Nicolas Delmotte and the 13-year-old gelding Urvoso du Roch (Nervoso x Grand d'Escla) won Friday’s 1.60m RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia at CHIO Aachen, looking to be in super shape ahead of Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix. Urvoso du Roch has really showed his liking for big grass rings this season, with wins in the CSIO5* Grand Prix of La Baule and the CSI5* Grand Prix of Chantilly earlier this summer. 

Here we look back at the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia, which proved to be a real tough task for the horses and riders with only three pairs producing clear rounds. 

All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping. No reproduction of these images is permitted. 

Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson finished second and made light work of the course, including the double of Liverpools that caused problems for many others.

The smile says it all: Jana Wargers was best of the home riders, after a beautiful double clear with Limbridge. 

Kendra Claricia Brinkop was another young, German, lady rider that did a fabulous job, but unfortunately a rail fell on the last oxer for Kastelle Memo.

Two riders kept the fences intact but recorded a single time penalty: Kevin Jochems with Emmerton, who finished fourth...

... and Luiz Felipe de Azevedo Filho with Hermes van de Vrombautshoeve, who finished fifth.

We're having a crush on Le Blue Diamond van't Ruytershof!

Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher jumped his super-star Explosion W around ahead of the Rolex Grand Prix, with the 12-year-old gelding looking fresh and happy! Like so many others, the two had this plank in the triple combination down. 

Laura Kraut and Confu were clear all the way to the last oxer, where a pole fell to the ground.

As usual, many horses took a disliking to the double of Liverpools and one of them was Daniel Bluman's Ubiluc...

...Bluman did not give in though, and eventually managed to convince the gelding to jump...

...and got out!

Jerome Guery on the other hand decided to retire as Eras Ste Hermelle slammed on the breaks at the double of Liverpools. Here, Guery gives the stallion a little pat to convince him that the Liverpools are not as scary as they look.

All eyes on Guerdat! Straight from his win in the CP International presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows 'Masters', Steve Guerdat was also in action with Albführen's Maddox that he recently took the team gold with at the European Championships...

...but in Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix, Guerdat will be riding Venard de Cerisy to try to win his second Major of the year.