The only 21-year-old Kendra Claricia Brinkop won the final of the German U25 Trophy of the Stiftung Deutscher Spitzenpferdesport at CHIO Aachen today. Aboard the approved Westphalian bred stallion A La Carte NRW (Abke x Lux) Kendra Claricia Brinkop was one of the only three riders to deliver a clear in the first round, but none of these three could keep another clean sheet in the jump-off.

As first to go in the jump-off, Kendra Claricia Brinkop gave it a serious try with the former Siegerhengst A La Carte NRW – especially on the last line from the combination towards the last oxer. By leaving out a stride, she finished in a time of 42.29 seconds but she also knocked down a rail of the last obstacle finishing on four faults as well.

It was an all-lady-rider jump-off with Angelique Rüsen and Laura Jane Hackbarth as Kendra Claricia's rivals. Starting right after Brinkop, Angelique Rüsen took some risks in the beginning of the jump-off knowing Laura Jane Hackbarth still had to ride. Aboard Christian Ahlmann's fomer ride Dolocia (Verdi x Furore), Rüsen got an early rail down on the second obstacle of the jump-off and while chasing the time of Brinkop she also got a rail on the DHL-oxer. Rüsen finished on eight faults in 49.77 seconds.

Laura Jane Hackbarth had only one mission: To deliver a clear round with the 11-year-old Carisma. The 25-year-old rider took her time in the jump-off and seemed to jump a flawless clear round. But it all fell to pieces in the last line, when Laura Jane Hackbarth and Carisma got a rail on the first part of the double combination – the penultimate obstacle. They finished as runner-ups in 4/50.15 seconds.

Text © World of Showjumping by Peter van der Waaij // Picture © CHIO Aachen/Michael Strauch