German Four-in-Hand Championship: Christoph Sandmann Takes the Title from Daughter Anna
SportThe German Four-in-Hand Championship in Greven remained undecided until the very last competitor. The concluding cones phase reshuffled the standings at the top of the leaderboard, with veteran driver Christoph Sandmann claiming the national title. It marked his eleventh German Four-in-Hand Championship gold medal. His daughter Anna, who came to Greven as the defending champion, secured the silver medal. Compared to last year, father and daughter simply exchanged medal positions.
Anna Sandmann won the silver medal: “As long as someone from the family wins, we’re happy. Gold and silver is a great result!”
The bronze medal went to Mareike Meier. She had been lying fourth before the cones. Meier won the dressage on Friday, finished fifth in the marathon and then produced the best cones round of the competition to win the final phase as well. She finished with just 7.99 penalty points, consisting of two knocked balls and only 1.99 time penalties for exceeding the time allowed.
Anna Sandmann was the next driver into the cones arena. She knocked down three balls and also finished just outside the time allowed. Her total of 10.50 penalty points was enough to provisionally retain third place.
Her father Christoph, who had been second after both the dressage and marathon and therefore also second in the overall championship standings, completed the demanding cones course just outside the time allowed. In addition, he collected nine penalty points from knocked balls.
Huge pressure
Georg von Stein from Modautal, who had taken the overall lead after winning the marathon and finishing fourth in the dressage, was the final starter. He held a one-penalty-point advantage over Christoph Sandmann before the cones. After Sandmann’s round, Von Stein still had a margin of just over ten penalty points, but with Mareike Meier setting the benchmark on 7.99 penalties and no driver producing a clear round, the pressure was immense.
When balls fell at obstacles 5D and 11A, the pressure increased further. He then took an incorrect line to obstacle 12, knocking down two more balls. “That was the championship,” commented German team coach Karl-Georg Geiger. Two additional balls fell before the finish, dropping Von Stein completely out of the medals. He finished the cones with 25.29 penalty points and ultimately had to settle for fifth place.
Fourth place went to Rene Poensgen, whose second-fastest cones performance (9.33 penalty points) moved him up the standings to finish just outside the medals.
High standard
New German champion Christoph Sandmann was delighted with the outcome. “Gold and silver is a wonderful result for our family, especially with the World Championship in Aachen approaching. We saw a high standard in the dressage here in Greven, an exceptionally strong marathon and today another demanding cones course,” he said.
Michael Brauchle from Aalen endured bad luck in the marathon. The 2015 European champion and renowned marathon specialist had recorded the fastest times in every obstacle and was on course for victory before falling from the carriage while exiting one of the obstacles. Although he escaped injury, the incident cost him 20 penalty points. Combined with his sixth place in the dressage, it ended the five-time German champion’s hopes of another medal.
Final World Championship trial
Germany’s Four-in-Hand drivers have one final selection event before the World Championship in Aachen. From 24 to 26 July they will contest the Four-in-Hand Nations Cup in Rastede. Following that event, the Driving High Performance Committee will announce the German team for the FEI Four-in-Hand World Championship in Aachen.
Source: Pferdesport Deutschland
Photo: Melanie Guillamot
