Text © World of Showjumping
The 11-year-old mare Dallas Vegas Batilly (Cap Kennedy x L’Arc de Triomphe Bois Margot – breeder Jean-Claude Viollet) was awarded the prestigious Halla Challenge Trophy as the 2024-edition of CHIO Aachen came to a close on Sunday.
The Halla Challenge Trophy is awarded to the owner of the most successful horse in the classical jumping competitions at CHIO Aachen, this time to Ben Maher, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright – who own Dallas Vegas Batilly. The award was founded in 1996 by the late Mr. Hans Günter Winkler. The Halla-Bronze is an everlasting challenge trophy, where each winner will receive a miniature of the trophy in bronze.
With Great Britain's Ben Maher in the saddle, the mare collected a total of 29 points after a double clear in Friday's Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup where the Brits finished 3rd and then jumping to a 5th place in Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix with one rail down in the first round and a clear in the second.
Three points separated Dallas Vegas Batilly from Andre Thieme's DSP Chakaria (Chap I x Askari – breeder Martin Jürgens) – owned by Pferdemanagement & Marketing GmbH. The 14-year-old mare won Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix and jumped with a rail down in each round of the Nations Cup. Nicola Philippaerts' mount Katanga vh Dingeshof (Cardento x Tornedo FCS – breeder Liliane Vermeulen) – owned by Team Philippaerts, the Lens-family and AMB Holding NV – was once again in the top three after a double clear round in the Nations Cup and then finishing 9th in the Grand Prix with a clear in round one and a rail down in round two.