100th CSIO of Germany at Mannheim (CSIO5*), July 16 – 19, 2015

Just a few days before the 100th CSIO of Germany will be celebrated in the MVV Equestrian Stadium (MVV Reitstadion) at Mannheim, it is clear that the expected 30,000 spectators will experience show jumping sport of highest quality. But, not only the thrilling sport, but also the touching Gala evening “Mannheim – City of Music, Horses and Emotions”, the fair and the top ambience will bring enjoyment and relaxation to the spectators.

The President of the Mannheim Riding Club (Reiter-Verein Mannheim e.V.), Peter Hofmann, initiator and director of the 100th CSIO of Germany, is very happy to announce the expected starting field, „ With the top purse of 718,000 Euro, which puts us not only in Germany but also internationally in the top group of show jumping shows, we have been able to attract the eight leading teams of the world, among those the four top placed nations of the 2014 WEG, the Netherlands, France, the USA and Germany with their top riders. In spite of the PanAm Games, the US team will be headed by the WEG double bronze medalist Beezie Madden and the winner of the Grand Prix of CSIO5* Rotterdam and WEG team bronze medalist Lucy Davis.”
 
As well the reigning Olympic Champion will come to Mannheim, as Peter Hofmann is enthusiastic to tell, “The head of the Swiss team will be 2012 Olympic Individual and 2015 World Cup Champion Steve Guerdat. France will be represented by the 2009 European Individual Champion Kevin Staut an. Of course, we would have been happy to welcome also the reigning European Champion Roger-Yves Bost, but unfortunately his top mount is not in top form. The Netherlands will bring with Albert Zoer, who had won the Grand Prix of the MVV Energie Mannheim this May, and Wout Jan van der Schans two of their top riders.”
 
And, Peter Hofmann continues, “The same counts true for Belgium, who won in 2014 the Nations Cup of Germany at Aachen. Jos Lansink, whose top mount is fit again, and Judy-Ann Melchior will present the Belgian team as well as the at the time most successful Belgian rider Jérôme Guery. He has got to ride Papillon Z just this spring and they have already won the Grand Prix of the CSIO5* Lummen beginning of May, the Grand Prix of CSI5* Knokke two weeks ago and the Grand Prix of CSI4* Mons just a week ago. Also Italy, the winners of the Nations Cup of CSIO5* Lummen, will be represented with its best team at Mannheim. We are also very pleased to welcome individual top riders like Michael and Robert Whitaker of Great-Britain or Katharina Offel for the Ukraine in the 300,000 Euro Grand Prix.“
 
The German team
With these strong foreign teams Germany, of course, does not want to stand back. It is its declared aim to win the 100th Nations Cup of Germany. It would be the first home victory since 2008. The chances are good. In the 1997 European Championships at Mannheim Ludger Beerbaum had achieved with Ratina Z a double gold – individually and with the German team. In the 2007 European Championships at the same site, the title was won by his sister in law Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly, individual bronze by Ludger Beerbaum with Goldfever and silver together with the German team.
 
The German equipe for the 100th CSIO of Germany was announced at a press conference in the Maritim Hotel Mannheim on July 8 by German co-team coach Heinrich-Hermann Engemann. The German team will include four time Olympic Champion Ludger Beerbaum, for whom it will be his 127th participation in a Nations Cup, 2003 Double European Champion Christian Ahlmann, 2010 Team World Champion and three time World Cup Champion Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and local hero Hans-Dieter ‘Hansi’ Dreher, who has won in 2015 the World Cup qualifier at Leipzig aboard Embassy II, as they had done at Stuttgart in 2013.
 
But, there are several more German top stars competing in the 300,000 Euro Grand Prix like 2000 Olympic and 2010 World Team Champion Marcus Ehning, 2014 World Cup Champion and 2013 European Team Silver medalist Daniel Deußer or 2005 Double European Champion Marco Kutscher. In spite sending a top team,
Engemann knows that there will be a very tense competition at Mannheim, „The last weeks have shown that all teams are very close together. It had already some surprises, which show that each team is able to win. I would love to see Germany win at CSIO Mannheim but also in the Aachen European Championships later this year…”
 
A wish, which is shared also by the other team coaches and Chef d’Equipes as well as Engemann’s opinion about Mannheim as CSIO host, “Mannheim was the wish of the German show jumpers. We know what we can expect here. We will find ideal conditions, the footing is excellent and the organization is perfect. Peter Hofmann has put up a super program. He and the region deserve that many spectators will assist the event.”
 
