It was Germany's own Christian Ahlmann that took home the win in Saturday's 1.55m Allianz-Prize at CHIO Aachen, after a blistering fast second round. The class had 32 horse-and-rider combinations qualified in for it over the previous days of competition. With a winning round against the clock, the ten best – or all the clears – would return for a second time to the ring. And with fourteen riders producing clear rounds over Frank Rothenberger's thirteen fence track, it was bound to be a race. As the second rider in the ring, Ahlmann set off in top gear from the beginning and with the speed of light the 11-year-old stallion Carabis Z (Caritano x Canabis Z) galloped around the huge grass ring to cross the finish line in 47.75 seconds taking the lead. None of those to come could catch Ahlmann. Closest came his compatriot Hans-Dieter Dreher and Berlinda (Berlin x Gento), that really gave it a good shot as last to go – flying down the final line to stop the clock at 48.04 seconds to wild cheers from the crowds. Portugal's Luciana Diniz did a great round on Camargo 2 (Canturo x For Pleasure) to take the third place with a time of 50.34, while Maikel van der Vleuten and Arera C (Indoctro x Voltaire) finished fourth in 51.02 and Werner Muff on Jazoe van´t Steenpaal (Cornet´s Stern x Toulon) fifth in 51.57.
