Horse hub Stuttgart hosts Longines FEI World Cup jumping this weekend

The Stuttgart German Masters, taking place at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle and Porsche-Arena hall (in fact, the same black stallion can be seen in the crest of Stuttgart-based Porsche cars), has 50 riders and 139 horses from 20 nations entered at the CSI 5* level this year. The largest group, without surprise, comes from the home nation, and includes Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum, Marcus Ehning and 2018 World Champion at the Tryon FEI World Equestrian Games Games, Simone Blum, who has brought three mounts including DSP Alice.

Robert Smith and Michael Whitaker are flying the Union Jack colours in Germany’s sixth-largest city, which was first given that status in the 12th century, while Irish riders Michael Duffy, Denis Lynch and Billy Twomey are also in town. They are going up against many of the world’s best in the sport, including Austria’s Max Kühner, Pieter Devos, France’s Penelope Leprevost, Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca, the Netherlands’ Jur Vrieling, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Sweden’s Henrick Von Eckermann. The full list of entries for 5* show jumping, as well as for other disciplines (see below), is here.

After earlier stops in Oslo, Helsinki, Verona and Lyon this season, Swiss rider Martin Fuchs is on top of the show jumping standings, with 35 points, followed by France’s Kevin Staut and Fuchs’ compatriot and friend Guerdat. Eight more legs of the circuit will be held after Stuttgart, in Madrid, La Coruna, London, Mechelen, Basel, Leipzig, Amsterdam and Bordeaux. Eighteen riders will qualify from the Western European league for the next World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden, plus non-European residents on the continent, with first place at each qualifier worth 20 points.

Also taking place at the big German Masters event are FEI World Cup Driving and Dressage competitions, with decorated Olympian Isabell Werth leading the home side’s dressage contingent against foreign rivals like Ireland’s Judy Reynolds and her mount Vancouver K.