Tag Archives: Ludger Beerbaum

FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Germany Takes 2016 Furusiyya Title on a Night to Remember in Barcelona

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(L to R) Ludger Beerbaum, Christian Ahlmann, Janne Friederike Meyer, Otto Becker (Chef d’Equipe), Marcus Ehning and Daniel Deusser. (Dirk Caremans/FEI)

Barcelona (ESP), 24 September 2016 – Team Germany claimed the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2016 trophy at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP), but not without a fierce fight with the runners-up from Great Britain. On a night to remember, it came down to a breath-taking jump-off between newly-crowned individual Olympic champion Nick Skelton and Germany’s Marcus Ehning to decide the result. And emotions ran high as winning team member, Ludger Beerbaum, said goodbye to this great sport with a trademark foot-perfect performance. You could hardly hear a pin drop during his last-to-go round with Casello which ensured the two-way showdown that would seal victory for his country.

Team USA claimed the third step of the podium when finishing with just four faults on the board, but they were hotly pursued by Italy, Ireland and Switzerland who each finished with five as the time-allowed played its part. The defending champions from Belgium had to settle for sixth place ahead of the Dutch whose form seems to have deserted them in recent months.

Cream

Once again course designer Santiago Varela presented a superb track that took a lot of jumping and brought the cream to the top. The majority of mistakes came at the end of the course, with the penultimate triple combination taking a heavy toll, but there were accuracy questions all the way around. The eight teams that qualified from Thursday’s first round all started on level pegging again, so it was a wide-open contest from the start. It quickly became apparent, however, that the British would be major contenders when Skelton’s opening clear with his Olympic gold-medal-winning ride Big Star was followed by another from Michael Whitaker and Viking.

Under the unique set of rules for the Furusiyya Final, each country nominates a total of five riders and it was notable that the top three teams all called up new recruits for their four-member sides. British Chef d’Equipe, Di Lampard, brought in Jessica Mendoza and Spirit T in place of John Whitaker and Ornellaia, but with 12 faults for the youngest team member it fell to Scott Brash to rescue the situation with a clear from Ursula which saw his side post the first zero score of the competition.

And the only ones to match them would be the Germans, although they also had to wait for their last man to go. World no. 1, Christian Ahlmann, set them up with a lovely tour of the track from the ever-reliable Taloubet Z, but they stuttered when Marcus Ehning’s Pret a Tout hit the last element of the triple combination. Janne Friederike Meyer was called up to replace Daniel Deusser and First Class van Eeckelghem and she steadied the German ship with a typically flamboyant clear from the fabulous Goya which meant that if Ludger Beerbaum could follow suit then they could continue to stalk their British rivals.

Spine-chilling

Beerbaum’s round was spine-chilling, with so many people around the ring willing the 53-year-old rider around the arena because they really wanted to see this man who has been such a hero of the sport for so many years go out on a good note. He will continue to ride as an individual, but Saturday was his curtain-call as a team-member and everyone wanted it to go right. The entire stadium was gripped with tension waiting for him to cross the line, and when he did there was a huge burst of applause and it would take a jump-off now to decide the new Furusiyya champions.

The Americans were already assured of third place, Lauren Hough’s four faults with Ohlala – at the very final oxer – followed by a double-error from Audrey Coulter and Capital Colnardo before 19-year-old Lillie Keenan pulled it back with a fantastic clear from Super Sox. Called in at the last moment when Lucy Davis’ Barron wasn’t quite himself, Keenan really measured up under pressure and when Laura Kraut was also fault-free with Zeremonie then the US total of four faults would drop them in behind the two teams now vying for the title.

Scorched

Skelton was first into the jump-off and scorched around the new track in 41.82 seconds to set the target. This would ensure a generous share of the €200,000 bonus on offer to riders jumping double-clear over the first round and again. But Ehning said afterwards that he already knew he could beat the Olympic champion. “I watched him go and I knew I could be faster than him. I was really under pressure – I wanted this win for Ludger as it was his last Nations Cup,” he explained. Ehning once said that he will never be the fastest rider on the planet so that is why he uses his turning skills to full effect, and Saturday he did just that, cutting corners everywhere and galloping down to the last more than two seconds up on the clock to clinch it.

For all of the German team, Saturday’s win was particularly poignant. Janne Friederike Meyer put some perspective on it. “I can still remember my first Nations Cup with Ludger in Rotterdam,; he has always been a great idol for my generation and I was so proud to be with him again in his last Nations Cup. I was called in for Daniel and I knew Daniel could have done a clear round so I wanted to do this clear round for Daniel and for Ludger and the whole team. There are some special days and today was one of them – everyone could feel it when Ludger went in and everybody knew this man had to go clear to keep the chance of winning. Every single fence, everybody jumped with him and then he was clear and everyone went crazy!” she said.

