Leonie Böckmann and Leila Bingold in second and third place

Alongside 50 top stars, 25 aspiring international young talents are allowed to compete at the Aachen International Jumping. In the NetAachen Prize, the first Young Riders jumping competition of this weekend, the Belgian show-jumper, Dieter Vermeiren, was the fastest with "Kingston Town".

“That was a really good day for me. It is fantastic winning here,” Dieter Vermeiren said shortly after the prize-winning ceremony. The opening class at the Aachen International Jumping couldn’t have gone better for the 21-year-old Belgian. “Having the opportunity to compete in Aachen is already a huge bonus in itself. And then to actually notch up a victory here is simply indescribable.” He put in a speedy round in the two-phase jumping competition with his horse “Kingston Town”, whom the talented young athlete has already been riding for six years. The clock stopped at 30.58 seconds.

Leonie Böckmann (GER) and “Label d’Amour” took slightly longer than Vermeiren to reach the finish line. The pair took 31.43 seconds to complete the course. Leila Bingold (GER) and “Chiara II” claimed third place (32.59 seconds). The second round of the Young Riders competition starts at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, before a jump-off at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday decides, who wins the NetAachen Grand Prix of the Young Riders.

For many of the aspiring young show-jumpers it is a special experience being able to directly compete parallel to the top stars. According to Vermeiren it doesn’t matter that the courses are located in Deutsche Bank Stadium rather than in the Main Stadium. “For me it is still Aachen. The whole showgrounds here. That makes no difference.”