GHI Blog

Neumünster/ Germany – The VR Classics, from 16th to 19th February, is one of the most successful and traditional international indoor tournaments in Germany, and its reputation is one worth protecting. As a result, last year an investment was made which went down very well with both showjumpers and dressage riders. Surfaces with the feel-good factorAn event must have firm foundations, and in this case, quite literally. The surfaces of the main hall and both warm-up areas are the “pillars” of good sport, satisfied horses and riders. “My horses felt very comfortable there”, says Denis Nielsen, the 2015 German Champion who, on 1st January, took up residence in Isen (Bavaria) at Gut Daxau. “The horses effectively spend longer in the warm-up areas than they do in the main hall, so it’s really important that the surface is good,” emphasised the rider who secured third place in the Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken Grand Prix. With DSP Cashmoaker Nielsen jumped his way into third place, just before coming second with Calanda in the sh:z-Youngster Cup for young horses. “The horses take the feeling of well-being with them from the warm-up areas into the main hall”, believes Nielsen firmly, “I noticed that and was very successful in Neumünster.“ A win win situation - top marks from dressage too The dressage riders share this opinion. Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg State Champion Wolfgang Schade: “It was considerably better than in previous years. The surface in the main hall was good anyway, but last February the surface in Hall 3 was equally so.” The Hamburg rider knows the Holstenhallen like the back of his hand, not least from the licensing events there, and he knows the challenges that event organisers face, since each individual event uses the surface differently. “It used sometimes to be too wet in the warm-up area”, explains Schade, “so the surface would have to be worked on overnight to make sure conditions in the warm-up area were suitable. The new surface provides conditions so far superior to the earlier ones that there’s really nothing left to moan about. And sometimes we do like to have a little moan…” Team World Champion Fabienne Lütkemeier from Paderborn knows all about the “before” and “after” and enjoys looking back on the 2016 VR Classics: “It was all great!” The national team rider trotted into third place with Fabregaz in the Grand Prix Special of the Pferdestadt Neumünster Championship before giving her horse D`Agostino FRH the chance to really dance in the World Cup Freestyle, the VR Bank Neumünster Prize. Keyword “dressage” - nail-biting SaturdayTop riders are all set to compete in the FEI World Cup Dressage at the VR Classics in Neumünster. Ahead of the deciding Grand Prix Freestyle - the VR Bank Neumünster Prize in which 15 pairs will be allowed to compete - qualification will be decided on the Saturday morning in the Grand Prix - Madeleine Winter-Schulze Prize. So for anyone wishing to experience great dressage at the highest level and see all the World Cup candidates, Saturday morning will be truly unmissable... Watch great sport, meet great people - VR Classics Pure dressage and show jumping, the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken and easyCredit show competition, the first barrage jumping competition, an extensive exhibition to browse, food, drink and great people to meet - all these things are hallmarks of the VR Classics from 16th to 19th February in the Neumünster Holstenhallen. There are still tickets for this cult sporting event, available by phone on (04321) 755 421 or by post via tickets@vr-classics.de. In addition, until 14th February tickets can be bought and pre-booked tickets collected from Caspar-von-Saldern-Haus, Haart 32 in 24534 Neumünster. Opening times: Tue. & Wed. 09:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 17:00. Thur. 09:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 18:00. From 15th February tickets are available from the box office at the entrance to Holstenhallen 4 and 5. .Further details of the 2016 VR Classics including photos, news and details of prizes and placings are available online at: www.pst-marketing.de. The simplest way to find the event is by using #VRClassics.

Press Release 2017, January 17th