Thieme and DSP Chakaria win the Grand Prix of the Mannheimer Maimarkt

In front of once again full stands, 10,000 people in the jumping stadium and 2,500 at the dressage, the 58th Maimarkt Tournament in Mannheim came to an end on Tuesday evening. And André Thieme made it a very special event with his top mare DSP Chakaria. "Even in the far north, where I come from, the Badenia is a household name. And as a North German, I really wanted to win this show jumping event. Now I was allowed to take part for the second time, and that it has worked out now thanks to my wonder mare - I am super super happy and very glad that I came here," said the rider from Mecklenburg during the award ceremony.

In September 2021, the pair won the European Championship title in Riesenbeck and are now naturally among the favourites for the gold medal at this year's World Championships, which will take place from 6 to 14 August in Herning, Denmark. But the 47-year-old put the brakes on the euphoria a little: "The World Championships are still a long way off, it's still a while away. We try not to think too much about it yet," he said. But if he and his 14-year-old chestnut mare (by Chap - Askari) keep up their current form, they should definitely be in the running for the medals in Herning. Until then, there are still more qualification competitions and Nations' Cups on the programme. But regardless of the outcome of the WEG, one thing has long been certain for Thieme: "I know that I am blessed with this horse. She is a huge stroke of luck. We won't give her away again. We hope she will live with us for a long time and have many more babies when her career is over. A lot has been said about this horse. She is simply complete. She can just do everything and pulls me over there with her."

But a victory in the Badenia, which is steeped in tradition, also requires a great performance from the rider. And Thieme achieved this especially in the jump-off. He guided the nimble Chakaria through the course in only 37.44 seconds and chose the tightest turns. More than one second slower was the second-placed pair Jörne Sprehe (Fürth) and the ten-year-old Dutch mare Hot Easy. But their round was also one of the absolute highlights of the competition. A total of five pairs had reached the jump-off. Third place went to the Austrian rider Julia Houtzager-Kayser and High Five after another clear round in 40.20 seconds, ahead of Timo Beck (Kehl) with Mirabel by Oudevelhoeve (0/ 40.49sec). René Tebbel (Emsbüren), who competes for the Ukraine, came fifth with Good Morning B. The two were fast (38.49sec). The two were fast (38.35sec), but had a drop at the last obstacle.