After the first round of the Nations Cup, the world’s best teams are separated by the narrowest of margins. This promises a nail-biting finish right up to the last ride on Friday evening.
Marcus Ehning and Coolio by Casalito-Quidam de Revel (Martina Wirtz, Hohenzieritz), line 2067, got the ball rolling. “That was the round I’d been hoping for,” said the 52-year-old veteran with satisfaction. His team-mates – Sophie Hinners on Iron Dames Sinclair by Singular LS la Silla-Cardento, Daniel Deußer on Otello de Guldenboom by Tobago Z-Caretino and Richard Vogel on United Touch S by Untouched-Lux – were also delighted after their flawless rides. Daniel Deußer summed up the German team’s successful performance aptly: “Nothing has been won yet,” emphasised the 45-year-old. “But now it’s in our hands whether we win a team medal tomorrow.”
The starting position could hardly be better: after the first round, the German team leads the standings with 3.48 penalty points. But the competition is hot on their heels: The USA are in second place with 4.85 penalty points, followed by Belgium and Italy, who are level on points and go into the second round in joint third place. This evening, from 6.30 pm, it will be decided which nations will be celebrating gold, silver and bronze.
In the individual standings, Marcus Ehning and Coolio are currently in tenth place with 1.78 penalty points. Kansas VL Kannan-Com Air I (Lazlo Vinse, HUN-Budapest), Stamm 7187 and Anna Simicska (HUN) also rode clear in the first round of the Nations Cup. With 4.01 penalty points, the pair are in 28th place. Just one point behind them, in 39th place, are Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Conner Jei by Connor-Cosimo (Gerhard Stahmer, Duvensee), number 8778.
Photo: Stefan Lafrentz (Coolion by Casalito)
