In his first appearance at the German Championships for professional dressage riders, the 36-year old David Leßnig secured the title.
For the first time these "Profi Championships" were held at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf after the format travelled across Germany in the past two decades with hosts in Hagen, Unna-Maasen, and Darmstadt before, amongst other locations.
The Format
The format includes two rounds of which the final is with a horse exchange.
In the qualifying round at S*** level, the participants rode their own horses. The result counted towards the overall standings. In the final, a special S***-level test in the form of a short Grand Prix, the three finalists each rode the horses of their two competitors. Five minutes were allotted for preparation on each unfamiliar horse.
The two final results and the qualifying round result were added together to determine the overall ranking.
Leßnig Prevails Through Preparation
While the field of entries for these Championships in Warendorf was rather underwhelming with just five riders signed up to compete, it left much room for Lessnig to finish at the top of the leaderboard and claim the title. He prevailed in the final wit...