For the 25th time and for the second time in succession the German team won the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup, one of the highlights of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen 2007 and part of the Samsung Super League series. With the exception of Marcus Ehning’s World Championship horse, Noltes Küchengirl (10), who picked up four faults at an oxer in the second round, all of the riders rode double clear rounds. Ludger Beerbaum didn’t even have to jump in the second round. Second place went to Switzerland ahead of France and Sweden. “A huge compliment to our team, they gave a brilliant performance here in Aachen on native ground,” the German National Coach, Kurt Gravemeier, praised the four riders. The team’s end result was four faults.

Ludger Beerbaum/GER was also able to celebrate an anniversary today, it was the 100th time he rode in a Nations’ Cup. “My colleagues are mainly responsible for this success, at least I got the chance to show that I was part of the team in the first round,” joked the 43-year-old rider, who had saddled the 16-year-old Grosso Z x Galvano stallion, Goldfever. Beerbaum competed in order to qualify for the ROLEX Grand Prix on Sunday. “Shutterfly is in top form and made jumping here today really easy for me, I thoroughly enjoyed both rides. Having such a horse is a dream come true and riding here in this stadium is simply incredible,” praised Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (39) her 14-year-old Hannoverian Silvio x Forrest xx son, Shutterfly. The 32-year-old rider from Marl, Westphalia, Christian Ahlmann, also commended his Holsteiner grey, Cöster, a 14-year-old Calato son: “He was already in good form during the indoor season. I was lucky twice, once at the water ditch. But being able to compete in front of such a crowd – this is a pleasure you only get once a year – here in Aachen.”

Three members of the Swiss team jumped clear in the first round, so Pius Schwizer didn’t ride with his 9-year-old Holstein Calido I x Landgraf I son, Nobless M. However, the 44-year-old rider did have to jump in the second round, because Niklaus Schurtenberger (39) picked up 21 faults with the 12-year-old Baden-Württemberger Cantus son, Cantus. Both Werner Muff (33) with the Mr. Blue son, Plot Blue, and Markus Fuchs (42) with the 12-year-old Belgian-bred mare, La Toya III, collected four faults in the second round. Switzerland’s total result was thus 12 faults.

France and Sweden shared third place. In the first round the 53-year-old Michel Hécart delivered the discarded score of 5 faults with the French-bred Le Tot de Semilly son, Itot du Château, in the second round Roger-Yves Bost (41) took on this “role” with his Dollar du Murier son, Idea de la Loge, having picked up eight faults. The team also included Florian Angot (34) with First de Launay*HN and Olivier Guillon (35) with Ionesco de Brekka, which meant that the entire French team had placed their hopes on Selle Français-bred stallions. Royne Zetterman (49) was Sweden’s best rider with the 11-year-old Feliciano son, Isaac, followed by Rolf-Gorän Bengtsson (45) with Ninja Silla, a KWPN gelding by Guidam and Helena Lundbäck (31) with the Cortez daughter, Madick, who both had the same amount of faults. Here the score of Lotta Schultz (39) with the Irish mare Calibra II by Cavalier was discarded.