Same, same but different: Heading down the wall in Hamburg Derby

It's the same bank, but it looked very different as riders and horses headed down it in Hamburg this weekend. First out is Peiter v, with James Hughes in the saddle, who looked like he enjoyed himself. All photos (c) Jenny Abrahamsson.

Carsten-Otto Nagel and Lex Lugar went down the bank like the derby pros they are.

Nisse Lüneburg and Calle Cool have won the derby twice - in 2012 and 2014. But this year Calle Cool hesitated a bit to go down the bank in the second qualification and then in the derby he surprisingly refused to go down.

Abdulrahman Alrajhi did his first derby in Hamburg. He rode the 13 year old Chicago 84, that he in 2013 bought from Emanuele Gaudiano.

Gloria van Zuuthoeve would without doubt get the prize for the most stylish way of getting down the bank with David McPherson guiding her.

Felix Hassmann's Chicca seemed to be in a rush to get down.

Gilbert Tillmann won the derby in 2013 riding Hello Max. Now he made it a go with the 9 year old Hadjib.

Henrik von Eckermann's Toulouse 66 wanted to make it a bit easier for the horses coming after, bringing all the sand down with her.

It looked a bit scary when some of the horses went down the bank - like with Andre Sakakini's Jumex Sport Atlantus. But in the next second he was on all four legs and the head never touched the ground.

Also Philipp Makowei's way down with Chivas Regal looked a bit scary, but luckily all went well.

Nigel Coupe's Golvers Hill looks like he knows exactly where to put his hoofs.

Janne-Friederike Meyer's mare Cellagon Anna did everything so easy and took the fourth place in the final on Sunday.

Grand Balou 4 decided to jump almost all the way from the top so it was just for Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen to hold on.

Mario Stevens and his new ride El Bandiata B won the first qualification and ended seventh in the second. In Sunday's big derby it then looked like they ran a bit out of power, but they still finished the course.