Christian Ahlmann & Colorit. ph: LGCT/Stefano Grasso
In a fairytale finish at the Longines Global Champions Tour debut in the city of Berlin, German rider Christian Ahlmann won the Championat der Deutschen Kreditbank AG von Berlin CSI5* aboard the 14-year-old DSP stallion Colorit (Coriano x Capitol). His latest accomplishment comes twenty-four hours after he piloted the 15-year-old Hanoverian stallion Codex 1 to a 1st place finish in the €300,000 LGCT Grand Prix of Berlin.
For the final day of competition on Sunday, July 30, German course designer Frank Rothenberger set the 11-obstacle track with a 62 s time allowed. Thirty-four riders competed in the hopes of securing a podium placing, though they would first need to brave the difficulties on course. Delicacy was the name of the game, which forced the riders to compete at pin-point precision . There was no room for adjustment, and the layout offered little breathing space with the fences coming up fast at every turn.
The imposing wall with the Brandenburg Gate design caused trouble throughout the weekend, and this class it proved to be no different. The triple combination also had it’s challenges, with the vertical element in the middle catching horses off guard.
Providing the last clear in the opening round, Ahlmann put in a fantastic ride aboard Colorit to secure a 10 rider jump-off.
The first rider to go double clear was Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and the 13-year-old Oldenburg mare Contanga 3 (Catoki x Contango). The duo set the pace at 40.17s, a time that would land them in an eventual 2nd place. Zorzi was soon followed by Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands, who piloted the 12-year-old Holsteiner stallion Capital Colnardo (Colman x Coronado) to a 3rd place time of 41.12 s.
The crowd held their breath as Ahlmann entered the ring with Colorit. The pair saved time with tight turns, with Ahlmann strategically managing the hot stallion. A flier to the last and the crowd were on their feet as the duo went clear in 38.98s, securing the eventual 1st place podium placing.
All eyes are now on London, where the Royal Hospital Chelsea will host the 12th leg of action in the battle for the Championship. For more information on the LGCT of London, please click here.
For full results, click this link.