After their triumph in the Grand Prix, Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain also won the Grand Prix Spéciale of the Four-Star Tour, today in the Lindt-Prize.

As in the Grand Prix, Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain asserted themselves against the British World Champion, Charlotte Fry with her number two horse, Lars van de Hoenderheide, in the Lindt-Prize. Frederic Wandres was awarded a score of 75.894 percent, Fry finished on 75.128 percent. The newcomer Katharina Hemmer with Denoix, who made her debut in Aachen, came third on a score of 73.957 percent, followed in fourth place by Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Vayron from Denmark (73.851), the pair that came third in the Grand Prix.

Later in an interview, Frederic Wandres, emphasised the fact that today’s victory hadn’t been matter of course: “The field of competitors in the five-star Tour is star-studded, but the four-star Tour also boasts an incredibly strong line-up! When I saw the start list for the Grand Prix, I thought ‘Gosh, we will have to really exert ourselves!’ Of course, Duke is a very experienced horse. He has already beaten the strongest line-ups in the past and he did the same today, there were one or two small mistakes, but one can always find something. Overall though, he demonstrated his strengths in full and we are very, very happy with him.” That sounds like someone who has headed the lap of honour a few times here in Aachen.

Someone, who competed for the first time here in Aachen, like Katharina Hemmer, sounds like this: “I was actually totally cool and calm beforehand and completely faded everything out that was going on around me. But when I am finished and everything has gone well, as calm as I may have been before, I can get just as excited. And then in such an atmosphere – one really can get emotional…,” she beamed.

She also revealed: “I have been here once before during the Olympic quarantine before Tokyo. I had to ride a horse of one of Hubertus’ pupils (Riding Master, Hubertus Schmidt, her and Denoix’s trainer and coach, editor’s note). I set off after finishing work and when I arrived, the sun was slowly going down behind the stadium. I got goosebumps when I rode into the arena and I thought: ‘My God, Katharina, work hard and make sure it isn’t the last time you ride here!’ And the fact that I am back again two years later is awesome, of course!”