After Daniel Deusser (2021), Gerrit Nieberg (2022) and Marcus Ehning (2023) it is Andre Thieme who is the fourth consecutive German 'Sieger' of the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen. In this second Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, Germany had a 50% chance to win with Richard Vogel also being placed for the jump-off, where he finished third despite being the fastest.
Quick result
- Andre Thieme (GER) & DSP Chakaria (Chap 47)
- Mclain Ward (USA) & Ilex (Baltic VDL)
- Richard Vogel (GER) & United Touch S (Untouched)
- Martin Fuchs (SUI) & Leone Jei (Baltic VDL)
- Ben Maher (GBR) & Dallas Vegas Batilly (Cap Kennedy)
The first round of the legendary Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen separated the wheat from the chaff with only nine clear rounds, four of them from home soil. The top eighteen from this first round were allowed to return to a new course in an attempt to compete for the prize pot of one and a half million euros.
Laura Kraut (USA) was the first to start, with four penalty points from the first round. Riding Baloutinue (Balou du Rouet), the American immediately delivered a strong clear round, putting pressure on the clear combinations following behind. Daniel Deusser and Killer Queen VDM (Eldorado vd Zeshoek), who won the Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen in 2021, clearly had their sights set on a repeat. However, their fault in the first round kept them from that goal.
The first faultless combination was McLain Ward with Ilex (Baltic VDL), and the American pair also immediately produced the first double clear round! After them, all eyes were on the Swiss Olympic combination, Martin Fuchs (SUI) with Leone Jei (Baltic VDL). The pair ensured a jump-off, with two offspring of Baltic VDL going head-to-head. Andre Thieme (GER) and Richard Vogel (GER) completed the start list for the jump-off.
McLain Ward and Ilex were the first to go in the jump-off and immediately set the bar historically high for their three opponents. With all the rails in the cups, the pair clocked in at 41.02 seconds. Fuchs and Leone Jei entered the arena second. The duo followed in the footsteps of their predecessors with the exact same strides between the first lines. A risky turn to the penultimate oxer caused Fuchs and the Baltic VDL son to make an error, finishing with 39,03s on the clock and four faults.
With Andre Thieme and Richard Vogel still to start, there was a real chance for a German rider to win this Rolex Grand Prix. Thieme took one extra stride in the first line aboard DSP Chakaria (Chap 47) but managed to make up some time in the turns. The German duo raced full throttle to the finish line, where they finished 1.24 seconds faster than Ward. Thieme finished his ride with a grin from ear to ear alongside the German home crowd. Ward sat with his hands in his hair for a moment but gave a thumbs-up in acknowledgment of his German superior.
Germany was thus assured of a home victory; only the name that would be written on the famous wall remained unclear. In the meantime, Vogel and United Touch S (Untouched) had already gone faster, but the final line would be decisive. Vogel gave it his all but paid the price at the last oxer.