Switzerland's Steve Guerdat – current world number two – and the 11-year-old mare Looping Luna (Lord Fauntleroy x Calido I) won Friday's CSI5*-W 1.55m Defender Cup, a competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group B, at the 2025-edition of Partner Pferd Leipzig in Germany.
"I wasn't actually sure if I wanted to go for the win, but then I rode in, and the crowd motivated me so much. In front of such an audience I just had to give it my all and try," Steve Guerdat said in a press release from Partner Pferd. "That's also what makes Leipzig so special and why I always love coming here. At the prize giving ceremony everyone stays in their seats and celebrates – that's what makes this show special and unique."
With a time of 54.10 seconds, the Swiss rider topped a field of 48 horse-and-rider combinations – taking the win ahead of Hannes Ahlmann (GER) and Tokyo 4 (Toulon x San Patrignano Cassini) in second in 55.23. Philipp Schulze Topphoff (GER) and Carla NRW (Comme Il Faut x Potsdam NRW) completed the podium in third after clocking a time of 55.71 seconds. The German success continued with Marco Kutscher (GER) and Aventador S (Armitage x Charming Boy) finishing fourth in 56.15, followed by Kevin Staut (FRA) on Vida Loca Z (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Cornet Obolensky) in fifth in 56.25.
Earlier in the day, the CSI5*-W 1.45m Idee Kaffee Prize – a competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group D – went to the host nation’s own Josch Löhden and EIC Schabernack (Cornet Obolensky x Quidam de Revel). Stopping the clock on 49.85 seconds, the German rider took the win ahead of his compatriot Katrin Eckermann (GER) and Chao Lee (Comme Il Faut x Chacco-Blue) in second in 49.95 and Simon Delestre (FRA) aboard Golden Boy DK (Diamant de Semilly x Cash) in third in 50.00. Harm Lahde (GER) and Lafocolo Crazy Stud (Larius W x For Pleasure) finished fourth with a time of 50.18 seconds, and Yuri Mansur (BRA) aboard Clariquada T (Clarimo x Coronado) fifth in 51.01.