For the tenth time this year, the German Amateur Championships in Dressage and Jumping were crowned, for the first time Zeiskam in Rhineland-Palatinate was the venue. „Amateurs are the heart of German competitive sport,“ said the FN. „With passion, dedication and sporting ambition, they shape the tournament landscape. That is exactly why the German Amateur Championships (DAM) and the German Amateur Championships (DAC) have been held since 2017 – as a stage for top performances in amateur sport.“
They ended with a surprise. After two qualifying rounds, in which both victories had gone to Bernd Hofbauer with Jupiter, the new German amateur champion in jumping was then Gerd Gerdes. With his eight-year-old mare Jurwinas fille von Cornet Obolensky – Diarado, he had mastered all three courses without a single fault. After third place and sixth place in the two first qualifying rounds, he also managed a quick, flawless round on the final day and with third place in this test, the gold medal for the plant manager from Lower Saxony was finally won. „We have been sports partners for almost four years; it’s not quite that easy, you might have seen that, but we have grown together more and more and she is simply the best,“ said the winner about his mare. For him, these were the first German amateur championships and Gerd Gerdes was very enthusiastic: „I really enjoyed it; it was a very good course every three days, very fair-played and yet challenging. And the facilities here, the whole atmosphere – we also celebrated nicely – that’s all great here,“ he praised the event.
Silver went to Theresa Engfer with Call me Maya. This pair also came in first in all three tests without a single fault. Also securing a bronze medal with three zero rounds was Frieder Dietterle and Corinna. The managing partner had placed twelfth in the first qualifying with his Hanoverian mare, but then moved up to seventh place with two seventh places. For Bernd Hofbauer and his chestnut Jupiter, things did not go well on the final day. After victories in the first two tests, two poles fell on Sunday and he finished the DAM ranking sixth.
The victory in the Höveler German Amateur Rider Championship at M-level went to Franziska Wolke with D’Artagnan from Weser-Ems in 2026. Silver was won by Ivonne Klare with M.C. Fitty. The industrial worker, like the winner, is also from Lower Saxony. Bronze went to Alexandra Tebbe and Skala ST. The previous year’s winner was also in top form with her mare in Zeiskam. After third and second place in 2022 and 2023, they won the title in Münster last year. On the final day, however, a pole fell, so the result was third place. (fn-press)