Friday 17th September 2021
Shock instead of victory at the home game
Ehning’s fall drama destroys gold dream
The German show jumpers wanted their home win in the Nations Cup at the CHIO in Aachen. But the fall of Marcus Ehning on the warm-up area destroys hope. The positive medical report for horse and rider is the only consolation for the team.
With a frustration beer, Marcus Ehning fought the pain “in the left buttock and in the right knee” and maybe also a bit of disappointment about the sixth place of the German show jumping team at the Nations Cup in Aachen: After Ehning’s serious fall on the warm-up area, they collected World number one Daniel Deußer with Killer Queen, Christian Ahlmann with Clintrexo and David Will with C four in the victory of the USA against Sweden and France no less than 24 penalty points.
Ehning was able to leave the hospital after a short control check and followed the second round in the Soers as a spectator. The 47-year-old fell badly on an obstacle with the stallion A La Carte in the warm-up area. Ehning got up again, but looked dazed and dropped down on a bench, visibly bruised. A doctor and a paramedic were at his side immediately, the rider was available and left the area hobbling a little later. “Exemplary,” said national coach Otto Becker, praising the quick help: “It wasn’t enough for us today, but far worse could have happened.”
To avoid serious injuries, Ehning was taken to hospital as a precaution. His stallion, looked after by the groom and the team veterinarian, was unharmed. Later that evening, Becker gave an update on the rider’s condition: “Marcus will have a few bruises and will probably have a harder time getting out of bed.” Becker has not yet been able to say whether Ehning will start in some show jumping competitions in Aachen until Sunday. “He has to decide that for himself. He is experienced enough,” he said.
“No reproach to the boys”
Due to his failure, Ehning delivered the cancellation result, the results of the three remaining riders were included in the evaluation. Deusser and Ahlmann made no mistakes on the first lap, Will allowed himself a goalkeeper throw. That meant second place behind the flawless USA, level with France, Sweden and Belgium. In the second lap, Deusser also did not make any mistakes, but two drops from Ahlmann and three from Will threw the hosts back hopelessly. Becker said: “We hoped that it would also work with three riders. And at the beginning it looked good. No reproach to the boys. They tried everything. We have to do better next time.”
Previously there had been four German victories on Thursday. Tobias Meyer won the Youngsters Cup on the eight-year-old mare Fassida. Philipp Weishaupt, rider in the stable of four-time Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum and 2016 winner of the Aachen Grand Prix, prevailed in a time jump with Lacasino. Fabienne Müller-Lütkemeier won the four-star Grand Prix of dressage with Valesco, and in the Prix St. Georges team European champion Helen Langehanenberg with Schöne Scarlett was ahead.
Meanwhile, Olympic dressage champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl gave an insight into her planning for the next few years – and they will initially go to the Olympics in Paris in 2024. Her two top horses Dalera and Ferdinand will then be in their prime, said the three-time European champion of the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung: “And at the moment I also have an eight-year-old mare who is not yet in Grand Prix racing, but who I am allowed to train I have a lot of confidence in. So it stands to reason that I want to continue and be there in Paris. “
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