United States Eventing Association

Towards the end of the dressage on Friday at the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L, no one had come close to Thursday leader Pippa Funnell’s score of 23.1 with MGH Grafton Street.

But when fellow British rider Laura Collett cantered down centerline on London 52, the crowd fell hushed. Throughout their ride, their scores trended as low as 19.0, and by the end, they’d taken the lead on 20.3.

Pippa Funnell has been riding the high of a big Bramham CCI4*-L (England) win just days ago with her up-and-comer MCS Maverick, and she kept that positive energy going into the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L on today’s first day of dressage with Jonathan and Jane Clarke’s MGH Grafton Street, scoring a 23.1 to take the early lead.

Today, the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L competitors presented their energetic and wonderfully turned-out horses to the Ground Jury and FEI Veterinary Delegate Dr. Matthias Baumann. Forty horses were accepted.

The fourth of seven five-stars worldwide is taking place from June 15-18 at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials in Luhmühlen, Germany.

The five-star entry list is chock-full of superstar horses and riders, with several pairs having rerouted from the Badminton Horse Trials (England) in May. The event also features a CCI4*-S which serves as the German national championship.

Vogg Jürgen's 14-year-old Westphalian gelding Colero (Captain Fire x Bonita) Colero gave his rider Felix Vogg a tremendous birthday present - the first five-star victory of Vogg's career! Just like the cross-country course, the show jumping of the Longines CCI5*-L proved to be very influential. Only three riders stayed clear and within the time allowed. With a very fresh and smooth round, Vogg and Colero held onto their dressage score of 29.0 points. Kirsty Chabert of Great Britain brought home second place honors aboard John Johnston and Carole Somers' 13-year-old Anglo-European mare Classic VI (Calvaro F.C. x India Summer) and New Zealand's Jonelle Price completed the podium third with the 17-year-old British Sport Horse mare Faerie Dianimo (Dimaggio x Faerie Dazzler VII) owned by Trisha Rickards, Jacky Green, and Price.

Thanks to a fast and clear round on cross-country, Switzerland's Felix Vogg will go into Sunday's final phase of competition in the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L aboard Vogg Jürgen's 14-year-old Westphalian gelding Colero (Captain Fire x Bonita) on their dressage score of 29.0 points. Their double-clear round moved them up from fourth place following dressage to the leading position going into show jumping. Vogg and Colero were one of nine pairs to cross the finish flags within the time allotted

A brilliant dressage test put British rider Bubby Upton with Rachel Uptont’s 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Cannavaro (Oklund x Domina) in the lead in the five-star at Luhmulen on a score of 24.9. The value of Bubby Upton's dressage score became apparent at the end of the second dressage day. None of the other competitors were able to overtrump yesterday's performance. U.S. rider Lauren Nicholson is currently paving the way for the rest of the U.S. field sitting in second on a score of 26.7 with Jacqueline Mars’s 15-year-old Anglo Arabian gelding Vermiculus (Sazeram x Wake Me Gently) while New Zealand’s Tim Price rounds out the leaderboard in third aboard the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Vitali (Contender x Noble Lady I) who he co-owns with Alexander and Joseph Giannamore.

Five-star season is well underway and four U.S.-based pairs have turned their focus toward the CCI5*-L at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials which takes place June 16-19 in Salzhausen, Germany. We caught up with each rider to get their thoughts on their decision to make the trek overseas and what they hope their horses glean from the experience.

If you want to compete with - and beat - the best, you have to push yourself. Hard. Ariel Grald’s third place at Luhmühlen on Leamore Master Plan is proof of that. Simply riding at the German CCI5* in 2021 involved a great deal of effort and determination, so to pull off the USA’s best result at a foreign five-star since Boyd Martin’s third on Shamwari 4, also at Luhmühlen, back in 2014, was a triumph for the 32-year-old.

“After the German government announced new restrictions on April 15, 2020, we have considered several options but unfortunately now have to cancel the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials from June 18–21, 2020”, explained event director Julia Otto.