Thunderous applause. Standing ovations. And a few tears in the eyes of her rider: Their joint journey came to an end for Simone Blum and her “soulmate horse”, DSP Alice, on Thursday evening at the showgrounds of the Aachen Soers.

On Thursday evening, DSP Alice and Simone Blum stood under the gleaming floodlights of the Main Stadium in Aachen for the last time. The place they association with so many unforgettable memories. The chestnut mare with the irrepressible desire to win had always felt particularly at home on the Holy Grass at the Soers. Her fantastic triumph in the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup in 2018 was proof of that. And also in the following year she significantly contributed towards Germany taking second place in the traditional international game of the show jumpers at the same venue after jumping double clear. 2019 was also the year in which DSP Alice was distinguished with the Halla Challenge Trophy as the most successful horse of the CHIO Aachen after coming fourth in the Rolex Grand Prix.

But this is just an excerpt out of the long list of merits with which the Askari daughter catapulted her rider to the top of the rankings of the world elite within the shortest space of time. 40,000 spectators watched mesmerised as the highlights of her career flickered over the big screens. One of the highlights of which was without doubt winning the gold medal at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018. “Thank you for everything, Alice!” Simone Blum finally whispered into the microphone with a shaky voice, before sending her “soulmate horse” off on a final lap of honour accompanied by the thunderous applause of the crowd in Aachen.