Aachen, August 28th, 2006

Statements of the German Show-jumping Equipe
FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006: Jumping competitions start Tuesday

You are the top favourites to take gold - in both the team and individual classifications: The German show-jumpers Marcus Ehning, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Ludger Beerbaum and Christian Ahlmann. Before the show-jumping competitions of the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 start on Tuesday, the German equipe and their rivals tested the ring at the Aachen Soers.

Question: Mr. Beerbaum, what made the National Coach ultimately decide to nominate you for the team instead of Marco Kutscher?

Ludger Beerbaum: To be honest, I don't know. My experience perhaps played a role in the decision. We all sat down together, everyone was given the opportunity to voice his opinion on the team and in the end the decision was obvious for each one of us.

Question: In the individual final for gold on Sunday - the ROLEX World Champion - all of the riders have to compete against each other on the horses of their fellow participants. Which horse would you like to ride most?

Beerbaum: As long as I get to the final - I don't mind which horse I have to ride (he says laughing).

Question: What do you think of the atmosphere here at the World Championships?

Beerbaum: I am enthralled, it is simply sensational here in Aachen. Because it is not just the equestrian fans, but many other people too who contribute towards this atmosphere. The viewers can even sense the mood at home in their living rooms. I spent the whole days watching television. And whoever was presenting the programmes, whether it was breakfast TV or the daily news with Ulrich Wickert - they are all conveying the spirit perfectly. It is already demonstrating now how much the World Championships are going to achieve for the equestrian sport. The mood at the floodlit dressage freestyle on Saturday evening in front of 40,000 spectators in the main stadium was absolutely sensational.

Question: Mr. Ehning, what made you to opt for Noltes Küchengirl as your WEG horse?

Marcus Ehning: It was just an intuitive decision, I haven't really got an explanation for it. And I haven't reflected on the decision since.

Question: How do you rate your chances of winning individual gold?

Ehning: It is difficult to say. I am definitely not the only candidate, there are so many other top riders. At the moment I am only concentrating my thoughts on the team final.

Question: Mrs. Michaels-Beerbaum, which horse would like to ride most if you reach the individual final?

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum: All of them, except for Ludger's (laugh). And I wouldn't particularly want to ride Dirk Demeersman's Clinton either.

Question: Mr. Ahlmann, You didn't know up until recently whether you would actually be nominated for the team. Did you have any doubts?

Christian Ahlmann: I have been trying to excel by showing outstanding performance throughout the season and have been trying to keep my horse fit. I had a good feeling about it, but of course I wasn't sure, because the others had delivered good results too.

Question: Who do you think are going to be the other top candidates in the team classification of the Mercedes-Benz Prize?

Ahlmann: Of course the US team is very strong. But we shouldn't underestimate other countries such as France or England either.

Question: Mr. Kutscher, are you disappointed that you are only the reserve rider here in Aachen?

Marco Kutscher: Sure, I am disappointed. But one simply must take into account the fact that it is a unique situation here in Germany, because we have so many strong riders, not to forget my adductor injury of course.