Josch Löhden Wins the Final

 Thrilling Jump-Off Crowns Josch Löhden as Final Winner in Goch

A spectacular jump-off brought the final for seven- and eight-year-old show jumping horses to an exciting close on Sunday afternoon at the Tiemeyer x Hetzel Young Horse Masters — Europe’s most highly endowed competition for young jumpers — held at Holger Hetzel’s equestrian centre in Goch, Rhineland.

No fewer than 16 pairs had jumped clear in the first round. In the jump-off of this €100,000 S-class competition at two-star level, it was Josch Löhden from Lower Saxony, riding for RV Zeven, who came out on top. With Cornets Lady, his eight-year-old Oldenburg mare by Cornet Obolensky, bred by Gebrüder Möller GbR, Löhden delivered the fastest faultless round in 41.52 seconds — and that as one of the final riders in the ring.

“This is my first time here in Goch, and I’m absolutely impressed by what the Hetzel family and their team have created. I’ll definitely be back next year,” said Löhden during the prize-giving ceremony.

Second place went to Elisabeth Meier (RV Hüttental), who also delivered a clear round aboard her mare Eau d’Or in a time of 42.47 seconds. Just behind her, Belgian rider Laurens Houben (RSG Niederrhein) claimed third with the stallion Dior, also finishing on a clean sheet in 42.67 seconds.

Host and organizer Holger Hetzel was equally thrilled: “Everything went just as I had hoped. Over four days, we witnessed top-level sport with outstanding horses and fantastic riders,” he said at the close of the event.

Earlier in the day, the €25,000 final for five-year-olds saw Jana Fink (RFV Milte-Sassenberg) take the win aboard Arcassio, a stallion from the North Rhine-Westphalian state stud in Warendorf. The Alaba son, bred by Josef and Christine Wilbers, delivered a faultless jump-off round in 42.05 seconds, surprising even his rider: “I’m truly impressed by how Arcassio has developed over the past few weeks. He always tries his heart out and has an incredible attitude,” said Fink.

Second place went to Desiree Kemper (Netherlands) riding the Westphalian stallion Crismo by Cornet Obolensky, who also finished on zero faults in 46.86 seconds. Third place was claimed by Laurens Houben and Clarella, a Westphalian mare by Clarimo, who recorded the fastest time of 38.50 seconds, but incurred four faults.

With this win, Fink and Arcassio now head into their next big challenge with a significant advantage: a valuable bonus awaits the most successful horses across both the Tiemeyer x Hetzel Young Horse Masters and the Al Shira’aa Bundeschampionate, taking place from 2–7 September in Warendorf.

The horse with the highest combined score from the two finals will be crowned “Youngster of the Year” in its age group. The owners of the top horses will receive generous prize money:
– €2,500 for the best five-year-old
– €5,000 for the best six-year-old
– €7,500 for the best seven-year-old

Already on Saturday, the Westphalian mare Complication-M, a Casco Bravo daughter bred by Christoph Mevenkamp, claimed victory in the €50,000 final for six-year-old show jumping horses with Laurens Houben in the saddle. In the jump-off, the pair delivered a flawless round in 40.14 seconds, finishing more than a second ahead of Johannes Ehning (RFV St. Martin Stadtlohn), who took second place with the Belgian mare Byblosh-K van Kattenheye Z (0/41.16).

Third place went to Jonte Hansen (RFV Behrendorf) riding Maverick, who also jumped clear in 41.34 seconds.