.627, and Team USA’s combined total of 437.139 saw them line up second ahead of Denmark in third on 430.418 and Spain in fourth on 425.316. Sweden finished fifth on a final tally of 425.186, and when the overall calculations were done, the Americans were declared the first-ever FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage series champions. Just four points separated them from the runners-up from Sweden in the final analysis, while Denmark was another seven points adrift in third.
Team Australia Wins Aachen CICO3*, Michael Jung Individual Winner, Ingrid Klimke 3rd and 4th in Cross Country
TO WATCH THE WHOLE EVENT AGAIN: RELIVE AVAILABLE ON DREAMSPORTS.TV
Expectations were high for the Swedish Team before the Cross Country event. But the challenges of the course – and especially the Fendt Complex took it’s toll on the Swedish team during the 4000 meter cross country course. First Ludwig Svennerstål had to retire with a dramatic stop on top of the fence. 
Then Niclas Lindbäck also had to retire in the Fendt Complex,Linda Algotson finished the course but due to 2 refusals her finalising time set her back in the results – last team mate Anna Nilsson did not start.
24H PAUL RICARD – DTM ZANDVOORT 2016 – VLN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS NÜRBURG – THE HONDA INDY TORONTO and GERMAN KART CHAMPIONSHIP FROM GENK BELGIUM
1 of 3 tests concluded – Sunday will bring the conclusion and the grand finale with Grand Prix Freestyle to music
Not doubt. Outstanding performances from the German Team in Thursday’s Grand Prix test: Prize of the Tesch Family, it certainly looks like Germany is going to win the Lambertz Nations’ Cup this year. With 3 riders resulting in above 80% scores and a score of 246.285 points, Germany already has a virtually uncatchable lead in the team classification, ahead of the USA (218.414) and Denmark (214.242).
In the competition that Isabell Werth won, three German pairs were awarded a score of over 80 percent in the Grand Prix. That is historic. So, it is no surprise that the national coach, Monica Theodorescu, said: “That was fantastic, a super outcome and nevertheless there is still room for slight improvement – things couldn’t be better after the first day.”With “room for improvement”, she was referring to the performance of the two youngsters in the team, Sönke Rothenberger (21) and Cosmo (9). The pair gave everyone a fright in the morning when the horse suddenly wanted to stop in the middle of an exercise. But Sönke Rothenberger stayed cool and finished the test well after the incident. And it still sufficed for a score of 75.60 percent, i.e. fifth place in the overall classification. The national coach praised the young team member for showing such nerves of steel.
The three ladies in the team, Dorothee Schneider with Showtime, Isabell Werth with Weihegold and Kristina Bröring-Sprehe with Desperados delivered excellent results, particularly Isabell Werth, who not only won the Prize of the Tesch Family, but also achieved a personal best result of 83.271 with Weihegold. Afterwards she beamed: “Aachen really is a special venue! And when things go so well, I am a bit touched…“ Whether her mare was nervous because of the setting? “No, she is a lady, they love that!”
The European Championship silver medallist of Aachen 2015, Kristina Bröring-Sprehe was also happy and satisfied after her ride with Desperados, which was rewarded with a score of 82.314 percent, the second best result today. She asserted herself against the new German Freestyle Champion, Dorothee Schneider with Showtime (80.70).
Both riders, Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Dorothee Schneider, were on the silver-winning German team that competed at the Olympic Games in London in 2012. In Rio the mission is: gold. As Isabell Werth put it: “I think I can safely say that we have an extremely strong team that is certainly in a position to fight for gold.”
Team Danmark is presently in 3’rd place with a very consistent team effort above and around 71-72%, Danish Champion Cathrine Dufour and Cassidy not scoring at ‘usual’ high level …
Thrilling and unexpected and more exciting than in a lot of years. Team Germany takes the prize of Aachen in the Nations Cup. Meredith Beerbaum sealed the tournament with Ludger Beerbaum through a truly spectacular rounds, USA darling Betzy Maddern not delivering as expected… 35.000 + spectators in the arena. Pure equestrian fascination !
