Christina Liebherr takes a fall
Towards the end of the STAWAG Prize, the second competition of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen 2007, a new best time was set every minute. The victory finally went to Marcus Ehning with the 15-year-old Swedish mare Cinderella. “I am delighted that the mare jumped so well today. A fraction of a second decided the competition, luck was on my side today,” a contented Marcus Ehning explained afterwards. The Irco Marco x Manelek XX mare, who was previously ridden by Maria Gretzer, has as Ehning said, already seen all of the most significant show grounds in the world. “She is a very quick horse, sensitive, but not nervous. She is not one of my top horses, but today she showed that she can also master very difficult courses,” stated the 33-year old rider from Marl.
Towards the end of the STAWAG Prize, the second competition of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen 2007, a new best time was set every minute. The victory finally went to Marcus Ehning with the 15-year-old Swedish mare Cinderella. “I am delighted that the mare jumped so well today. A fraction of a second decided the competition, luck was on my side today,” a contented Marcus Ehning explained afterwards. The Irco Marco x Manelek XX mare, who was previously ridden by Maria Gretzer, has as Ehning said, already seen all of the most significant show grounds in the world. “She is a very quick horse, sensitive, but not nervous. She is not one of my top horses, but today she showed that she can also master very difficult courses,” stated the 33-year old rider from Marl.Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was in the lead with Shutterfly, her World Championship bronze medallist horse, until the 47th competitor entered the ring. The 14-year-old Hannoverian Silvio I x Forrest xx son, with whom the show-jumper from Thedinghausen won the World Cup Final in 2005, completed the course in 82.53 seconds. Then the professional rider, Heinrich-Hermann Engemann, who lives in Bissendorf near Osnabrück, added to the excitement by fractionally beating the time with his 13-year-old Westphalian Anmarsch x Direx son Aboyeur W, reaching the finish line in 82.41 seconds. Around 20,000 spectators followed the jumping competition, which was dominated by three German riders taking the top rankings.
Towards the end of the STAWAG Prize, the second competition of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen 2007, a new best time was set every minute. The victory finally went to Marcus Ehning with the 15-year-old Swedish mare Cinderella. “I am delighted that the mare jumped so well today. A fraction of a second decided the competition, luck was on my side today,” a contented Marcus Ehning explained afterwards. The Irco Marco x Manelek XX mare, who was previously ridden by Maria Gretzer, has as Ehning said, already seen all of the most significant show grounds in the world. “She is a very quick horse, sensitive, but not nervous. She is not one of my top horses, but today she showed that she can also master very difficult courses,” stated the 33-year old rider from Marl.Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was in the lead with Shutterfly, her World Championship bronze medallist horse, until the 47th competitor entered the ring. The 14-year-old Hannoverian Silvio I x Forrest xx son, with whom the show-jumper from Thedinghausen won the World Cup Final in 2005, completed the course in 82.53 seconds. Then the professional rider, Heinrich-Hermann Engemann, who lives in Bissendorf near Osnabrück, added to the excitement by fractionally beating the time with his 13-year-old Westphalian Anmarsch x Direx son Aboyeur W, reaching the finish line in 82.41 seconds. Around 20,000 spectators followed the jumping competition, which was dominated by three German riders taking the top rankings.Relief after moments of horror following Christina Liebherr’s fall. The 28-year-old Swiss rider fell from her mare L.B. Callas Sitte Z while jumping an oxer. “The rider hasn’t broken anything, but she will remain under observation for 24 hours in the Aachen Clinic due to a suspected concussion,” the Medical Director of the CHIO, Professor Dr. Karl Zilkens, announced. Liebherr lives in Bulle, Switzerland and was a member of the Swiss team that finished fifth at the FEI World Equestrian Games last year in Aachen. The rider, who also successfully competed at the Olympic Games in Athens with her World Championship horse, L.B. No Mercy, won individual silver at the European Championships in 2005 - her best international result so far. The horse she rode today, L.B. Callas Sitte Z, a nine-year-old Zangersheide mare, was not injured and was caught again straight after the incident. Franke Sloothaak also had to retire with his Hannoverian gelding, Legurio, after his reins broke during his ride.
The STAWAG Prize is one of the qualifiers for the AachenerMünchener Prize, scheduled at 12.30 p.m. on Saturday, a jumping competition with two rounds and a winning round. Furthermore, it is a qualifier for the Rolex Grand Prix, the Grand Prix of Aachen held on Sunday. The STAWAG course was 620 metres long and comprised of 13 obstacles and 16 fences.
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