The talented Firth of Lorne, who drew plenty of buzz last year after winning the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Hamburg with Katrin Eckermann, has returned to the international ring, however this time with his previous rider; Germany’s Franz-Josef Dahlmann. Franz was the previous rider before the talented German jockey accepted a riding position with Zangersheide. The stallion joined up with the young Eckermann after Dahlmann was unable to ride other horses outside of Zangersheide.
Last year, the 11 year old stallion sustained an injury after a serious fall in July at CHIO Aachen. Eckermann and the 11 year old stallion fell at the open water jump in the Grand Prix in Aachen following a similar incident in the Nations Cup of Aachen that same week. Sources confirm that a disagreement occurred between Eckermann and the owner, Meinolf Roelleke, regarding whether to compete the stallion in the Grand Prix of Aachen following the open water incident during that week’s Nations Cup in Aachen last year.
Firth of Lorne has competed in two events with his old rider Dahlmann already; first in Hagen, Germany during the beginning of May as well as this past weekend in Nörten-Hardenberg.