His whole life long Julio Mendoza Loor had dreamt of riding in Aachen. This dream not only came true for the dressage rider from Ecuador tonight, he actually won the IWEST-Prize.

With a narrow lead, the gold medallist of the Pan-American Games, Julio Mendoza Loor, rode to victory in the Grand Pris Freestyle, the IWEST-Prize with his KWPN gelding, Jewel’s Goldstrike. The pair were awarded a score of 78.920 percent for their choreography to among others, “La Isla Bonita”. Second place went to the Polish dressage rider, Sandra Sysojeva and her just eight-year-old Oldenburg-bred mare, Maxima Bella, on a score of 78.510 percent. The US-American team silver medallists from the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper, came third (76.430 percent).

“This victory means the world to me,” explained the overwhelmed winner. “I have always dreamt about competing here in Aachen. The fact that this dream has come true with this horse, means everything to me!” He and Jewel’s Goldstrike alias “Goldie” have been a pair for five years. The biggest achievement in their career to-date was claiming the title at the Pan-American Games in 2023. Up until now they have only competed in the USA (where Goldie otherwise lived out at grass 24/7, as Mendoza Loor explained), this is his first season in Europe.

Sandra Sysojeva with Maxima Bella was torn between joy and disappointment at coming second. The black mare first competed at international level in Hagen and the pair’s performance was characterised by lightness and harmony. Which would have been anything but matter of course a few years ago, as her trainer reported: “Sandra bought her as a two-year-old together with other young horses. The mare proved to be extremely difficult. But with an incredible amount of patience she has managed to win the mare over.” And now they had won a silver rosette on their debut appearance at the CHIO Aachen. Until Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel’s Goldstrike entered the dressage arena as the last pair to go, it looked like they were going to win the class. So, having missed out on the victory so narrowly, was of course slightly disappointing. But this is without doubt not her last appearance in Aachen.