Live from Aachen .Mercedes-Benz Nations´ Cup
Team Jumping Competition with two rounds under floodlight. 8 teams are competing this evening.
Jumping competition with two (identical) rounds under floodlight. All teams start in both rounds with their (3 to) 4 riders, provided a team is not eliminated in the first round. The best three results of each team are counted for each round. The team with the least number of penalty points after both rounds wins. In case of equality of penalties after the second round, a jump-off will be decisive; one rider per team will compete in the jump-off.
QUEEN SILVIA, EMIL, PIPPI & CO. OPEN THE CHIO AACHEN 2016
In advance already one had promised that this year’s Opening Ceremony at the CHIO Aachen, the World Equestrian Festival, would overshadow everything that had come before. And they certainly hadn’t promised too much either.
Every year a partner county back up the CHIO. In 2016 it is Sweden. And the country of the Dalecarlian horses had sent its Queen to Aachen. Accompanied by her husband, His Majesty Carl Gustaf, and her Royal Mounted Guards and the Royal Fire Brigade, Her Majesty, Queen Silvia of Sweden, was driven into the Soers in a carriage amid the thunderous applause of the crowd and took her place in the VIP box, where she was awaited by among others Princess Benedikte of Denmark. Whereby first she actually walked over to the podium to welcome the Aachen crowd and officially open the CHIO 2016. She had already reckoned on the fact that her speech would be interrupted again and again by the applause in the sold-out stadium: “I have already heard that the crowd here in Aachen is very special.”
Press Release from DreamSports Media regarding DreamSports.tv© and CHIO Aachen 2016
Join us online as the worlds best riders are competing. We will be broadcasting live from the absolute top events during the CHIO Aachen, the world’s biggest equestrian event. Sweden is the partner country of CHIO Aachen 2016, and dreamsports.tv, are inviting all Swedish, Danish and Norwegian equestrian enthusiasts to join us online. Watch as the worlds best show jumping riders, eventers and dressage riders are rehearsing their Olympic Games performances one last time before Rio. It’s free to watch – but please notice that the signal will not be available in Germany.
THURSDAY, JULY 14TH 07:30 PM – 10:40 PM GMT: MERCEDES-BENZ NATIONS‘ CUP
Top excitement is promised in the Nations Cup Jumping competition with two (identical) rounds under floodlight. All teams start in both rounds with their (3 to) 4 riders, provided a team is not eliminated in the first round. The best three results of each team are counted for each round. The team with the least number of penalty points after both rounds wins. In case of equality of penalties after the second round, a jump-off will be decisive; one rider per team will compete in the jump-off.
SATURDAY, JULY 16TH 10:00 AM – 01:00 PM GMT: DHL-PRIZE MILITARY CROSS-COUNTRY
The cross-country track is 4,000 metres long and leads through the meadows of the Aachen Soers, directly next to the CHIO show grounds. The competition’s start takes place in the Soers meadows, the finishing line is located inside the CHIO’s Main Stadium. In Aachen the cross-country will bring the eventing discipline to a spectacular close …
SUNDAY, JULY 17TH 09:30 AM – 01:00 PM: DEUTSCHE BANK PRIZE, DRESSAGE GRAND PRIX OF AACHEN / GRAND PRIX FREESTYLE 
Grand Prix Freestyle, dressage performed to music. This is the final showdown before the Olympics in August , and for many teams the last chance to check their freestyle performances before Rio.
SUNDAY, JULY 17TH 02:00 PM – 05:30 PM GMT: ROLEX GRAND PRIX, GRAND PRIX OF AACHEN (GRAND SLAM)
The Rolex Grand Prix is a Jumping Competition over two rounds and jump-off with total endowment: € 1,000,000. 40 competitors start in the first round, the 18 best riders of the first round qualify for the second round. In the case of equality of penalties after two rounds a jump-off is decisive, the rider with the least number of penalty points and the fastest time in the jump-off win. The Rolex Grand Prix, Grand Prix of Aachen is part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show-Jumping.
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CHIO Aachen – the worlds largest equestrian event
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