The British rider, Georgia Tame and her just seven-year-old mare, Be Thiassi, looked like they were sure to win the second competition in the Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup. But then came Hans-Dieter “Hansi” Dreher and Harley de la Cense.

In a time of 64.97 seconds Hans-Dieter Dreher and the Selle Français gelding, Harley de la Cense, snatched the victory away from Georgia Thame and Be Thiassi. The AES-bred mare out of Cuick Star Tervec had headed the field on a time of 65.18 seconds up until then. The pair ultimately finished second and the mare was also the best seven-year-old horse in the class. A further British pair came third, Ben Maher with the Zangersheide-bred gelding, Maddox vh Haringvliet Z, a Monte Bellini son (65.91). The winner of the first qualifier for the final, Lusso Gih Z under Steve Guerdat (SUI), came fourth today.

Hans-Dieter Dreher, who is due to compete in his first European Championships in La Coruña this year, beamed like a Cheshire cat and is convinced Harley de la Cense is going to be his next star. “I have been riding him now for just under a year,” reported Dreher. “He still hasn’t got that much experience at this height, but he really is an exceptional horse!”

The 53-year-old said emphatically that the horse had demonstrated to everyone today precisely why he thinks that. The horse’s talent comes from his genes: Harley’s dam, the Calvaro Z daughter, Twenty Clary, was herself successful at four- and five-star level – namely under Hansi Dreher, so it all comes full circle. Whereby, Twenty Clary never won a class in Aachen. In this connection, her son already has one up on her.