| Successful debut at the Hamburg Derby
Last weekend, Christian, Philipp W., and Ciaran headed to the Hamburg Derby - a debut for the young Irish rider in the Beerbaum team, competing in Hamburg for the first time. The five days in Hamburg began successfully, as Ciaran won the first qualifier for the Hamburg Derby on Wednesday with the only 8-year-old Be Wineham.
In the Youngster Tour, Callao L under Philipp and Forlee under Ciaran delivered clear rounds on the first day. In the second Youngster Tour class on Thursday, as well as in the final over 135cm/140cm on Friday, Callao L with Philipp and DSP Oganero P under Christian secured placings with clear and fast rounds. Forlee and Ciaran were also clear once again. A successful weekend for our young horses, who presented themselves impressively despite the grand setting in Hamburg. Forlee and DSP Oganero P are available to our breeders this season via fresh semen.
In the 5* DKB Prize over 150cm, the 10-year-old Serendepety under Ciaran delivered a promising round and earned a placing in this competition. On Saturday, Philipp and Coby placed fourth in the 5* show jumping competition over 150cm. Christian and Cepano Baloubet also brought home a placing with a penalty-free round over the jumps and just a single time fault.
The highlight on Saturday was the 5* Grand Prix of Hamburg. Eight of the 47 starting pairs qualified for the jump-off with clear rounds in the first round, including Christian and Checker. The pair was in top form again that evening, showing the Hamburg crowd a lightning-fast round. Despite a scare after the penultimate jump when Checker briefly stumbled, the two crossed the finish line clear with a fast time. The scoreboard showed a time of 42.13 seconds and a provisional first place. Only Christian Ahlmann, riding Dourkhan Hero Z, was able to beat that time, resulting in a fantastic second place in the Hamburg Grand Prix for Christian and Checker.
On Sunday, the world-famous Hamburg Derby took place for the 94th time - and right in the middle of it, for the first time, were Ciaran and Dominate Me. Thanks to strong performances in the qualifiers, the pair started 29th out of 30 competitors. With an impressive and stylistically excellent round, Ciaran and Dominate Me appeared unfazed by the challenging course in Hamburg’s grass stadium. They tackled the Irish banks and the famous Hamburg Wall with ease. A light fault at the gate early in the course and a rail down at Pulvermann’s Grave resulted in 8 penalty points. A remarkable result for Ciaran and Dominate Me in their debut, rewarded with a 10th place finish in the 94th Hamburg Derby.
This week, Christian and Philipp are continuing on to the next stage of the Longines Global Champions Tour in Cannes.
