Luhmühlen: All Horses Pass First Horse Inspection, Avoid Biblical Thunderstorm

Tim Price and Ascona M. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

A compact but competitive field of 35 trotted up in front of the assembled ground jury of Christina Klingspor (SWE), Anne-Marie Taylor (GBR), and Martin Plewa (GER), presided over by the faint smell of beer and sausages and the imminent threat of a truly epic storm. It rolled and grumbled its way over the trot-up but, thankfully, never quite came to fruition – instead, everyone involved just got a bit soggy while their horses gaped and shied alongside them.

Andrew James and Hold Me Down. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Two horses were sent to the holding box early on – Andrew James‘ second ride, Hold Me Down (let me buy you a drink first, at least) was sent outright, while Tim Price‘s Ascona M was asked to trot a second time and ultimately held. Both were accepted upon re-presentation.

Frankie Thierot Stutes and Chatwin make their five-star debut. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

We’ve got two American riders holding down the fort here this weekend – Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect made light work of a devilishly tough Pau track on their last trip abroad in 2017, while Frankie Thierot Stutes and Chatwin are five-star debutantes, but with a wealth of experience and some enviable wins behind them. We’ll be bringing you the form guide later on today, so you can get to know the full field.

Allie Knowles and Sound Prospect. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

The five-star competition begins in earnest tomorrow afternoon, with dressage commencing at 2.10 p.m. German time/1.10 p.m. BST/8.10 a.m. EST. We’ll also be keeping an eye on the CCI4*-S Meßmer Trophy, which also acts as the German championships. The Meßmer Trophy kicks off tomorrow at 9.00 a.m. German time/8.00 a.m. BST/3.00 a.m. EST.

The entirety of the five-star will be live-streamed through Horse&Country TV – you’ll need to subscribe to access the feed, though it’s inexpensive. You can find information on how to access the live-stream depending on which country you’re in here. Stock up on pretzels, chums. It’s going to get very German.