No, not that one!
Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH are at the top of the leaderboard in the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy (22.9), followed by Laura Collett (GBR) with London 52 (24.8) and Anna Lena Schaaf (GER) with Fairytale (26.0)
With the highest ranked test of the day, Michael Jung secured the top position before tomorrow’s cross-country day. Even after so many shared achievements, Michael Jung’s praise for his horse never gets old: “In general he was really good. He was very calm, beautiful to ride, balanced but also powerful – so I could just enjoy myself.
It’s such an asset that I can depend on him, it makes my job very easy.”
With the dressage done and dusted, Michael Jung’s focus is now on tomorrow’s cross-
country day: “He’s a powerful horse, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. The course has got a long straight, positive start. We do have skinnies, angles, corners, so the course is intense but the questions are clear. “It’s a very nice course with a lot of interesting questions.
With a bold dressage test, Laura Collett and London 52 secured the runner-up position before
tomorrow’s cross-country day. It was interesting to see that especially contenders for the Olympic games were using the dressage phase to take risks, sometimes leading to mistakes to learn from: “I was probably a little too brave but we’re trying to see where we can push the extra bits and what needs tweaking. I know he can go in and do a safe test, but the motto of the day was – go big or go home.”
Laura Collett, who won the LONGINES CCI5*-L last year, is now looking forward to tomorrow’s four-star track: “It’s obviously a different feel to the five-star course but it’s very intense. You have to be on your A-Game and the horses have to react quickly. I think it’s a great track, the ground looks amazing and I’m really looking forward to having a spin. For me it was a no brainer coming here, doing dressage and show- jumping on this surface and the type of track, quick and intense. In my opinion it’s the closest to what Paris is going to be. Obviously, we don’t get selected until later on but I think you have to prepare like you’re going, so you know you’re ready.”
Cross-Country flash quotes
Anna-Lena Schaaf (GER): “Some questions are similar to last year’s course, but it feels
more intense with a good number of skinnies and it will be difficult to stay within the
time but I’m really looking forward to it”
James Avery (NZL): “It’s a nice big and bold track, very well presented so it looks like
a lot of fun. I think it will be a good day of cross-country”
Louise Romeike (SWE): “The cross country looks beautiful, as always here in Luhmühlen.
I think it’s a bit trickier this year, with a lot of skinnies, three waters and I think the time
will be tough”
IMAGES: © TGL/Annette Dölger and Eventing Times
