Dressage-News

FRANKFURT, Germany, Dec. 20, 2014–Matthias Alexander Rath rode Es Fangar’s Samba King, an eight-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, to win the prestigious Nürnberger Burg-Pokal and placed third on Danönchen OLD.

Matthias and Samba King (Sandro King x Lancet) scored 74.561 per cent in the final of the German national series for horses seven to nine years old at Prix St. Georges. As a six-year old, Samba King was the 2012 Danish Young Horse Champion ridden by Jim Rasmussen.

Oliver Oelrich on Füchtels Floriscount OLD, a nine-year-old Oldenburg stallion (Florencio 1 x Donnerhall) were second, as they were in the preliminary class, on 72.976 per cent.

Matthias on Danönchen OLD was third on 72.707 per cent. Danönchen, a seven-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Danone 1 x Rohdiamant) is owned by Gestüt Schafhof, the stables of his stepmother, Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff that also stages this show that hosts the Burg Pokal final of the series of 16 shows, one held in Austria this year.

Matthias took over the ride on Samba King in the spring from his wife, Franziska, who was pregnant. Their son, Constantin, was born in October.

“I’m glad that I was able to ride him,” Matthias said. “But I also gave her the most beautiful Christmas present.”

The Nürnberger Burg-Pokal was created in 1992 by Hans-Peter Schmidt, chairman of the board of the Nürnberger insurance group, and has become the world’s premier series for seven to nine-year-old dressage horses.

Switzerland’s Marcela Krinke Susmelj on Smeyers Molberg won the CDI4* Grand Prix Special on 74.667 per cent with Germany’s Charlott-Maria Schürmann on Burlington FRH second on 72.216 per cent and Benjamin Werndl, also of Germany, on Der Hit in third on 69.941 per cent.

Burlington (Breitling W x Rohdiamant), a Hanoverian stallion now 11 years old, was ridden by Charlott-Maria to the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal title at this same show in 2012.

Results:

Nürnberger Burgpokal Final