With visitor numbers heading for a record, it was Germany's very own Mario Stevens and his 10-year-old Starissa (Stakkato Gold x Quidam's Rubin) that won Thursday's CSI5* Championat of Hamburg at The German Jumping and Dressage Derby 2023.

The 1.55m Table A with a jump-off which was a qualifier for Saturday's Grand Prix had 52 horse-and-rider-combinations at start, and ten of those pairs cleared their way into the deciding jump-off, where Stevens and Starissa were the quickest taking home the win with a time of 48.83 ahead of compatriot Hans-Dieter Dreher and the 11-year-old Elysium (VDL Zirocco Blue x Coronado) in second in 49.06. 

"I had a great season with him last year, then I gave him a three-months break," Stevens detailed in a press release from The German Jumping and Dressage Derby. "It's tough for a rider when you have such a great horse, but the horses have to regenerate. So Starissa took a three-months break from shows, and he thanked me for that. It was a dream of mine to win the Championat here and today it came true.”

Ireland's Shane Breen and the 11-year-old Cuick Star Kervec (Quick Star x Diamant de Semilly) placed third in 49.65 and the Irishman who is a regular at Klein Flottbek was full of praise for the event in Hamburg: "It's a fantastic show, an overwhelming venue and a great audience. It's wonderful to see these great horses and riders here and it's an honour to be able to compete here."

Germany's Johannes Ehning and Classic Donna (Mylord Carthago x Cento) finished fourth in 50.60 and Dutch rider Lars Kersten fifth in 54.54 aboard Emmerton (Silvio I x Sam R).

The second CSI5* class of the day, the 1.50m Prize of Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG – DVAG, went to Hans-Dieter Dreher and Vestmalle des Cotis (Baloubet du Rouet x Landor S). With a time of 61.29, Dreher took the win ahead of Philipp Schulze Topphoff (GER) and Carla (Comme Il Faut x Potsdam NRW) in second in 62.82, Rene Dittmer (GER) and Burlington Riverland (Mylord Carthago x Dollar Du Murier) in third in 62.93, Lars Kersten (NED) and Quatinka (FRH Quaid x Periquex) in fourth in 63.08 and Steve Guerdat (SUI) in fifth 63.22 aboard Is-Minka (Mylord Carthago x Flyinge Quite Easy 958).