Reigning European Champions André Thieme (GER) and DSP Chakaria (Chap 47 x Askari 173) won Tuesday's CSIO3* 1.60m Die Badenia Grand Prix of MVV in Mannheim, Germany. The 47-year-old outclassed his competitors in the jump-off, leaving Jörne Sprehe (GER) on Hot Easy (Andiamo Z x Otangelo) to second and Julia Houtzager-Kayser (AUT) on High Five (Toulon x Burggraaf) to third. 

Only five of the 48 horse-and-rider combinations in the Grand Prix made it to the jump-off, where Thieme stopped the clock at 37.44 seconds – a time none of his competitors could match. Sprehe was 1.73 seconds behind Thieme, while Houtzager-Kayser was nearly three seconds slower. Timo Beck (GER) finished fourth with Mirabel v. Oudevelhoeve (Inshallah de Muze x Lys de Darmen) after producing the last double clear of the class, while Rene Tebbel (UKR) ended fifth with one down in the jump-off on Good Morning B (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x W.C. Van Dam). 

"Even in the far north, the Badenia is well-known, and I really wanted to win it! This was only my second time in Mannheim and now I've already done it!" smiled the happy winner. "I appreciate and celebrate the moment. I am blessed with this horse."