09 Oct Goal achieved – Stefan Eder wins BEMER Riders Tour in the Arena Nova
(Wiener Neustadt/ Austria) “I already rode here with the goal to win,” Stefan Eder stated quite frankly. And it worked – the 41-year-old Austrian, who represented his home country at the World Championships and European Championships, won with two clear and cleverly calculated rounds. He won with DR. Scarpo the seventh competition of the BEMER Riders Tour in the Arena Nova and is now in sixth position in the ranking.
Eight riders remained clear in the first round in the Grand Prix of the Sportland Niederösterreich, the competition of the BEMER Riders Tour, which made its first stop at the CSI Arena Nova. Among them was the quallification winner Sabrina Berger from Amberg/Bavaria, who had relegated Eder to second place on Friday evening.
Eder’s sport partner DR. Scarpo has a weil known sire with Sandro Boy and is one of Eder’s top horses: “He is an extremely good horse and in a very good mood. I also really enjoy riding here in the Arena Nova.” Another Austrian, Siegfried Schlemmer, followed in second place in the CSI’s most prestigious competition. Schlemmer was less than a second slower than the winner with the 12-year-old Flick Flack. “The atmosphere is sensational in the arena – with the audience – of course that spurs me on: Me and Flick Flack too, of course,” said the show jumper from Styria, who won 17 ranking points.
“I am super-satisfied with my horse,” announced Angelos Touloupis proudly. The Greek, who hails from Thessaloniki and lives with his wife in Linz, piloted the nine-year-old Holsteiner Lord Mexx to third place. “On Friday our plan didn’t work out so well, but in the Grand Prix now those were two great rounds.” For Touloupis, the start in the Arena Nova, as well as in the BEMER Riders Tour, was a premiere.
Sabrina Berger confirmed her top performance from Friday with fourth place and a very young Austrian fulfilled a dream: Lena Binder, daughter of the former Nations Cup rider Anton Martin Bauer, rode to sixth place in the most demanding competition of the international show. “To stay zero in the Grand Prix – that would be the greatest,” the only 17-year-old had declared as late as Saturday. With Dad’s eleven-year-old Viano Z, Lena loves in both rounds without faults and was also enthusiastically celebrated as the youngest rider who ever starts in the Grand Prix of the CSI Arena Nova.
The decision turned out to be exciting at the CSI Arena Nova, which was a real spectator magnet on all days. Fine of the eight pairs, who qualified for the second round thanks to clear rounds, remained again without faults. The Dane Mathias Norhaeden Johansen conceded a fault in the first round with Camelot, finished tenth and improved his score to 36 points. With this Johansen moved up to seven points to Sophie Hinners (43). Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann is still in the lead with 57 points.
Results Grand Prix presented by SPORT.LAND Niederösterreich, BEMER Riders Tour – Rating Competition, CSI2* – Int. jumping competition over two rounds (1.45 m)
1. Stefan Eder (AUT), DR. Scarpo 0/ 41, 85
2. Siegfried Schlemmer (AUT), Flick Flack 0/ 42,06
3. Angelous Touloupis (GRE), Lord Mexx 0/ 44,26
4. Sabrina Berger (GER), Quidams Star Melloni 0/ 45,14
5. Bronislav Chudyba (SVK), Vroom de la Pomme Z 0/ 45,75
6. Lena Binder (AUT), Viano Z 0/ 48,52
Ranking BEMER Riders Tour after 7th Leg
1. Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann (GER), 57 Points
2. Sophie Hinners (GER), 43
3. Mathias Norhaeden Johansen (DEN), 36
4. Emanuela Camilli (ITA), 25
5. Mario Stevens (GER), 23
6. Reemco Been (NED), 20
6. Matthieu Billiot (FRA), 20
6. Stefan Eder (AUT), 20
6. David Will (GER), 20
10. Wolfgang Puschak (GER), 19
PHOTO: Stefan Eder and DR. Scarpo, winning the 7th Leg of the BEMER Riders Tour at CSI Arena Nova. (photo: Stefan Lafrentz)