Source:  News Release

Amid beautiful weather and tropical temperatures 23,500 spectators poured into the showgrounds today for the traditional “Soers Sunday“. The day started off with the ecumenical religious service in the Deutsche Bank Stadium, which was staged under the motto “The Bow of Life” this year. This was followed by a colourful programme for young and old alike on the warm-up arena of the show-jumpers. The line-up included pony jumping, quadrilles, the “red devils”, a “human pyramid” and much more. Furthermore, the people from Aachen met up for a stroll around the tent village and a cool beer at the Warsteiner stand.

Whilst the visitors enjoyed the atmosphere on the showgrounds, the vaulters were not only competing for top rankings in the Albert-Vahle Arena, but were also fighting for a ticket to the World Championships in Kentucky. Namely, the national coach, Ursula Ramge nominated her World Championship squad members after the competitions. In the men’s competition Kai Vorberg (Cologne), Gero Mayer (Lastrup) and Daniel Kaiser (Delitzsch) will be representing the German flag and in the ladies‘ competition the two vaulters from Neuss, Antje Hill and Simone Wiegele, as well as the junior vaulter Sarah Kay (Sörup), were nominated. In the team competition VV Ingelsberg had already qualified for Kentucky in May. “The nominees had already proven themselves in the competitions so far,“ commented Ursula Ramge happily about her protégés. And regarding their performances in Aachen. “We won the team competition and the men’s individual as well as claiming second place in the ladies‘ individual competition. That is a success quota of almost 100 percent – even though the world’s best vaulters competed here in Aachen.“

Aachen was a complete triumph for Kai Vorberg once again. Germany’s star vaulter, who lay ahead after the two freestyles and the compulsory test before the decisive technical programme, also won the fourth competition and thus like last year secured himself the victory in the overall classification ahead of the reigning European Champion, Nicolas Andreani (France) and his Swiss training partner, Patric Looser. A victory that is a good basis for Kentucky. “I was relatively satisfied with the freestyle, but I am still going to have to do some work on the end of my routine,“ Vorberg commented self-critically with a view to the pending World Championships despite having beaten his strongest rivals. His freestyle routine entitled “Change“, which, accompanied by German/American quotes, represents the construction and fall of the wall and the peaceful revolution of the German folk, has a double meaning for him: The World Championships in Kentucky may indeed also mark the end of the incredible career of the two-time World and European Champion. The second best German was Gero Meyer (Lastrup). The reigning World Champion Petr Eim (Czech Republic), who beat Vorberg two years ago, only managed to reach ninth place in the overall classification.

The ladies‘ competition in Aachen turned out to be a walk over for Joanne Eccles from the start. The reigning European Champion from Great Britain won all four separate competitions and thus clearly dominated in the overall classification rankings. “I am very good at the freestyle, but I can certainly make some improvements in the compulsory test,” Eccles stated when questioned about her role as the favourite. “The top 10 in the world all lie very closely together, so no one can allow to make any mistakes at the World Championships.“ She performs her wonderful freestyle routine to the song “Candle in the wind” by Elton John. After ranking second in the final technical test Antje Hill (Neuss) moved up to second place in the overall classification, ahead of the US-American Megan Benjamin, who won the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in 2006. Simone Wiegele (Neuss) was the second best German vaulter ranking fourth overall.

The American national anthem was played in the “Prize of Sparkasse“, the freestyle of the teams. In the absence of the teams that competed in the Nations Cup, the team freestyle competition was won by the Woodside Vaulters from the USA, ahead of Team Molen from the Netherlands and the Austrian group from Freisaal.

The Nations Cup is always the climax of an equestrian show, regardless of the discipline. This also applies for the vaulters, who displayed an exceptional level of sport in the sold-out arena. The Nations Cup in vaulting, which involves each country being represented by a male and female individual vaulter as well as a team, celebrated its premiere in Aachen three years ago and has long since become the concluding highlight of the three-day event in the Albert-Vahle Arena, which was attended by over 3,000 spectators this year. In 2010 the Nations Cup ended with a surprise: The French team comprising of the European Champion Nicolas Andreani, Ann-Sophie Musset Angus and Team France narrowly defeated the favourites from Team Germany I comprising of Kai Vorberg, Simone Wiegele and Team Bleyer Rheinland and Team Germany II (Gero Meyer, Sarah Kay and Team Rittergut Habighorst). “We are very proud to win here. The entire world elite competes in Aachen, this victory means an awful to us,“ commented the overjoyed French team coach, Davy Delaire. “This victory is a good indication of our present form with a view to the World Equestrian Games. And we are already looking forward to returning to Aachen again next year.“