Two birds with one stone – Katrin Eckermann claims a double victory in the Grand Prix at the Hetzel Spring Masters

She knows the tournament inside out, knows her horses even better, and on Sunday she was number one and two in the Grand Prix of Vitakraft pet care at the Hetzel Spring Masters in Goch. Katrin Eckermann entered the arena like a “coup de foudre” and came back out again with Iron Dames Cascajall NRW and the nine-year-old Comilio. A double success for the 35-year-old rider from Kranenburg.

In front of an enthusiastic crowd, the show jumper delivered something close to perfect riding in the jump-off. She learned that both from her father Otmar Eckermann, from trainer and later mentor Holger Hetzel, as well as former national coach Kurt Gravemeier. Overall, her weekend record was excellent, as Eckermann made full use of the show’s programme with horses of different ages. As important as top international events such as Miami Beach and Mexico City may be, horses are developed and produced elsewhere – at the strong national and regional shows in Europe.

Tournament run by a perfectionist

Eckermann’s praise was not only for her horses: “I am very satisfied, I have wonderful horses and they are simply fun to ride. I also have great support from my family and a strong team, especially my groom Kelsey. Everyone knows that Holger is a perfectionist, and his tournament reflects that. His whole team is incredible – from the parking attendants to the course crew, you feel that everyone is even grateful to be able to help.” A compliment undoubtedly deserved by the entire organising team.

The two horses that secured Eckermann’s double victory in the Grand Prix are both nine years old. Former Young Horse World Champion Iron Dames Cascajall NRW stormed into first place in a faultless 40.20 seconds, while stablemate Comilio – related to Cascajall through the stallion Comme il Faut and both bred by Alfons Baumann – was only slightly slower in 41.45 seconds. They finished well ahead of the proud third-placed Franziska Müller with the twelve-year-old Calkato (44.00 sec.). Only four of the 25 rider-horse combinations completed the first round without faults.

The boss: satisfied

Holger Hetzel – a man constantly full of ideas – was especially pleased with the strong attendance. “The Masters is always our season opener, while the Young Horse Masters in July is really our main event. So it was wonderful to see how many people came here. For our standards and for the region, it was really very good.” He also felt the entry numbers were just right: “That made it pleasant and entertaining for everyone.” After five days of competition, attention is already turning to the Tiemeyer x Hetzel Young Horse Masters from 22–26 July. The focus there will be on young jumping horses and a highly attractive schedule.