Frankfurt, Germany – December 20, 2024 – Felix Haßmann (GER) from Lienen won the Championat of Frankfurt, the €32,500 Fraport Prize CSI 4*, at the International Festhallen Equestrian Show CSI 4*. The class had an outcome that caused people to hold their breath until the last obstacle, until the last second.
58 starters from 16 nations took part in this world ranking competition, but one nation was clearly superior in the jump-off for: Amongst the eight participants who had qualified for the jump-off with error-free rounds, seven were from Germany, the remaining rider came from the Netherlands.
The first rider to achieve a clear round in the jump-off was Christoph Könemann (GER) on ten-year-old Henry as fourth starter. The pair galloped through the course in 47.62 seconds.
Jörg Naeve (GER) followed on Benur du Romet without any mistakes too, timed in 47.17 seconds.
But then came Felix Haßmann (GER) as the penultimate starter on the youngest horse in the Stechfeld, the eight-year-old Vithargos W.Z. As if from a single piece, the brown Oldenburg man moved from start to finish seemingly effortlessly in one stroke. The clock stopped at 44.90 seconds.
Olympic champion Christian Kukuk (GER) had already shown with Mumbai that things could be done faster. The pair needed 44.06 seconds to complete the course, but made one drop. Hendrik-Jan Schuttert (NED) was the last participant in the jump-off to ride into the Festhalle course. He rode quickly and made no mistakes, but he couldn’t beat Haßmann’s time: 46.16 seconds, second place.
“The others rode to the front in the first combination,” analyzed the winner. “I didn’t quite dare to do that yet. It was the first time Vithargos had ever done such a difficult competition.” Nevertheless, in the end he was the fastest ‘zero’. “Vithargos is very fast and turns really well, which is why he won.” Felix Haßmann (GER) has often been a guest in the festival hall explains why he keeps coming: “It’s always fun, it’s a nice end to the year. Lots of friends of mine are here, my wife also rides, so it’s even more fun and more motivating.”
It was a difficult qualification for the Grand Prix, said the 34-year-old Schuttert. “I tried to win the test, but I just missed the optimal path to the fourth jump in the jump-off. That meant I was a little slower than Felix. I’m happy with second place and I’m looking forward to the Grand Prix.”
Third-placed Naeve was also very satisfied: “I am very happy with third place in this great tournament and the first-class audience. The arena is like a bullring. The seats are up to the roof, just a great event.”
The Frankfurt Championship was also the first qualification for the Hesse Grand Prix, presented by Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG on Sunday afternoon.
Final Results – €32,500 Championat of Frankfurt – Fraport Prize CSI 4*
1) Felix Haßmann (GER) & Vithargos W.Z. – 0 / 0 – 44.90
2) Hendrik-Jan Schuttert (NED) & Kailon – 0 / 0 – 46.16
3) Jörg Naeve (GER) & Benur du Romet – 0 / 0 – 47.17
Source: News Release (translated & edited) from the Internatioanales Festhallen Reitturnier Frankfurt
Photos: © Schafhof Connects / Lukasz Kowalski
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Categories: CSI 4*, English, Jumper News Deutschland
