It was almost like a home win: Christian Ahlmann won Sunday’s CSI3* Z-Tour Grand Prix aboard Reavnir. With his longtime partner Judy-Ann Melchior – also the organizer and event director of this tour – and their son Leon cheering him on, Ahlmann made sure that the Zangersheide-team’s hard work paid off with a Grand Prix win to celebrate. 

Aboard the 10-year-old gelding by Ricardos x Rombach, owned by Ahlmann’s loyal supporters Marion and Isabell Jauß – the world’s no. six moved on to the jump-off as one of fourteen riders. 

It was Evi Bengtsson, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s wife, that took an early lead though after a strong performance aboard the very well jumping mare La Pasion de Caballo Ulika (Colman x Contender) to stop the clock at 40.37 seconds. 

When not even France’s Penelope Leprevost could catch up aboard her number one mount Flora de Mariposa (For Pleasure x Powerlight), it showed just how fast the German rider had been. The world’s leading lady rider slotted into a temporary second, eventually ending third.

Because two riders later, it was Christian Ahlmann that entered the ring and from the very beginning he showed that he was in it for the win. A spectacular turn to the penultimate Zangersheide vertical and then a run to the last upright where Ahlmann took the shortcut through the combination next to it, brought the time down with 0.38 seconds – enough for him to take over the lead and stay there as none of those to come could do anything about the time. 

Earlier in the week, Belgium’s Pieter Devos went to the top in the CSI2* Grand Prix in Lanaken riding Apart (Larino x Burggraaf). 

Text and picture © World of Showjumping