display
Berlin (dpa) - Show jumper Christian Ahlmann sums up the situation in four words.
"It's a disaster," says the 46-year-old about the effects of the Corona crisis.
Ahlmann has not been able to pursue his profession as a rider properly for several months.
And planning the season with the goal of the Olympics in Tokyo is “currently not possible at all” for the professional, who has consistently ridden among the world's best since winning double gold at the 2003 European Championships.
More than 90 percent of the indoor tournaments have canceled, the World Cup season in Western Europe was finally canceled two weeks ago.
He tries to "keep his horses going," reports Ahlmann.
The next two five-star tournaments, which promise not only sufficient prize money for the professionals but also competition practice at a high level for the horses, are only in four weeks in Doha.
display
After that, Ahlmann wants to go to Spain for a few weeks "if nothing else is."
Escape to the south is currently popular given the lack of indoor tournaments.
In Oliva, Valencia and Vejer de la Frontera there are series of tournaments over several weeks.
"You can ride in the south, that's a good thing," says national coach Otto Becker: "The tendency towards such tours is increasing anyway."
In Spain, however, there is hardly any prize money, but rather expensive training opportunities in the fresh air.
Two Olympic candidates are therefore traveling further: Daniel Deußer wants to ride in Florida for a few weeks, as does Andre Thieme, who has been doing it for several years.
"Proper planning as we know it is currently not possible," says the national coach with a view to the Olympic Games.
"We have to improvise," he explains: "There are so many imponderables."
You plan “almost every other day,” comments Ahlmann.
display
The national coach's focus is now on the outdoor season.
But here, too, according to Becker: "You don't even know how many tournaments there will actually be when it's supposed to start outside from the end of April or beginning of May."
Things are looking even better in dressage at the moment.
"That makes little sense to us," says national coach Monica Theodorescu about tournament series in the south.
"There is no point in riding a small Grand Prix in Spain."
Training on our own facility is currently sufficient for the horses that are eligible for Tokyo: "They don't have to be in tournament form now."
The only exception among the seven members of the Olympic squad is Frederic Wandres.
The rider from Hagen near Osnabrück, who has been a squad rider with Duke of Britain since October, competes with several horses at tournaments in Florida.
display
It is crucial that “it starts outside as planned,” says the national coach.
Most of the top couples plan to start the tournament season at the end of April in Hagen on the Kasselmann farm.
It is clear that afterwards “everyone has to go more than just the German championship and Aachen”.
The national coach emphasizes: "You have to show multiple loads."
At least when there are enough tournaments.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210125-99-167496 / 3
Ahlmann portrait
Ahlmann results
Tournament series in Oliva
Tournament series in Valencia
Tournament series in Vejer da la Frontera