Text © World of Showjumping

Thursday's CSIO5* 1.50m STAWAG-Prize at CHIO Aachen went to Egypt's Nayel Nassar and the 11-year-old gelding El Conde (Loro Piana Filou de Muze x Final Shot). With a time of 68.48 seconds, Nassar bested a field of 43 starters, and while 21 of them jumped clear, no one could catch the time the Egyptian posted as the second rider in the ring. 

"I went early, so the goal was really to just do my own round," Nassar told about his plan for the speed class, which was also a qualifier for Saturday's 1.55m €90,000 Allianz-Prize. "I know my horse is so naturally quick, that if I just keep my track the way I want and don't pull too much on the reins, then I should be right up there. Yesterday he was a bit fresh, then he bucks a bit in between the lines and that makes it a little bit more difficult, but today he was really with me the whole way and he just pulled out a super speed round." 

After taking the lead as started number two, Nassar did not think his time would be good enough until the end. "I did not think so, with the quality of horses and riders here, especially when you go so early, then they know exactly what they need to do," he explained. "Some of them started to do the inside turn that I did not do to the black oxer, so I thought there was one place where people could definitely be quicker than me."

Bred by 2010 World Champion Philippe Le Jeune, El Conde is a relatively new ride for Nassar. "He is an amazing horse, we just got him this winter in Wellington," Nassar said. "He is 11-years-old, and such a true fighter. It is funny actually, his mother's side is all ponies; he has Connemara ponies in his mother line, so he kind of goes like that, he has a really quick step and always tries when he goes into the ring. He is a super cool horse to have in my string, for sure. He just really stood out to us last year as a true competitor, we thought he would be a great one to have in our team and he has proven to be quite special." 

"It is so, so special, it is unbelievable," Nassar said about competing at CHIO Aachen. "It is my first time here and just to be here is a huge honour; this is the best show in the world, the public has been unreal from the first day of the show, the ring is so fun to ride in, the warm-up is great, the people are great – I cannot say enough good things about it." 

Gerrit Nieberg (GER) and Blues d'Aveline CH (Baloussini x Coriall 2) took the runner-up position behind Nassar with a time of 68.67 seconds, while Lorenzo De Luca (ITA) and Cash du Plessis (Orient Express HDC x Rosire) stopped the clock on 69.26 slotting into third. Marcus Ehning (GER) and Funky Fred (For Pleasure x Pilot) placed fourth with a time of 69.33, while Gregory Wathelet (BEL) and Beau Grosse Du Park (Quaprice Bois Margot x Kannan) took the fifth place when the clock stopped on 69.70.