Munster, Germany – September 06, 2026 – The 2026 Al Shira’aa Tournament of Champions CSI 4* could hardly have ended better: in front of packed stands and under brilliant sunshine, Gerrit Nieberg (GER) won the €105,500 Al Shira’aa Grand Prix of Munster CSI 4* on Sunday afternoon.
Riding the eleven-year-old IB Queen, the rider from Gut Berl remained faultless in the jump-off as well, prevailing by the narrowest of margins over Switzerland’s Nadja Peter Steiner (SUI) and Clearround Il Mondo with a time of 42.17 seconds.
Third place went to Belgium’s Koen Vereecke (BEL) and Merryweather Vt Leeuwerikenhof. For Nieberg, this marked his first victory in the Grand Prix of Münster—and his second major triumph of the weekend, following his success in Saturday’s Championship class.
Four combinations had qualified for the jump-off of the Grand Prix, which carried a total prize purse of €105,500. Three of them managed another clear round. The outcome was ultimately decided by a razor-thin margin: Nieberg and IB Queen crossed the finish line in 42.17 seconds.
Nadja Peter Steiner and the ten-year-old Clearround Il Mondo stopped the timers in 42.31 seconds—just 14 hundredths of a second slower.
Koen Vereecke and the 14-year-old Merryweather Vt Leeuwerikenhof rounded out the podium with a time of 43.29 seconds.
Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi from the United Arab Emirates and Flonflon missed the jump-off due to a time-penalty, finishing fifth. Sixth place went to his compatriot Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi riding Foncetti vd Heffinck.
“That Was Certainly One of My Goals“
For Gerrit Nieberg, this victory was one he had been working towards for quite some time. “Being able to win here—that was certainly one of my goals. I’ve tried a few times before but hadn’t managed it,” he said afterwards. “Achieving it here in front of the home crowd was truly special.” It had already become apparent the previous day just how good Ib Queen’s form was at the Münster Schlossplatz venue. On Saturday, the pair had also triumphed in the jump-off for the Championat of Münster. Less than 24 hours later, they secured the biggest success of the weekend.
For Nieberg, the eleven-year-old daughter of Quasimodo Z has also grown into a new role in terms of her competitive career. “Ib Queen is developing fantastically. Since Ping Pong van de Lentamel left my stable, she has stepped into his place, and I am confident she can fill those hoofprints.” Overall, his assessment after four days of competition was positive: “All my horses jumped brilliantly this weekend. I am really very happy.”
A Special Connection in Second Place
There was also a personal story behind the runner-up. Nadja Peter Steiner (SUI) knows the Nieberg family very well; the Swiss rider spent three years riding for Gerrit’s father, Lars Nieberg (GER), and emphasized after her second-place finish just how much she had learned during that time.
In the jump-off, she missed out on victory by a mere 14 hundredths of a second with Clearround Il Mondo. Nevertheless, her second-place finish marked a strong conclusion to her weekend in Münster.
Koen Vereecke (BEL) rounded out the international podium with Merryweather Vt Leeuwerikenhof. The Belgian used the subsequent press conference to also make a case for tournaments like the Al Shira’aa Tournament of Champions. “Everything is becoming commercialized. But tournaments with large crowds—where we enjoy such top-notch conditions—are becoming increasingly rare. That’s why I enjoy coming here.”
“I’m not just proud of Gerrit; I’m incredibly proud.”
One person was delighted with the outcome of the Grand Prix for several reasons. Hendrik Snoek is not only the president of the organizing Westphalian Riding Club but also Gerrit Nieberg’s employer, as the owner of the Berl estate. “I’m not just proud of Gerrit; I’m incredibly proud,” said Snoek. “That was simply a well-ridden round.”
For him, the home victory was the perfect conclusion to the final day—exactly the kind of day he had envisioned for the tournament’s 69th edition. “We’ve seen some wonderful sport here again. And especially today, on Sunday, with this fantastic weather, it was exactly as I had hoped: packed stands, happy people, and beautiful equestrian sport.”
He noted that the fact that an international field of competitors makes its way to Münster year after year is by no means something to be taken for granted. Competing against tournaments that can offer significantly higher prize money, Münster relies on other qualities. “The fact that such an international field comes to Münster year after year—even though we can’t offer prize money comparable to some other tournaments—shows that there are many riders who still enjoy a tournament like this and the conditions we offer here.”
Final Results – €105,500 Al Shira’aa Grand Prix of Munster CSI 4*
1) Gerrit Nieberg (GER) & IB Queen – 0 / 0 – 42.17
2) Nadja Peter Steiner (SUI) & Clearround Il Mondo – 0 / 0 – 42.31
3) Koen Vereecke (BEL) & Merryweather vant’t Leeuwerinkenhof – 0 / 0 – 43.29
Source: Press Release (translated & edited) from Turnier der Sieger
Photos: © Al Shira’aa Tour – Turnier der Sieger / Johanna Milse
Discover more from JUMPER NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: CSI 4*, English, Jumper News Deutschland
