The Prize of Sparkasse 2025 has crowned its first winners. Once again Team Norka from VV Köln-Dünnwald was in a league of its own among the groups – for the fourth time in succession indeed. Whereas in the ladies and men’s competitions, two new vaulters added their names to the list of CHIO Aachen winners.

Team Norka from VV Köln-Dünnwald with Ecuador lunged by Alexandra Knauf were the clear favourites to triumph in the Prize of Sparkasse yesterday at the latest after being the only group to score an 8.0 or better in all parts of the obligatory test. Cologne also won the freestyle hands down today and thus the overall victory in the Prize of Sparkasse. They notched up a final score of 8.540 points.

Team St. Hubertus Herne RFZV with Balou, lunged by Stefan Lotzmann, came a delighted second. They finished on an accumulated score of 7.736 points. Third place went to Team SVEA from Sweden with Elversoes Galantic, lunged by Daniela Fiskbaek (7.427).

One might think when a team wins four times consecutively, the victory could be taken for granted. Not at all, Cologne’s trainer, Torben Jacobs, explained: “Aachen is a special venue and a special atmosphere that always causes a little more tension,” is how he summed up the difference between the CHIO Aachen and other events. On top of that, the team has only been training together in this constellation since the beginning of the year. Albeit extremely successfully, as Jacobs confirmed happily: “They really worked well, together with the horse!”

The horse he is talking about, is the ten-year-old Westphalian-bred Ecuador. Whose trainer and lunger, Alexandra Knauf, received a special distinction today. She has been highly successful as a lunger for 20 years meanwhile, has claimed many titles and medals with her horses and athletes – so many that it took the national coach, Kai Vorberg, several minutes to read them out. Knauf’s services were celebrated with a La Ola wave and from now on she carries the title master of vaulting.

Alice Layher wins the Prize of Sparkasse for the first time

The ladies’ competition in the Prize of Sparkasse couldn’t have been closer. Alice Layher and Candy (lunger: Daniel Zembrot) finished in first place just 0.004 points ahead of Alina Roß and Baron R, lunged by Volker Roß. Alice’s average score after three tests was 8.321, Alina’s final score 8.317. The 24-year-old Alina, German Champion in 2021, won the freestyle today with a fantastic round, but it didn’t suffice to oust Alice from the throne, after she had collected a good head start after the technical and compulsory tests.

Last year, Layher came second behind the World Cup winner, Kathrin Meyer. The title holder also began today’s freestyle as the overnight leader this year with Capitain Claus OLD, lunged by Gesa Bührig. However, a small error cost her valuable points, putting her back into third place in the overall classification (8.305).

The 23-year-old athlete, Alice, couldn’t grasp it after winning the Prize of Sparkasse for the first time: “I still can’t really believe it! I hadn’t expected it all,” the U21 European and World Champion from 2022 and 2023 said, shaking her head again and again. “Yes, I was happy with my freestyle routine, but that it sufficed for the victory…” And that in a year, that hasn’t gone to plan at all so far, as she revealed. “I was injured; the horses weren’t top fit…” But luckily Alice has a further iron in the fire with Candy, “a fantastic substitute horse,” she emphasised. And one that has now also carried her to victory in Aachen.

Victory at the first attempt for Bela Lehnen

The winner of the men’s competition in the Prize of Sparkasse, was equally surprised: The vaulter from Cologne, Bela Lehnen, with Formel 1 D.C., lunged by Alexandra Knauf. On a total score of 8.391 points, on his first appearance in the individual classification, Lehnen asserted himself against the four-time champion, Thomas Brüsewitz, (8.351) with William II Z (Lunger: Maik Husmann), and Jannik Heiland (8.334) with San Djamiro (Lunger: Barbara Rosiny).

“I am speechless,” the new Aachen winner exclaimed. And his trainer Torben Jacobs also confirmed: “No, we weren’t expecting that.” He wasn’t as surprised as his protégé though, who still actually qualifies as a Young Vaulter and as such also won the Prize of the Best in May in the U21 category. Jacobs: “He also won the Seniors German Championship title in 2023 as an U21 vaulter.” Not without good reason, the trainer revealed: “I have seldom trained a vaulter, who is so persistent, works so hard on himself and is so diligent,” he praised. Add to that a trait one can’t learn: “He has so much charisma. He is the type of person that makes a good impression without having to do much.” So, Jacobs is sure: “We’ll see more of him!”

Outlook

Tomorrow we can look forward to the final competitions of the Prize of Sparkasse 2025. At 9.30 a.m. things will get serious for the pair vaulters in the Pas-de-Deux. Syra Schmid and Zoe Maruccio from Switzerland are currently heading the rankings on a score of 8.429 points, followed by three German pairs: Diana Künne and Peter Harwardt (8.326), Jella Hamann and Arne Heers (8.074) Philine Lindhorst and Cjell Aron Richert (7.940). The highlight of the vaulting is on the agenda at 2 p.m.: the Nations’ Cup.