At the 36th edition of the Stuttgart German Masters, Germany's Philipp Weishaupt and the 9-year-old Krokant (Kannan x Loran) won Friday night's highlight – the traditional CSI5*-W 1.55m Stuttgart German Master. 

The Stuttgart German Master is a traditional class at this venue, and has been running every year – except for 2020 and 2021 – since 1987. The class has had legendary winners, such as John Whitaker and Milton, Ludger Beerbaum and Ratina Z, Marcus Ehning and For Pleasure, Beezie Madden and Authentic, Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Butterfly Flip, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly as well as Chrsitian Ahlmann and Taloubet Z to mention just a few. 

Thirteen horse-and-rider-combinations had qualified to take part in the 1.55m competition with a jump-off. In the jump-off, which was a battle between six pairs, Weishaupt and Krokant were the fastest, crossing the finish line in 34.91 seconds – taking their second win of the week after having topped Thursday's CSI5*-W 1.50m Prize of Firma XXL-Sicherheit. 

With a time of 36.43 second, Sophie Hinners (GER) and the 9-year-old FBW Graphik (Graf Rhapsody x Numero Uno) took the runner-up position, while Harrie Smolders (NED) and the 10-year-old Uricas v.d. Kattevennen (Uriko x San Patrignano Cassini) finished third in 36.68. Belgium's Wilm Vermeir and Joyride S (Toulon x Pachat II) took the fourth place, while Hans-Dieter Dreher (GER) and Cous Cous (Cachas x Lasino) ended fifth. 

Weishaupt has made it to the jump-off in the Master class several times, but this was his first victory. “I rode the quite inexperienced Krokant. I have had him in the stable for half a year and he is just getting better and better. To go into the jump-off as last to go with this atmosphere, I got goose bumps,” the winner said. “It was a fantastic atmosphere – as usual here in Stuttgart – which we really missed the last two years.”.