German show-jumpers optimistic: “In Aachen we are starting with a clean sheet again.”
The German show-jumpers and the national coaches, Otto Becker and Heinrich-Hermann Engemann, are optimistically looking ahead to chances of success at the FEI European Championships Aachen 2015. Tomorrow, the competitions kick off with the Turkish Airlines Prize, on Thursday and Friday the team jumping competition will be staged, the Mercedes-Benz Prize, and on Sunday, the individual classification will be decided in the “Rolex European Champion”.
Becker admitted that he has been a “little nervous” over the past few days, but that he had slept well the night before. “I think all five riders and their horses are in good shape, which was also confirmed during the vet check. Now, I am just waiting to see how the training goes,” commented the national coach. Furthermore, he is relying on the crowd in Aachen to additionally motivate his team, especially during the Mercedes-Benz Prize on Thursday and Friday.
Because so far things haven’t been running very smoothly in the team jumping competitions lately, the Nations‘ Cup season of the German show-jumpers had been so-so. In spite of good results, the team wasn’t able to claim one victory. “We are putting that behind us now. The good thing: In Aachen everything starts from zero again,” summed up Becker. He was full of praise for the team, saying that there is a good team spirit, all of the riders are pulling together 100 percent and have prepared themselves for the Championships in a concentrated manner. They didn’t actually have a training camp, but each of the riders had intensively worked on improving their own individual performance.
Particularly after Ludger Beerbaum‘s comments regarding “giving ourselves a jolt” after coming third in the Nations’ Cup in Mannheim. “I think that we have all taken a critical look at ourselves over the past few weeks. What could work better? What can I change?” stated Ludger Beerbaum. The experienced rider will be competing with Chiara in Aachen. “At the moment Chiara is my only Championships horse.” And his team colleagues are also certain that they have placed their bets on the right horse. Daniel Deußer will compete with “Cornet d’Amour“, Christian Ahlmann with “Taloubet Z“ and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who has meanwhile fully recovered after breaking her collarbone, with “Fibonacci“. Otto Becker is proud of his selection and is of course betting on the “home advantage” in Aachen: “As far as I am concerned it can get underway now. We are ready and will give it our best shot and hopefully at the end we might be able to secure a medal.”
Quelle: Pressemitteilung