Culinary Delights
Around the 25 show jumping competitions held in two arenas it has also a first class program of entertainment and life-style. Nobody less than Maître de Cuisine Harald Wohlfahrt, who has achieved a sensational three star rating in the Guide Michelin and is considered to be the best Chef in Germany, will take care about the culinary delights in the VIP tent and in the business section. He will present in the morning an excellent breakfast buffet and at lunch time an outstanding three-course Gourmet menu.
 
Bewitching moments and a world première in Saturday’s Gala evening
Throughout the day the top international show jumpers stand in the focus of interest, but Saturday night during the Gala evening “Mannheim – City of Music, Horses and Emotions” magic will happen and bewitching moments will show the horse in all its facets!
 
Breath-taking stunts take turns with fascinating animal training numbers, which show the intimate relationship between human being and horse. Christina Uetz, Event Director of the Equitana at Essen, has put together an exclusive range of high-carat, international show stars. Among those are the two top stars from France, Jean-Francois Pignon and Lorenzo. The dressage sports will even be represented in the Gala evening of the CSIO with a world première: for the first time ever the two Olympic Individual Champions Charlotte Dujardin of Great-Britain and Isabell Werth of Germany will present together a Golden Pas de Deux.
 
Really hot it gets with the Excalibur Horse Show Team, when horse and rider go through fire! The Compagnie des Quidams will create in the beginning and at the end of the show a very touching atmosphere with over-dimensional, lit-up horse–balloons. For the musical frame the Musikpark Mannheim and students of the Pop Academy Mannheim will take care. The Gala evening starts at 8 pm and will end with magnificent fire-works at 11 pm.
 
Tomorrow’s heroes – the CSIO foal auction
At the occasion of the 100th CSIO of Germany the auction ‘Nations Cup Foals’ presents 22 elite foals, whose genes let expect for them a great future in the show jumping arena. On July 18, after today’s heroes have decided the 100th Nations Cup, tomorrow’s heroes can be bought in the foal auction. The foals are selected by the manager of the Süddeutsche Pferdezuchtverbände Vermarktungs-GmbH, Roland Metz,, from breeders of the German Sport Horse in the southern region of Germany. All 22 elite foals are predestined by their genes for a great career in the international show jumping sport. Off-springs from top international show jumping stallions like Cellestial, Chaman, Colestus, Colorit, Cornado I, Cornet Obolensky, Diacontinus, Diamant de Semilly, Diarado, Dinken, Embassy II, Emerald, Heartbreaker, I’m special de Muze, London, Plot Blue, Quaprice Bois Margot, Toulon or Zirocco Blue.
 
More information on the collection including video clips of the foals can be found on www.suedpferde.de. A printed catalogue is also available. During the 100th CSIO, the breeding associations of southern Germany (Süddeutsche Pferdezuchtverbände) will be represented by a booth on the fair grounds.For more information on the foals, Roland Metz can be directly called on his mobile: +49 171 4364651.
 
More entertainment and lifestyle
The 100th CSIO of Germany, which will be broadcasted in 90 countries, is not only a top equestrian sports event but also an entertainment for the whole family. A ticket for the CSIO includes admission to the fair with about 100 exhibitors offering everything around equestrian sports, lifestyle and fashion, to the show ‘Flying Jewels’, to the foal auction, to culinary delights also apart from the VIP Village as well as breathe-taking and funny performances between the show jumping competitions. The kids can enjoy a petting zoo, face painting, pony riding and a bouncy castle.
 
Tickets for the show taking place in the MVV Reitstadion at Mannheim July 16 – 19, 2015 can be bought from 20 Euro on. They can be ordered by +49 (0) 1806 – 99 66 99 and online on www.csio2015.de <http://www.csio2015.de>  including the Gala evening on July 18. VIP arrangements start from 250 Euro on and can be ordered by [email protected].
 
More information, time schedules, latest news and photos in print quality can be found on www.csio2015.de <http://www.csio2015.de> .                  Written by Birgit Popp