At the International Stuttgart German Masters Horse Show German riders started the international week occupying all of the top 3 spots in the €28,140 Prize of XXL-Sicherheit. The first of two qualifying competitions for Friday’s Mercedes German Master, the Prize of Firma XXL-Sicherheit saw first place honors go to the 34-year old home rider Daniel Deusser aboard the 9-year-old BWP-mare Happiness van T Paradijs (Obourg X Quick Lauro Z) who completed the 1.50m speed course two seconds faster than any other competitor at 58.83 seconds. Fellow German and World No. 1 Christian Ahlmann came in 2nd on the 9-year old Zangersheide stallion Caribis Z (Caritano X Canabis Z) finishing in a time of 60.86 seconds while Jan Wernke and the 14-year-old Holsteiner mare Queen Mary (Contendro X Caretino) stopped the clock at 61.79 seconds to take 3rd. Fourth place went to Belgium’s Olivier Philippaerts and the 10-year-old DSP mare H&M Legend Of Love (Landzauber X Corgraf) in 61.80 seconds with 5th place going to Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat riding the 10-year-old Westfalian gelding Corbinian (Cornet Obolensky X Pilot) in 62.34 seconds. An exciting class with a suspenseful finale as Deusser was nearly from first place by compatriot Felix Haßmann. Haßmann aboard the 13-year-old Westfalian stallion Balzacl (Balou du Rouet X Landadel) were in fact, the quickest of the 49 starters finishing in 58.68 seconds, however a single knock down sent them to finish in 6th place.
