The top three in the Longines FEI World Cup in Leipzig met the press after Niklas Krieg's sensational win, and here is what they all had to say: 

Niklas Krieg on how it felt to wait after his round in the jump-off: “I did not think I would win. I thought that in the end I would perhaps be third or fourth. But, the most of it was thanks to the Sparkasse fence – so I was really lucky!”

Krieg on what brought him to this victory: “I was training for one year with Dietmar Gugler, and the most of it for sure came from my father – we are working every day together and he tried to teach me everything. I have also been training a bit with Rene Tebbel. Last year I had a really good season, I was on the team for the Europeans that ended second and it was one of my best years. I got in for Leipzig, and initially I was not allowed to ride the World Cup – but then Otto Becker called me this week and said I could ride the qualifier. I was really happy I qualified for the World Cup. And, then I though that ‘ok, we try today’ but that this happens – I can not really believe it.”

On his winning mount Carella 5: “I have had Carella since she was a 2-year-old. She is a bit of a diva, but we are a really good team and she is fighting for me. We are like best friends."

Runner-up Denis Lynch on the World Cup Final: “It’s not really my goal to qualify for the final, my main goal is to win the second spot for the Olympics as an individual for Ireland. So, I will focus on that. But, it was a good result for me today especially with All Star because he is not the quickest – but he is very consistent. Niklas was super quick, and I gave up before I even started!”

Harrie Smolders is now ready for Gothenburg, and said: “I think I will ride Emerald in the final, at least that is the plan. He had a break now, as he was breeding – we will bring him back in a few weeks and get him ready for the final. Don VHP Z will do Zürich and Bordeaux, and after that he gets a little break before the outdoor season.”

For the sponsors from the German Sparkasse, it was lots of extra publicity today as their very own oxer would turn out to be the real heart breaker of the jump-off, and their representative made a few jokes in this regard; “There are of course mixed feelings when you see the obstacle fall so many times, but as a sponsor it is quite ok because on TV it comes back in slow motion every time!”

On the question of what he had received as a bribe to put the Sparkasse oxer in this very position, course designer Frank Rothenberger laughed: “I am an FEI official so I don’t take any money!”

Text © World of Showjumping // Picture © Jenny Abrahamsson