Aachen, 29. Juni 2008

Germany I wins first worldwide Nations' Cup
Vorberg and Ströh make it a perfect triple victory in the vaulting

German triple victory at the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen (June 27th - July 6th): Vaulting World Champion Kai Vorberg triumphed in the men's individual classifications and Nicola Ströh also finished top in the ladies' competition. Furthermore, the Germany I team - comprising of Vorberg, Ströh and the Team World Champions from RSV i. Neuss-Grimlinghausen I - also won the first Vaulting Nations' Cup in the world, followed by Team Germany II.

After winning the compulsory test in the previous days, but being pipped at the post by Daniel Kaiser from Delitzsch, near Leipzig in both freestyle competitions, the vaulter from Cologne, Vorberg, dominated the technical test today and claimed a clear victory in the three-day overall classification on Picasso RS von der Wintermühle with a score of 8.480 ahead of Kaiser on Merkur (8.204) and the Swiss vaulter Patric Looser on Record RS von der Wintermühle (8.062). "I am definitely on the right path, however there is still slight room for improvement in my performance," commented Vorberg, who only performed his new freestyle routine in Aachen for the fourth time ever. He had personally adapted the title "Music" by John Miles as "Vaulting was my first love". "I didn't want to take on the role of a different character this time, but instead I wanted to convey more about myself, thematising vaulting as my true passion," explained the 26-year-old. Vorberg will now be travelling to Brünn in the Czech Republic for the World Championships as the clear favourite.

For the favourite in the ladies' competition, Nicola Ströh from Hamburg on Lanson, it turned out to be a close race in the end: She was beaten in the technical test by her fiercest rival, the US-American Mary McCormick on Leonardo. However, Ströh's total score of 8.364 sufficed to take the victory in the overall classification ahead of McCormick (8.309) and the Austrian European Champion Sissi Jarz on Pitucelli (8.164). "In spite of the fact that I didn't give my best performance, I still managed to beat everyone, who I will compete against at the World Championships," stated Nicola Ströh happily. First the victory in Aachen and then at the World Championships - that was the goal Ströh set herself weeks ago.

In the Nations' Cup RSV i. Neuss-Grimlinghausen I succeeded in taking their revenge for the controversial defeat the day before. Their team Germany I ultimately finished first with a score of 25.899 ahead of Germany II (Ines Jückstock, Daniel Kaiser, Team Wintermühle of JRG Cologne) on 25.406 and the Swiss team (Marion Graf, Patric Looser, Lütisburg I) with a total score of 24.870. "It was super, really great fun," beamed the team's lunger Jessica Schmitz. "We set out to win the first ever Nations' Cup - and we succeeded in doing so." The national coach Ursula Ramge described the introduction of a Nations' Cup as being a "successful idea, which will give the vaulting sport a real impulse - and the wonderful TV coverage times prove that Aachen's concept is a very good one." The Show Director, Frank Kemperman, was also pleased with the outcome: "The vaulting has got the show off to a fantastic start for us. It was absolutely the right decision to pull the competitions forward to the weekend, extending the CHIO Aachen into a ten day event - vaulting is a wonderful element of the CHIO Aachen."

Opening hours of the CHIO Aachen 2008 ticket sales:
Sunday, 29.06.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, 30.06.2008 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, 01.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 02.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, 03.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, 04.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, 05.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, 06.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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