The USA, this year’s CHIO Aachen partner country in 2024, certainly provided the participants of this year’s quadrille championships with artistic inspiration. But football was also a major theme!

Lovingly designed costumes, sophisticated choreographies and music that ranged from pop to country, through to football anthems – there was plenty on offer for those spectators, who had opted to watch the quadrille championship, the Prize of Handwerk, this evening instead of the EURO 24 football quarter final. The performances of the six teams were as equally top-class as the panel of judges: The championship judge, Katrina Wüst, Henning Lehrmann and Susanne Baarup were impressed by the creativity of the participants.

The panel of judges was already full of praise for the first quadrille by the District Association of Mettmann under the aegis of team leader, Elke Buddenberg. Vera Haug with Tenterhofs Hofmeister, Christina Konings with Milady N, Emely Schermuck with Glenn Flanell and Lisa Malin Schöning with Berney put in a fantastic performance. Katrina Wüst particularly accentuated the good rideability of the horses and the horse-friendly, diversified choreography, all of which was rewarded with a top score, 90 percent in total.

Mettmann held on to the lead until the end. But the last team to enter the Deutsche Bank Stadium were last year’s winners, District Association of Bergisch Land under their team leader, Norma Frerck, dressed as the Statue of Liberty. They danced to the song “Hit the Road Jack”, a rendition which would have delighted Ray Charles himself. She had every reason to hold her flame high, because her four riders put in an immaculate performance. Stefanie Haase with Chestnut K, Nicola Heynen with Livius, Heike Holtkamp with Sambuko and Ramona Müller with Dr. Mo, were total synchronous, the horses trusting and almost completely obedient. “Anyone, who manages to get a statue of liberty rocking, has achieved a great deal,” summed up an impressed Katrina Wüst, praising the lines of the choreography and above all the submissiveness of the horses, and awarded the incredible score of 93 percent and thus the second victory in success for the District Association of Bergisch Land in the Prize of Handwerk.

The District Association of Neuss, presented by Anja Mede, was pleased to come third with a score of 85 percent. The team from Neuss comprised of Janina Lichtenberg with Fahrenheit’s petite fleur, Anke Roeb with First Silvano, Sabrina Stocks with Sir Bernstein and Letizia Vogler with Fille d’amour.