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Show Jumping Top Twenty-five
Bulletin: Beezie Madden (USA) Goes Through to the Final Four on Sunday When the Competitors Ride Each Other's Horses for the Medals

Individual Results:

1. Beezie Madden (USA), Authentic - 4.00
2. Jos Lansink (BEL), Cavalor Cumano - 5.01|
3. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER), Shutterfly - 9.92
4. Edwina Alexander (AUS), Isovlas Pialotta - 10.24

7. McLain Ward, Sapphire - 12.87

02/09/2006 - Ladies First
(Press Release Courtesy of M. Gueorguiev of The FEI)

At the end of a thrilling fourth day, the four riders who will compete for the Individual title of 2006 World Jumping Champion are: Beezie Madden (USA) on Athentic; Jos Lansink (BEL) on Cavalor Cumano; Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) on Shutterly, and Edwina Alexander (AUS) on Isovlas Pialotta. It is the first time in the history of the FEI World Equestrian Games that three of the four riders entering the Final with change of horse are women.

Today’s competition was held over two different rounds: the first one comprising 12 obstacles and 15 jumping efforts and the second one 9 obstacles and 11 jumping efforts. The riders unanimously praised Official Course Designer Frank Rothenberger’s tracks, which were technical yet fair and open leaving the competitors the chance to move up.

Edwina Alexander (AUS), one of today’s only two double clears, could not believe her luck. “I’ve already packed my bags and was ready to go. I guess I have to unpack now,” she said. (Edwina Alexander (AUS) and Isovlas Pialottaare pictured at the right ar the Water Jump.)

Beezie Madden (USA), who sports a single mistake at the water in today’s first round, remains remarkably focused.

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) is convinced Shutterfly is the best horse in the world. The horses of all three are similar so they are confident about tomorrow’s switch of horses.

Jos Lansink’s (BEL) Cumano does not stand out only by his grey colour. He is strong and energetic and, given his playful behaviour during the prizegiving ceremony that followed the competition, may be full of surprises.

In any case, with already an historical result at hand, there is much to look forward to tomorrow. The only thing, in Edwina Alexander’s words, is to stay honest with each other. In the end, it all comes to talent, luck and fair play.

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Driving Final

Team Results:

Gold: Germany - 311.84
Silver: Belgium - 316.55
Bronze: Netherlands - 319.32

8. USA - 362.43

Individual Results:

Gold: Felix-Marie Brasseur (BEL) - 146.37
Silver: Ysbrand Chardon (NED) - 149.18|
Bronze: Christoph Sandmann (GER)- 154.17

14. Tucker Johnson (USA) - 175.50
20. James Fairclough (USA) - 186.93
Elim Cones: Chester Weber (USA)

Driving: Team gold for Germany

In the Individual Classification Ysbrand Chardon and Felix Brasseur Delivered an Exciting Duel

The World Four-in-Hand Driving Championships, the Prize of Family Talbot and Prize of the Handwerk, ended with a team gold medal for the Germans. The victory had been secured before Christoph Sandmann even entered the obstacle course as the third driver in the team: Michael Freund had already driven clear and Rainer Duen only collected minimum time faults (311.84). It was in fact a clear victory. Almost five points separated the World Champions from the silver medallists from Belgium, Felix Marie Brasseur, Geert de Brauwer and Gert Schrijvers (316.55). The Dutch drivers, Ysbrand Chardon, Koss de Ronne and Theo Timmerman (319.32) claimed the bronze medal.

In the individual classification Ysbrand Chardon (the Netherlands) and Felix Marie Brasseur (Belgium) delivered an exciting duel for the gold medal. Chardon had to drive clear to win, but unfortunately he picked up faults at obstacle 14, which meant he had to relinquish the gold medal to his fellow-competitor Brasseur. The 54-year-old World Champion of 1996, a specialist in obstacle driving, collected no faults in the third rating competition (146.37 points): So it was gold for Brasseur and silver for Chardon (149.18). Christoph Sandmann, also known for his good obstacle driving skills, also drove clear to claim the bronze medal (154.17).

