“I was happy to be second yesterday, but now I can feel the difference between that and winning. I am very happy to have won today," Richard Vogel said after his victory in the Allianz Prize with Cepano Baloubet. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
Text © World of Showjumping
Saturday’s CSIO5* 1.55m Allianz Prize at CHIO Aachen 2023 went to Germany’s Richard Vogel and Cepano Baloubet (Chaman x Stakkato’s Highlight). After placing second behind his compatriot Jana Wargers in Friday’s RWE Prize of North Rhine Westphalia, Vogel turned it around on the penultimate day at Soers – taking the win, while Wargers and Chacco’s Lady 2 (Chacco-Blue x Indoctro) settled for the runner-up position this time around.
“Now I experience the difference between first and second,” Vogel joked in the press conference following his first big win in Aachen. “I was happy to be second yesterday, but now I can feel the difference between that and winning. I am very happy to have won today.”
"She won a few 1.50m classes, but this today was a proper 1.55m class for her and I am very proud of her,” Jana Wargers praised her 11-year-old mare Chacco’s Lady 2. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
The course set by Frank Rothenberger was a massive ask, counting 14 obstacles and 17 efforts in round one – including a triple combination at 8acb, and one of Aachen’s trademarks, the famous double of liverpools at 12ab. A total of 32 horse-and-rider-combinations had qualified throughout the week to take part, and the ten best pairs from round one moved on to the deciding winning round.
Marc Dilasser (FRA) and Arioto du Gevres (Diamant de Semilly x Qualisco III) delivered the first clear of the day in the initial round and were followed with clears from Kim Emmen (NED) and Inflame Go (Namelus R x Carthino Z), Harry Charles (GBR) and Aralyn Blue (Chacco-Blue x Ludwig As), Wargers and Chacco’s Lady 2, Vogel and Cepano Baloubet as well as Philipp Weishaupt (GER) and Coby 8 (Contagio x Escudo 19), while Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) and H&M Miro (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) only picked up a single time penalty. With three time penalties, Ben Maher (GBR) and Enjeu de Grisien (Toulon x Andiamo) joined the winning round as well, as did David Will (GER) and Zaccorado Blue (VDL Zirocco Blue x Acorado) and Daniel Coyle (IRL) aboard Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami) as the fastest four-faulters from round one.
"We had a bad day on Thursday, and today I am very happy that we were able to come back like this and do two very good rounds," Marc Dilasser said after placing third with Arioto du Gevres. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
In the winning round, Emmen and Inflame Go were the first to deliver a clear – setting the time to beat to 45.89. However, Emmen’s lead was short-lived, as Wargers entered the ring right after her and delivered a blazing round to take over the lead as the clock stopped on 42.16 for the German rider that has had an incredible week at Soers.
While not quite as quick, Dilasser and Arioto du Gevres – a pair that in Thursday’s Mercedez-Benz Nations Cup suffered an unfortunate fall on the very last fence in the second round – made a great recovery from their misfortunes earlier this week and slotted into second place with a clear in 42.30.
With two pairs to go, a German victory was secured with only Weishaupt and Vogel left to jump. Powering through the course, Vogel still made his highspeed round look perfectly controlled and did a text-book roll-back to the Rolex plank where many others missed or slipped. Crossing the finish line in 38.87, Vogel took the lead, pushing Wargers to second, Dilasser to third and Emmen to fourth. As the last pair out, Weishaupt and Coby 8 gave it their best shot and were well on their way to victory, but their confident approach to the very last fence proved costly. With the fastest time of the afternoon – 37.77 – Weishaupt had to settle for fifth place in the end as the final fence fell to the ground.
“Aachen is a show where we don’t come for training, we have other shows for that. We come here to see the results of the daily work we put in throughout the whole year," Vogel said. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
“Cepano always searches for the fence, and I think I could not do such a good turn without the fence there,” Vogel commented on his perfect roll-back in the winning round. “Aachen is a show where we don’t come for training, we have other shows for that. We come here to see the results of the daily work we put in throughout the whole year.”
“I am still very happy, and also happy for Richie,” second placed Wargers smiled. “My horse jumped really good. After I walked the course, I thought it was a really tricky course and my horse has not jumped such big classes so many times. Therefore, I was already very happy after the first round, and that we came second, is even better. She won a few 1.50m classes, but this today was a proper 1.55m class for her and I am very proud of her,” Wargers praised her 11-year-old mare Chacco’s Lady 2.
“When I saw the start list for the second round, there were many very fast pairs,” Dilasser, who placed third, commented. “My horse is also fast, but we had a bad day on Thursday, and today I am very happy that we were able to come back like this and do two very good rounds.”
“I am still very happy, and also happy for Richie,” second placed Wargers smiled after another great result at Soers. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
As the 2023-edition now turns toward its final day with the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen as the highlight on Sunday, Vogel and Wargers, who have been going head-to-head throughout the week, were asked how they feel. “It is a good feeling, coming into the final day with a bit of wind behind your back,” Vogel smiled. “Both of our Grand Prix horses are in good shape. I think if we both ride good, we have a good chance to get something done.”
“My horse jumped great in the Nations Cup and I hope we can do it again tomorrow, that is for sure the goal,” Wargers concluded.
Then