“Hinners-Double” and “Hopp Schwyz” - Alain Jufer wins the final

Achieving this feat is no small matter: three finals in three age categories were featured at the Tiemeyer x Hetzel Young Horse Masters, and one rider, Sophie Hinners, won two of them with two different horses. This not only highlights the quality of the horses but also speaks well of the trainer. The third final was secured by a guest from Switzerland—46-year-old Alain Jufer with F Ones Son MM, an eight-year-old gelding. The owners from Switzerland originally purchased the horse from Holger Hetzel in Goch.

With this last final in the Prize of the Hetzel Horses GmbH, Goch & Tiemeyer Automobile, Gelsenkirchen, a sunny sports weekend in Goch came to an end. The event became a popular destination for horse fans and families with children, offering much to discover and, above all, providing a detailed and insightful look at young show jumping horses. Meanwhile, 525 kilometers away in Versailles, the Olympic equestrian competitions began on Saturday. In Goch, future stars were on display, and in Switzerland, a family sat excitedly and emotionally in front of the screen as their horse won its first major final.

Swiss Rider, Dutch Horse

Jufer was ecstatic about the successful jump-off with the eight-year-old Dutch gelding with the unusual name F Ones Son MM, which the owners had bought from Holger Hetzel and then entrusted to Jufer. Following him in second and third place were German championship riders Maurice Tebbel (Emsbüren) with Crazy EP and Laura Klaphake (Mühlen-Steinfeld) with Quizano VDL. Tebbel and Klaphake were part of the German team that won bronze at the 2018 World Championships in Tryon. The fourth place was again taken by a Swiss rider: Kaya Ehning, based in the Westphalian town of Stadthagen, claimed this spot with Comme il kenda.

Successful with Father and Son

Following her victory in the final for six-year-old show jumpers with Uriel, 26-year-old Sophie Hinners won another final less than 24 hours later. The five-year-old stallion, Mini Million, from the breeding of Jörg Kröger, was entrusted to Hinners by owner Leo Maier. The young stallion is a son of Million Dollar and Baloubet du Rouet, and Sophie Hinners knows his father, Million Dollar, well, having successfully competed with the Holsteiner stallion internationally in 2022.

What do father and son have in common? The answer comes quickly: "A lot. First, their appearance, then their character—Mini is just as lovely a horse as Million. Mini is just as careful as his father and has excellent jumping technique. The only difference at the moment is their cadence." The gallop cadence is higher in the father than in Mini Million.

Holger Hetzel Proud as Ever

Maintaining partnerships is the credo of tournament director Holger Hetzel, and he applies the same principle with Tiemeyer Automobile (Gelsenkirchen), meaning they don't just meet once a year but maintain contact regularly and develop ideas beyond the events.

Just as important: both F Ones Son MM, the eight-year-old winner of the last final, and the second-placed horse, Maurice Tebbel's Crazy EP, were originally purchased by their current owners from Holger Hetzel. Crazy EP was even the top horse of the auction.

Everything came together this weekend: the weather, the sporting field, and the many visitors, enthused tournament director Hetzel. He also made an announcement: "I've spontaneously decided to increase the prize money for the Grand Prix, the final for seven- and eight-year-old horses, to 100,000 euros next year." This news will be well received not just in the Rhineland.