Gert Jan Bruggink (NED) and Connelly 2 (Calvados Z x Jalisco B) won Sunday’s biggest class in Hagen, the CSI4* 1,50m Grand Prix qualifier. 

Bruggink was one of eight riders moving on to the jump-off in this class couting 62 riders. Against the clock, the Dutch rider was the fastest stopping the clock on 44.73 seconds. 

Two home riders followed in second and third: Mathis Schwentker (GER) and For Success (For Pleasure x Stakkato) with a time of 45.26 seconds, then Philipp Weishaupt (GER) with his new ride Asathir (Diamant de Semilly x Papillon Rouge) with a time of 46.82 seconds. Fourth place to Wout-Jan van der Schans (NED) with Capetown (Oklund x Carlino) and fifth place to Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) with Bohemian Rhapsody (Balourado x Frühling).

“I thought I was too old to be able to ride faster,” Gert Jan Bruggink joked after his win “but then I saw the 44 seconds on the score board, and knew that the ones before me had a time on 45 seconds.”

Philipp Weishaupt has only been riding Asathir for two weeks, and was very happy with his third place: “She is really working with you and I had a fantastic feeling already the first day. Unfortunately I will not ride her for long, as she belongs to a client who will ride the mare himself.”

Jose Maria Larocca had a bad fall with Cornet de Lys in the class, and was brought to hospital. On behalf of the show organizers, Paul Schockemöhle explained that the fall looked really bad but that he talked with Larocca and that he could move his arms and legs before he was brought to the hospital.