60,000 Euros and the first stop in mainland Europe for the Event Rider Masters

We wish good luck to Aussie riders, Bill Levett and Isabel English, competing in Wiesbaden, Germany this weekend.

The first stop of the Event Rider Masters (ERM) in mainland Europe starts this Friday with Leg 2 of the 2017 series at the Internationales Wiesbadener PfingstTurnier, Germany, 2nd – 3rd June.  This forms part of a planned global expansion for ERM and is the first competition leg to take place on the continent at the unique location of Biebrich Palace, on the banks of the Rhine River in the city of Wiesbaden.

A mouth-watering line up of twenty-six of the world’s top Event riders will be competing for the 60,000-euro prize fund in the ‘T20’ version of Eventing.  They represent ten nations including Mexico and Poland who are represented for the first time in the series, as well as over half of the field making their ERM debut.

The dressage phase will kick off the competition on Friday followed by the showjumping and cross country on Saturday.  It’s likely to be an exceptional performance from horse and rider across all three phases that secures the coveted top spot on the ERM podium.

The ‘locals’, Germany are playing a strong hand and are represented by an awesome line up of fourteen horse and rider combinations, including SAP Sports Ambassador and ERM debutant Ingrid Klimke.  The five times Olympian won team gold at London 2012 and in Beijing 2008, as well as winning at Wiesbaden at the same level in 2016 after producing a remarkable dressage score of 27.3. Furthermore, her horse SAP Escada FRH is renowned for being brilliant in all three phases and the pair are ear-marked as the likely favourites to feature on the ERM podium on Saturday afternoon.

SAP Sports Ambassador Ingrid Klimke commented:

“I’m really excited that the Event Rider Masters is coming to Germany for the first time and I am looking forward to competing in Wiesbaden. The Event Rider Masters puts a modern spin on traditional Eventing and transports Equestrian sport to new places and new audiences. There is an enthusiastic and loyal Equestrian fan base in Germany and I hope they will have as much fun at the event as I will.”

Britain’s Sarah Cohen arrives from the UK already holding 21 ERM series points, which she earned after finishing in sixth place riding Treason at Leg 1.  She teams up with the same horse again who has been in tremendous form during 2017.

China’s Alex Hua Tian riding Don Geniro, winners of Leg 2 of the 2016 ERM series, is also making the journey from his Cheshire base.  The combination were strong performers across 2016, following their ERM victory they delivered an eighth-place finish at the Rio Olympics, with Don Geniro subsequently being crowned 2016 EquiRatings Horse of the Year in December.  With Alex and Don Geniro having never incurred a cross country jumping penalty in their twenty international performances, they could feature high up on the ERM leader board early in the series again.

Alex Hua Tian, winner of Leg 2 in 2016 commented;

“Wiesbaden is a world renowned equestrian spectacle and I am really looking forward to experiencing it.  Don (Don Geniro) is in very good form and we are both ready for the first European leg of ERM. He has been prepared specifically to target the series this year, with one run since Rio, which hopefully has set him up nicely for this weekend”.

Aiming to earn valuable ERM points early in the 2017 series are Brazilians Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Carlos Parro.  Marcio currently holds 18 points after his ninth-place finish at Leg 1 riding Coronel MCJ, and who he partners again this weekend in Germany.  Carlos Parro rides Calcourt Landline, who he rode to complete Leg 1 in twelfth gaining 15 ERM points.

Polish rider Pawel Spisak makes his own ERM debut having represented his country in the past four Olympic games and rides Banderas.  Anibal Garrido Viveros on board Scavi is also the first ever Mexican rider to compete in the series.

With Leg 2 of the series featuring an awesome line up of current and former Olympic, European and World Championship horses and riders, the scene is set for a scintillating two days of ERM Eventing. 

All the action from Wiesebaden can be viewed live and for free at eventridermasters.tv.  A highlights programme will be aired across global TV channels from Thursday 8 June, including Sky Sports in the UK at 7pm.

For Leg 2 competitors, start times, information, and live stream visit; Eventridermasters.tv/events/2017/wiesbaden