For Michael Freund the World Championships and his international career came to a successful close. The fact that he was stripped of his gold medal at the World Championships in Kecskemet (2004) had hit the driver from Hessen hard. Now the World Champion of 2004, has rounded off his career with team gold and fifth place in the individual classification (162.98). The 52-year-old from Dreiech, will in future concentrate on coaching the two American drivers, Tucker Johnson and Chester Weber and on training young driving horses. He also hopes that his son, Marco, will tread in his footsteps one day. "Perhaps I might be back here in ten years time, when my son takes part in the CHIO."

The German four-in-hand driving sport is undergoing a period of great change at the moment, because Christoph Sandmann is also thinking about ending his international driving career. The owner of a freight company and father of three explained: "I have been driving together with Michael Freund for so many years, we have contested many big Championships together, we are close friends and our families get on very well. I don't know if I will be able to motivate myself without him. In addition, I have to do without so many things. Our sport is so expensive and I have no sponsors."

Without these two outstanding drivers it will be difficult for Germany to remain among the international top rankings in this sport. National Coach, Ewald Meier, sees the situation quite soberly, but is of the opinion that Germany will be able to build up aspiring new four-in-hand drivers over the coming years.

www.aachen2006.com

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Statements After the Concluding Driving Competition
Brasseur World Champion - Germany takes Team Gold

At the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 the four-in-hand driver, Michael Freund, rounded off his long international career by winning gold with the team again. With an overall score of 311.84 Freund, Christoph Sandmann and Rainer Duen took the lead after the final obstacle competition on Saturday ahead of Belgium (316.55) and the Netherlands (319.32). However, his dream of winning the individual title did not come true, Freund finished fifth in the individual classification (162.98). The Belgian driver Felix Marie Brasseur (146.37) claimed the World Championship title, followed by the Dutch driver Ysbrand Chardon in second place (149.18) and Christoph Sandmann from Germany in third place (154.17).

Question: Mr. Freund, this means you can round off your successful career with a World Championship gold medal. Or are you disappointed at only coming fifth in the individual classification?

Michael Freund: I got what I wanted. Individual gold would have been nice of course, but I wasn't good enough in the Marathon yesterday. But I am a team driver: We met up yesterday evening, had a beer together and prepared ourselves for today. Now I will be able to retire as a reigning World Champion.

Question: Is this gratification for having been stripped of your individual gold medal two years ago?

Freund: There is no gratification. We drove in a World Championship competition here in Aachen - and the one thing has nothing to do with the other.

Question: What are your plans for the future?

Freund: I will carry on coaching and training young horses for the sport. My son Marco has top priority for me now. It would be a dream come true, if he were to compete in the driving at the Soers in ten years time.

Question: Mr. Sandmann, I heard you are also talking about retiring in the near future?

Christoph Sandmann: I have taken all the important titles together with Michael Freund, which is why my future is rather uncertain now. I don't know if I can further motivate myself without him.

Question: Mr. Brasseur, how confident were you when you went into the last of the three competitions?

Felix Marie Brasseur: I am always nervous beforehand. I'd actually prefer to read a book (laughing). But I am very happy now.

Question: What did you think about the atmosphere here in Aachen?

Brasseur: it is always very special here. The crowd in Aachen is very fair and every driver is always pleased to be return here.

Question: Mr. Chardon, are you very annoyed about picking up faults in the obstacle course today of all days?

Ysbrand Chardon: Of course it was very annoying after everything had gone so well up until then. One of the horses jumped to the side at obstacle 13 - something that he had never done before. Then I had to make sure I drove clear to secure the silver medal.

www.aachen2006.com

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Goodbye, Michael Freund
Standing Ovations from the Crowd in Aachen

Standing ovations from the crowd in Aachen as Michael Freund bids farewell: During his last lap of honour around the Soers stadium, the fans just didn't want to stop cheering. The newly crowned Team World Champion, the role model of German driving sport, ended his international career after the FEI World Equestrian Games.

No other German driver has been as successful as Michael Freund: World Champion in the individual classification (1994), Team World Champion (1992, 1994), twelve-time German Champion, many-time winner of the World Cup, five-time winner in the combined classification at the CAIO in Aachen, Nations' Cup victories and numerous big international CAI victories - the driving sport is losing a valuable driver. In future the 51-year-old driver from Dreieich, Hessen, will concentrate on training young driving horses and coaching the US Americans Chester Weber and Tucker Johnson. Freund's biggest wish: "That my son Marco follows in my footsteps, so that I can perhaps accompany him here to the CHIO as his trainer in ten years time."