Four teams, five horses, one show-jumper and one four-in-hand driver—that is all it takes to transform the MERKUR CASINO-Cup at the Aachen Soers into a relay race of the highest calibre. First of all, a rider completes a show-jumping course, then the rider dismounts, sprints to the carriage, followed by a high-speed four-in-hand driving course – a spectacle that combines pace, precision and nerves of steel. Ultimately, victory goes to the team with the fastest time and the least penalties.

This afternoon, it was “TEAM RED” that set the pace, the German/German duo with the upcoming rider, Ava Ferch, and the German Champion, Anna Sandmann, who entered the pulsating arena as the first to go. Courageous, as quick as lightning and highly-focused, together with her gelding, Elvic V/h Hoeve-Terras Z, the 17-year-old, who is a member of this year’s CHIO Aachen CAMPUS Programme of Excellence and was recently distinguished with the Golden Riding Badge, was carried over the obstacles by the frenzied cheers of the crowd in Aachen. The stadium was behind her from the very first fence, the rhythmic applause carried the pair over the course. With a skilful leap out of the saddle of her 14-year-old sports partner, Ava Ferch raced to the next part of the relay: She sprinted to the carriage as fast as speedy Gonzalez, jumped on – and then it was “Clear the way” for the four-in-hand carriage. What then followed, was a demonstration of pure driving skill. A demonstration of agility and speed. The atmosphere in Aachen alternated at the same pace as the demands: From time to time frenetic cheering, occasionally total silence, when things were a bit tight. But one thing was palpable the whole time: The spectators had audible delight in what was taking place on the Holy Grass. As TEAM RED crossed the finish line, 190.82 seconds flashed up on the scoreboard – a time that their fellow competitors were simply not able to match.

Second place went to “TEAM GREEM”, comprising of Iris Michels and the Dutch driver, Bram Chardon, on a time of 191.61 seconds. “TEAM YELLOW” – the Belgian combination between Aurelia Guisson and Dries Degriek – who also impressed with their fast pace and fine tuning, finished third on a time of 195.68 seconds.

The roar of the crowd reached a fever pitch once again when the final duo, “TEAM BLUE”, entered Aachen’s Main Stadium: 13-time Aachen winner Boyd Exell and the crowd’s darling, Richard Vogel, whipped the stands into a frenzy with their spectacular performance. Nevertheless, this afternoon, the sport wrote its own dramatic script: two errors cost the favourite team a place on the podium, ultimately pushing the two international superstars back into fourth place. It was a competition that proved once again that the MERKUR CASINO-Cup is far more than just a contest – it is a thrilling demonstration of equestrian art and driving skill, where this year, the following motto applied: Ladies first.