Send-off

For the Germans, this Furusiyya Final has always been about giving Ludger Beerbaum a good send-off from the team. “In the last couple of weeks we were really looking forward to Ludger’s last Nations Cups,” said Daniel Deusser. “We really wanted to win a medal in the Olympic Games and to do one big thing again. We have had a lot of very strong teams over the last couple of years and the last couple of months but in the end we were always missing a little bit of luck, one fault too many. At the Olympic Games we were really happy, we had a great fight and finished with the bronze medal which made us extremely happy but somehow the last big win was still missing. This weekend didn’t start really good with my horse getting sick, but everything turned out perfect at the end. All five of us worked together and the dream really came true, that we won Ludger’s last Nations Cup; it couldn’t be better!”

Beerbaum admitted that the prizegiving brought back memories of his individual gold medal victory with Classic Touch at the Real Club de Polo during the Barcelona Olympic Games back in 1992. And he was very touched by his team-mate’s tributes. “The way they expressed their thoughts, their feelings, their emotions about our performances in the past months, the good luck, the bad luck, the good moments but also the disappointing moments that says it all. They were really fighting for me today and it’s unbelievable to have this support. For me it couldn’t be a nicer end,” he said.

Transformed

FEI President, Ingmar de Vos, talked about the input from Furusiyya that has transformed the sport of Nations Cup Jumping in recent years. “Four years ago my predecessor HRH Princess Haya was here at the first press conference for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup. Today I got a message from the Saudi Equestrian Fund, from His Highness Prince Faisal – the brain behind the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup – to really congratulate the German team on this victory. We are very happy with the Furusiyya series. What it has done for the FEI and the sport in general is incredible.

“In 2012 we had discussions about remodelling the Nations Cup, making it a series with qualifiers and a final, and at that time it was a very controversial decision. But I think we have proven together with Furusiyya and the Saudi Equestrian Fund that it’s the way to go. They invested in this product to create a legacy and we are very grateful for that. This partnership is coming to an end as you know, and it is up to us to find a new partner. Thanks to the Saudi Equestrian Fund and HRH Princess Haya we have a sustainable series for the future.”

Full result here

Quotes:

Santiago Varela, course designer: “Congratulations to the winners; they did a super job on Thursday and today. I’m really happy with the result, really proud of the winners, and Ludger winning his last Nations Cup was super exciting! Marcus did an amazing job; his turn to fence no 10 was unbelievable and to beat Nick is unbelievable!”

Otto Becker, Chef d’Equipe Germany: “Thank you to FEI and to Furusiyya and Prince Faisal that for what they did this for the sport and for the Nations Cup. And thanks to the Organising Committee – when we saw the weather yesterday it was so bad but then today we had perfect conditions.”

Christian Ahlmann GER: “Overall it was a perfect day for all of us; it couldn’t have been better today from first to the last! Ludger’s clear at the end, Marcus’ jump-off – it was exciting to the very end, a great class for all of us and couldn’t be more happy today!”

Francisco Espinós, President of Real Club de Polo: “The Barcelona Olympic Games were an unforgettable moment for our club, not to mention a key element in the expansion of equestrianism in in our city.  Since then, Ludger Beerbaum has become a legend for us all, and in this sense, thank you Ludger for all these years and the best of luck for this new phase in your career.”

Ludger Beerbaum GER, talking after a special presentation to mark his retirement from team competition: “Life has been good to me and I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to do the sport. I am grateful in many areas, my family, my owners, the people who trusted in me.  Now is the time for me to be aware of this and thank everyone for what is important. I’m happy with the decision; it wasn’t taken over the last few days or weeks; it was made some months before Rio and I have no regrets. I’m really thankful, and of course I wish of my team-mates the best of luck for the future.”

Count of Salvatierra, Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, Spanish showjumping legend and former President of the International Jumping Riders Club: “The first time I met Ludger at a meeting of the International Jumping Riders Club he seemed cold and distant. But in the end he turned out to be a hard-working, goal-driven and kind person. He learned to be more comfortable around his colleague, and over the years he has established many long-lasting friendships.”

Otto Becker, Chef d’Equipe Germany: “I’m very, very happy with my team – all five were involved in the two rounds, and I’m really proud of how all five rode today. I’m especially proud of the two who took the pressure, Ludger had to go clear in Rio and here in his last Nations Cup and he had to do it again. Marcus had very bad luck in Rio but he was amazing under pressure today.”

