Germany’s Ahlmann makes it a hat-trick of Mechelen wins

In an edge-of-the-seat six-way jump-off against the clock, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann steered the 11-year-old Mandato van de Neerheide to victory at the ninth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2023/2024 Western European League in Mechelen, Belgium today.

It was a third win in Mechelen’s Nekkerhal for Ahlmann who previously came out on top at the Belgian venue in both 2015 and 2018. And today the man who claimed the 2011 series title pinned world number one and double world champion, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, into runner-up spot with Iliana while Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet (Bond Jamesbond de Hay) and Pieter Devos (Mom’s Toupie de la Roque) filled third and fourth places. 

Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher (Vestmalle des Cotis) slotted into fifth while the third Belgian in the line-up was Nicola Philippaerts (Moya vd Bisschop) who finished sixth. 

Today’s result moves Ahlmann into 17th place on the Western European League leaderboard while von Eckermann has moved closer to Britain’s Ben Maher at the top of the league table, with only four points separating the pair going into the next leg in Basel, Switzerland in two weeks’ time.

RESULTS