04 Oct Stühlmeyer, Dreher and Viehweg — Top trio chasing points in Wiener Neustadt
(Wiener-Neustadt) With the seventh round at the CSI Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt, the BEMER Riders Tour enters the indoor season. From 5 to 8 October, the three-star event will be held as part of the APROPOS PFERD, Austria’s largest and most popular equestrian fair. The leading group of the BEMER Riders Tour remains close together before the penultimate stage. Patrick Stühlmeyer leads with 35 points, but his closest pursuers Michael Viehweg and Hans-Dieter Dreher are within striking distance with 26 and 25 points respectively. A top finish in Wiener-Neustadt would significantly strengthen each rider’s grip on the overall Tour victory. Interesting: All three will bring their successful Riders Tour partners to Austria. Stühlmeyer will saddle the Selle Français stallion Drako de Maugre, on whom he scored points in Hagen a.T.W. and Münster, Viehweg will ride the AWÖ stallion Contario, which he rode to victory at the Immenhöfe, and Dreher will once again rely on his stage winner from Münster, the Selle Français gelding Vestmalle des Cotis. The two were most recently victorious in the opening event of the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona.
Hot for the title
“They are also hot for the title,” Patrick Stühlmeyer said about his competitors. For the rider from Mühlen and his Bavarian rival Michael Viehweg it was immediately clear after the fifth leg in Münster that they also wanted to ride in Wiener-Neustadt. Stühlmeyer places great confidence in his stallion at their first start in the Arena Nova: “Last year Drako de Maugre had a good indoor season, he was very good in Stuttgart and Braunschweig, he feels very comfortable indoors. On Sunday we will try to go clear!”
Strong competition for top trio
The upgrade to three-star level has given the CSI Arena Nova a respectable line up of entries. The main star is the Austrian champion rider and number 11 in the world, Max Kühner. The rider from Starnberg is in top form this year, returning from the European Championships in Milan with the team bronze medal and a strong individual result. The Greek-born rider from Upper Austria, Angelos Touloupis, and his stallion Lord Mexx have already recorded various victories and placings in Nations Cups, Grand Prix and World Cups up to 1.60m. The 2023 State Champion, Jörg Domaingo, will further strengthen the Austrian side in Wiener-Neustadt. The Dutch Olympic champion and world number 24 Jur Vrieling is a regular guest at the Arena Nova, but the Grand Prix victory has so far eluded the 54-year-old top athlete there. Stühlmeyer, Dreher and Viehweg will also have competition from their own ranks: Sophie Hinners knows the Riders Tour mode well, she finished last year’s season in second place. Sabrina Berger was able to place fourth at the Riders Tour premiere in the Arena Nova in 2022.
Austria caught up in jumping fever
Austria is currently jumping at a new sporting high. After securing the Olympic qualification for Paris, victory in the EEF Final in Warsaw followed two weeks later. In other words, the best ingredients for exciting equestrian sport in the best atmosphere. This is the second time that the Army Riding Club of the Theresian Military Academy, under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Roland Pulsinger, is acting as organiser of the popular show. Already on Friday evening, 6 October, the qualification will be decided in the Prize of the Arena Nova powered by EPP, an international 1.55m class with jump-off. The best pairs, including the pre-qualified riders, will then start in reverse order in the BEMER Riders Tour rating competition with winning round on Sunday, 8 October. This Grand Prix of the Sportland Niederösterreich alone accounts for 52,600 euros in prize money of the event, which is worth 132,000 euros. The final of the BEMER Rides Tour will be held at the VR CLASSICS Neumünster from 15-18 February 2024.
Ranking of the BEMER Riders Tour after six of eight stages
1. Patrick Stühlmeyer (GER), 35 Punkte
2. Michael Viehweg (GER), 26
3. Hans Dieter Dreher (GER), 25
4. Michael Kölz (GER), 20
4. Jodie Hall Mcateer (GBR), 20
4. Lorenzo de Luca (ITA), 20
7. Eoin McMahon (IRE), 17
7. Penelope Leprevost (FRA), 17
7. Michael Greeve (NED), 17
7. Evelyne Bussmann (SUI), 17
7. Christian Kukuk (GER), 17
7. Eduardo Pereira de Menezes (BRA), 17
Stages of the BEMER Riders Tour 2023/24
Horses & Dreams meets Sweden, Hagen a.T.W. / GER, 19. – 23. April 2023
Pferd International, München-Riem / GER, 18. – 21. Mai 2023
CSI Ommen, Ommen / NED, 06. – 09. Juli 2023
Fest der Pferde, Donaueschingen-Immenhöfe / GER, 27. – 30. Juli 2023
Turnier der Sieger, Münster / GER, 24. – 27. August 2023
CSI Lier Azelhof Horse Events, Lier / BEL, 31. August – 03. September 2023
CSI Arena Nova, Wiener Neustadt / AUT, 05. – 08. Oktober 2023
VR CLASSICS, Neumünster / GER, 15. – 18. Februar 2024
Photo: Ranking leader Patrick Stühlmeyer brings the Selle Français stallion Drako de Maugre, on whom he already scored points in Hagen a.T.W. and Münster, to Wiener-Neustadt (c) sportfotos-lafrentz.de