Our signature hashtags are: #Furusiyya, #SupportYourNation, and #Jumping.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping series, check out this link.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Barcelona:

Isabel Suter
Press Officer
Email: isuter@rcpolo.com
Tel: +34 760 258 222

At FEI:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

*Featured/Spotlights, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

End of an Era as Olympic Champion Beerbaum Announces Retirement from German Team

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Ludger Beerbaum. (Richard Juillart/FEI)

Rio de Janeiro (BRA), 18 August 2016 – “A legend in his own lifetime, a complete horseman and a man who is deeply involved in the development of the sport.” That was the description of Olympian Ludger Beerbaum given by FEI Jumping Director, John Roche, after the announcement of the German rider’s retirement from his national team.

Beerbaum, who turns 53 later this month, has long been the rock on which his country has depended at championships for almost 30 years.

He took his first Olympic team gold medal in Seoul (KOR) riding a horse called The Freak in 1988, and two more at Atlanta (USA) in 1996 with the great mare Ratina Z and with Goldfever at Sydney (AUS) in 2000. The individual gold he clinched with Classic Touch at Barcelona (ESP) in 1992 was particularly memorable, achieved after a scary moment in the earlier stages of the event when he had to perform a mid-competition flying dismount from his horse.

At his seventh Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), he added team bronze to his collection. Add in two gold, one silver and one bronze at world championships and six gold, three silver and two bronze from European championships, and the enormity of the achievement of this German flag-bearer and supreme athlete is evident.

Beerbaum always wanted to quit at the top, and he will make his final appearance in his red Team Germany jacket at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final in Barcelona (ESP) next month. Emotions are likely to run high as he returns for the very last time to the scene of that glorious Olympic achievement at the very same venue, the Real Club de Polo, 24 years ago.

“It was a tough decision,” he said. But he’s not leaving the sport completely. “I’m working on a number of projects and I will focus on my stable at home, and on training and selling young horses.” In fact his enormous influence will continue to be felt in many ways, because his equestrian centre, Riesenback International which opened just last year, will host national tournaments, clinics and international seminars. It seems he will, in fact, remain right at the heart of the sport.

In addition to his work in Europe, as President of the Longines World Equestrian Academy. Beerbaum will also be a huge support to the development of the showjumping market across Asia.

“It’s great to know we will continue to have the benefit of Ludger’s tremendous experience in years to come,” John Roche added. “He will remain a highly influential figure.”

“I won’t get bored!” the phenomenally successful German athlete said. “I’m grateful that I was able to represent Germany as a rider. Now this is a job for my younger colleagues.”

Equestrian in the Olympics

Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912. Team and individual medals are awarded in three disciplines – Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. Uniquely across the Olympic Movement, men and women compete against each other for all the medals in equestrian sport.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

Rio 2016:

Anja Krabbe
Venue Media Manager
anja.krabbe@rio2016.com
+55 (21) 97556 1218

FEI:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

*Featured/Spotlights, FEI, Show Jumping

Germany Pips USA in Furusiyya Cliff-Hanger at Rotterdam

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Ludger Beerbaum clinched victory for Germany with a thrilling last-to-go round riding Chiara at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Europe Division 1 qualifier. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Rotterdam (NED), 21 June 2013 – Germany galloped back into the game when claiming the honours in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at Rotterdam, The Netherlands today.  In a tense cliff-hanger that went right down to the wire, it fell to Ludger Beerbaum to clinch it, and the man who has long been the linchpin of the German squad succeeded, but only by the narrowest of margins. His nail-biting last-to-go ride had spectators gripping the edges of their seats, but despite collecting two time penalties his side finished with a single-point advantage over the runners-up from the USA who put up a tremendous fight.

France slotted into third ahead of Great Britain in fourth and Switzerland in fifth.  But it was a disappointing day for the host nation as they had to settle for joint-sixth along with Belgium, while the Spanish brought up the rear at the end of a day that just didn’t go their way.

Today’s victory collected 100 points for the German team, but they lie joint-last on the Europe Division 1 league table.  So with only two more opportunities to gather those all-important qualifying points towards the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona, Spain in September, today’s winners will be under enormous pressure going into next week’s leg of the series on their home turf at Aachen.

On a Mission

The Germans were on a mission coming to Rotterdam.  The team withdrew from the previous Europe Division 1 leg at St Gallen, Switzerland three weeks ago but was permitted to rejoin the series following a decision taken by the FEI Jumping Committee.  “For sure we were one-hundred percent focused on today’s Nations Cup,” said Beerbaum this evening.  “We brought a very strong team because we knew after St Gallen that we needed to win the most points.”

