| "She has a lot of energy and blood in her,” Guy Williams emphasised with a smile. "A lot of thoroughbred! You have to let her run." That's what the Brit did and won! The Irish show jumping pro secured victory with the ten-year-old mare BH Gringos Legacy in the second Derby qualifier, the Prize of Dreame.de, at the Al Shira'aa German Show Jumping & Dressage Derby 2025. Out of 44 rider-horse pairs, only four completed the course clear - and all of them were cheered and celebrated like winners by the spectators. |
"My mare is an eventer, but she has also been successful in show jumping competitions in Spain. So I thought I'd come here for the Derby and then take her to Hickstead," said the Brit, explaining his plan. The 53-year-old already won the famous British show jumping derby in Hickstead 15 years ago, and he has also competed twice before in Hamburg, but this was his first time with this ambitious, fast mare. "You can't fight with her, then you lose control. She has to be allowed to go through the course at her own pace - we managed to do that today."
Frederic Tillmann and the now eleven-year-old DSP Comanche VL are taking part in Hamburg's Derby Tour for the fourth time. "Comanche already mastered the course brilliantly as an eight-year-old," recalled Tillmann. ‘But now I have so much confidence myself: When I'm over the black and red oxer, it's just the ‘Derby stuff’ that comes next and we'll bring that home!" No sooner said than done, penalty-free in 103.57 seconds - second place. Today's runner-up joked with a wink: "I really don't begrudge Guy his victory today if we swap places on Sunday."
Derby on her mind
"It would be nice if we could return in the same round here on Sunday!" third-placed Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann happily agreed. She jumped through the course seemingly effortlessly with ten-year-old Electric Joy. "It was really fun,” said the Hamburg girl, who loves the Derby. "I didn't have the opportunity to do much preparation for today because I was always on the road at competitions. But whenever I was at home training, I would set up a small railway barrier and ride up and down the hills. I always had the Derby in the back of my mind. And today I'm really happy about the decision. I think he enjoyed it just as much as I did.”
Sven Gero Hünicke caused a momentary scare when he and his partner My Mister had a fall at the water. After initial examinations, the rider probably broke his collarbone. And show vet Dr Michael Köhler reported: "My Mister is fine. He bruised his shoulder a bit and stepped on his leg. That can be painful at first. But the horse has been x-rayed and everything is okay. He's now in the stable eating his hay.”
Like a stadium
Hamburg loves the Derby and celebrates Derby riders like world champions. Even though it was only the second qualifier today, everyone who crossed the finish line received frenetic applause and cheers. "The atmosphere was really cool," explained event director Matthias Rath. "It was incredibly crowded, the stands were full, people were packed around the outside and lining the banks, practically creating a stadium - it was tremendous!"