The atmosphere at the Aachen Soers went wild, particularly when the tune “Die Sonne geht auf” (The sun is rising) was played in honour of Richard Vogel. The day before, the brass band enthusiast, who used to play the slide trombone for his local music club, had revealed it was his favourite song. In the ring, the European Champion and his superstar horse, United Touch S, also delivered a top-class performance: Like his three teammates, Vogel jumped clear in the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Prize.

Marcus Ehning and Coolio were the first to go for the team this morning. “That was the round I had hoped for,” said the 52-year-old experienced rider with satisfaction. His teammate, Sophie Hinners, was also delighted after her immaculate ride. She navigated the course – which the national coach Otto Becker had described as being “tough, but fair” – aboard Iron Dames Sinclair exactly according to plan: “Everything just went the way we had mapped out beforehand.” By “we,” the 28-year-old was referring to her two business partners, Richard Vogel and David Will. “I walked the course twice, once with Richi and once with David,” she revealed. “We have been working together for many years, and I trust them both implicitly.” Shortly afterwards, Daniel Deußer, riding Otello de Guldenboom, also cleared every obstacle in the legendary Main Stadium without picking up any faults, bringing the German team’s successful outing to a perfect end: “Nothing has been won yet,” the 45-year-old emphasised subsequently. “But now it is in our hands whether we win a team medal tomorrow.”

But they couldn’t have a better starting position: After the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Prize, the German team leads the standings with 3.48 penalties. However, their fellow competitors are hot on their heels: The USA currently holds second place with 4.85 penalties, followed by Belgium and Italy, who are tying in third place as they enter the second round. Starting at 6.50 p.m., tomorrow evening’s floodlit competition will decide which nations get to celebrate winning Gold, Silver and Bronze. The riders already got a taste of the special atmosphere the Main Stadium creates under floodlights during last week’s dressage Freestyle. One thing is certain: goosebumps are guaranteed.

In the individual classification, where the race for the medals will be determined on Sunday during the LONGINES-Prize, Scott Brash from Great Britain is the current leader. Riding his ten-year-old grey mare, Hello Mango, the Paris 2024 Team Olympic Champion has accumulated only 0.80 penalties over two days. “My mare is simply phenomenal,” Brash enthused, adding immediately: “But there is still a long way to go until Sunday.” With this, the British show-jumper accentuated the fact that he is keeping a close eye on the competition breathing down his neck: Sophie Hinners presently lies in second place on 0.84 penalties, followed by Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Daniel Deußer – both with 0.86 points – and Britain’s Ben Maher with 1.01 penalties. The individual classification thus promises a nail-biting finish right through to the final fence.