They were already out in front at the halfway stage when counting just single time penalties from both second-line rider Hans-Dieter Dreher (Embassy ll) and anchorman Beerbaum with Chiara.  Philipp Weishaupt’s clear with Monte Bellini ensured that pathfinder Christian Ahlmann’s single mistake with Taloubet Z at the vertical first element of the double at fence eight could be discounted.

The clever course was not over-complicated but was big and wide – “more technical than massive,” according to Beerbaum afterwards.  Course designer, The Netherlands’ Louis Konickx, laid out looping turns, and distances that demanded clear decision-making.  It was easy to run up seconds on the clock while getting the fences lined up nicely, and although the triple combination at fence six and the double at eight played a significant role, the poles fell at every obstacle except the vertical at fence two.

Drama

The open water, just one from home on the 12-fence track and following on a bending right-hand line after a tricky vertical that claimed a good number of victims, provided its fair share of drama.  It was here that America’s Laura Kraut made her only first-round error when her little grey gelding, Cedric, pulled hard left on landing over the vertical. Kraut had to grab him back and chase him down to the water, but they arrived on a long stride and made a splash before finishing without further incident.

The US team was lying second at the halfway point carrying just those four faults after lovely clears from both Lucy Davis (Barron) and Beezie Madden (Cortes C), Lauren Hough’s opening eight-fault effort with Quick Study providing the discard.

And three more teams were also snapping at the leader’s heels as Spain, France and Switzerland each carried just five faults into round two.  Belgium was only a little further adrift with seven while Great Britain had 11 on the board as the second round got underway and the Dutch were bringing up the rear with 12.  This was a surprising situation for the host nation who, along with the Swiss, Germans and Spanish, had nominated their home event for points-gathering.  Each team in Europe Division 1 has nominated four of the eight legs of this series for points-gathering purposes.

Loosen Their Grip

A clear second effort from Ahlmann, who continues to top the Longines Rankings, bolstered the German position, but when Dreher’s stallion lowered the oxer at fence three and the first element of the double at eight that seemed to loosen their grip.  With less than a fence between the top five teams there was little room for any stumbling now, and while the Spanish fell away when adding 28 faults and the Swiss slipped when posting 17 more, the French and Americans stood their ground.  Simon Delestre (Qlassic Bois Margot) and Aymeric de Ponnat (Armitages Boy) produced impressive clears for France while both Davis and Kraut followed suit for the USA.  It was no surprise when 20-year-old Davis was presented with the Furusiyya Rider of the Day award.  Her double-clear with the nine-year-old For Pleasure gelding, Barron, was little short of perfection and bodes so very well for this pair’s future in the sport.

Kraut’s clear was a little more exciting as Cedric decided that he still wasn’t that keen about taking on the open water, and once again pulled left on landing over the previous fence.  But his rider was ready for him this time, and as she gathered him up they arrived on a perfect stride to return with a clean sheet.

Decided

By now Weishaupt had registered the second part of his double-clear for the day, so as the competition drew to a close it would all be decided by the last few rounds.  Kevin Staut’s mistake with Silvana at the water had to be counted because Roger Yves Bost (Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois) had picked up five faults at his second attempt, and this brought the French final tally to nine.  But despite a double-error from Madden this time out, the US only had the additional one time penalty collected by Hough to bring their final total to five.  So, as last man into the ring, Beerbaum, headed off for his second tour of the track it was all hanging in the balance.  A fence down would bring the German total to six faults and leave them trailing the Americans by a single point.  But he could afford a couple of time faults.

“I knew I could have two (time faults), but going to the last fence I suddenly thought I hope I don’t have three, because otherwise we might have to go into a jump-off and who knows what could happen then!” the German rider said afterwards.  The Longines timing system showed just two time faults however, giving his side the slimmest of victories.

Not Surprised

When asked about how closely his team was chased by the USA today, German Chef d’Equipe, Otto Becker, said, “I’m not surprised at all.  They’re a really good team and actually one of my favourites.  They made it really hard for us to win today!”

Beerbaum said, “Scores were very tight in the end.  This was really exciting sport and any of the top three teams could have won.  That definitely means the course was good.”  The German maestro is already looking forward to next week’s event on home turf.  “I should be one of the five on the German team at Aachen, and we are going to be under a lot of pressure there,” he pointed out.

Following today’s competition the Europe Division 1 leaderboard continues to be led by the Swiss who, with 250 points to date, have more than a 90-point lead over France in second while the Irish are just seven points further behind in third.  Great Britain lies fourth with The Netherlands in fifth while Germany lies equal seventh with Ukraine.

The inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping season has certainly not been short of excitement so far.  And when the action resumes on the hallowed ground of the Soers Arena in Aachen next Thursday evening the atmosphere is sure to be nothing short of electric.

For information on the 13th leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series at Rotterdam, The Netherlands go to website www.chio.nl or contact Press Officer Anita Lussenberg, Email press@chio.nl, Tel: + 31 621 585 878.  The next leg takes place at Aachen, Germany on Thursday 27 June.  For details of the German fixture go to website www.chioaachen.de or contact Press Officer Niels Knippertz at Email niels.knippertz@chioaachen.de

Full result here.

Facts and Figures:

Rotterdam hosted the fourth round of the eight-leg Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Europe Division 1 series, bringing it to the half-way stage.

Just a single time fault separated the top two teams.

Course designer was The Netherlands’ Louis Konickx.

The time-allowed of 78 seconds proved difficult to achieve.

There were three double-clear performances – from Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt (Monte Bellini), the USA’s Lucy Davis (Barron) and Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger (Palloubet D’Halong).

Six horse-and-rider combinations went clear in the first round, and two of those were from the USA.

Switzerland maintains the lead at the top of Europe Division 1 following today’s competition.

3 horses in today’s competition were by Baloubet du Rouet, the stallion ridden to great success by Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa.  The 3 horses were Bonaire 5, ridden by Spain’s Manuel Fernandez Saro, VDL Bubalu ridden by The Netherlands’ Jur Vrieling and Palloubet D’Halong ridden by Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger.

Quotes:

Christian Ahlmann, GER: “It was a really fair course. The biggest fence was actually the time allowed! The course was pretty technical and big enough. It was really good sport today and a hard fight.”

Philipp Weishaupt, GER – “I tried to keep my concentration levels for the second round and tried to forget about the first round. My horse made it a lot easier for me. He loves it here; he loves Holland!”

Lucy Davis, USA – “It feels amazing to have won this award, and it’s a huge honour. I’m on a team with three women who I’ve looked up to since I started riding, so to have won this award amongst them, and also amongst the Germans is a huge honour, and it’s very inspiring.”

Manuel Fernandez Saro, ESP – “I’m very happy with my horse, because he’s essentially 10 years old – he jumped well today. In the first round we had a small mistake at the combination, and in the second round I pushed him a bit too much so it was my mistake for our faults.”

“As a team we did well in the first round but we were disappointing in the second round.”

Lauren Hough, USA – “The ground was super; it can rain as much as it wants here and the ground stays in super condition. The course was tough and the time played a big factor, and we gave it a good shot, but unfortunately when you are up against Ludger [Beerbaum] you don’t really have much of a chance!. Overall, I think we’re quite happy with second place, and our young rider [Lucy Davis] having a double clear was fantastic – she rode two beautiful, beautiful rounds.”

William Whitaker, GBR – “This is the first time for me and my horse in Rotterdam, and I’m pretty pleased. Both mistakes were probably my fault when you look back, and he’s still quite novice at this level so I’m pleased really. This was Fandango’s first five star FEI Nations Cup so hopefully he’ll get to do a few more now.”

Standings:

For the latest standings in Europe Division 2 of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series check this link.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series check out this link.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Rotterdam:

Anita Lussenberg
Email: press@chio.nl
Tel: + 31 621 585 878

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
Email: grania.willis@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 142

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
+44 7787 780 036

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Beerbaum Storms to Victory in Stuttgart

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Magali Dubois Vaucher from Rolex presents a Rolex time-piece to Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum who won today’s fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Stuttgart, Germany riding Gotha. Photo: FEI/Karl-Heinz Frieler.

Stuttgart (GER), 20 November 2011 – Ludger Beerbaum claimed the honours for Germany today in the fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League series on his home turf at Stuttgart.  Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s 10-year-old mare, Gotha, has been going from strength to strength in the hands of the five-time Olympian in recent months, and produced a superb jump-off round to clinch maximum points for the 48-year-old veteran who won the prestigious series title 18 years ago.

It was no walk-in-the-park afternoon for the world’s top competitors, with only six of the 39 starters finding all the answers to the demanding 13-fence first-round track set by Christa Jung.  The German course designer stretched them from the first fence to the last, and the eight retirements on course were testament to the degree of difficulty.

“It was not too technical but it was quite big – Christa did a good job,” Beerbaum said afterwards. “There were mistakes at all the fences, except, I think, the first – it was selective,” he added.

Continue reading Beerbaum Storms to Victory in Stuttgart →