When Marcus Ehning rides on the course, everyone watches.

His calm, well-dosed, balanced riding style is style-forming, for many the man with the ideal show jumping figure is a role model.

Also on Thursday evening, at the Nations Cup in Aachen, all eyes were on the entrance through which he was supposed to come with his horse.

His colleague Daniel Deußer had already shown a perfect lap with the mare Killer Queen, so it had started well for the German team, and Ehning, the classic, should continue with his stallion A La Carte.

But Ehning didn't come.

Evi Simeoni

Sports editor.

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The 47-year-old rider was lying on the ground outside under a tree. Shortly before, he fell in the preparation area. Today we know: the matter went off without a hitch. On Friday morning he was already on the horse again and carefully felt into his body. But the concern for him had not been unfounded. During a preparatory jump over a small oxer, Ehning's horse jumped off much too early due to a misunderstanding with the rider, he was catapulted from the saddle, fell over the horse's neck and landed hard on the rump. "I flew and saw him jump over me," he said a few hours later over a calming beer. "I got up and took a few steps." Then he had to sit down.

A doctor who had seen everything came pretty quickly and took care of him. He had to lie down. "I was gone for a moment too," he said. He has extremely low blood pressure, so something like that could happen. Later in the hospital, the doctors gave the all-clear. But Ehning's backside still hurt the next morning. And the right knee. His right thumb was swollen and he was having trouble holding the reins. So these are not good prerequisites for starting other difficult jumps. On Friday afternoon it was clear: no operation today. He wanted to decide later about the next few days, including his start at the Grand Prix on Sunday. The solemn farewell to his horse Pret A Tout, which is planned for this Saturday, will be held in any case. "I don't have to jump there," he said.

But back to the Nations Cup: when his colleague Deusser entered the second round, Ehning was already standing at the fence again, saw his second fault-free round and then had to watch the German team unhappy at the favorable starting position that they had achieved despite his failure lost. Christian Ahlmann was also in the best of style with his gray stallion Clintrexo. When the two galloped towards the triple combination, they were still free of mistakes and Ahlmann could be confident that they would master this difficulty as well.

18,000 spectators - exactly as many as the authorities had allowed - held their breath so as not to disturb the rider and horse. Suddenly a vigorous neigh echoed through the stadium. That was Balou Du Reventon, the impressive stallion of the young American Brian Moggre, who was already waiting for his entry at the entrance. Clintrexo heard the message, his attention wandered from the targeted steep jump to his fellow - and a pole fell. The rhythm was too weak, so there was another mistake on the last jump, an oxer. Because David Will then failed three times with the gelding C Vier, only the sixth place remained for the Germans, who had no clear result due to Ehning's failure. The United States - with Jessica Springsteen, the rock musician's daughter,in their ranks - won ahead of Sweden and France.

“That wasn't our evening,” said national coach Otto Becker. He's seen others. From 2016 to 2018, for example, the Germans won three times, Ehning was always there, each time with Pret A Tout, the chestnut gelding who is now being retired. Ehning's name is on the board on the judges' tower twice, as the winner of the 2006 Grand Prix with Küchengirl and 2018, also with Pret A Tout. He is now 18 years old and has earned his pension. just like the other three Ehning said goodbye this year. The stallion Comme Il Faut was celebrated again at the European Championships in Riesenbeck. The stallion Cornado was given an informal goodbye for lack of opportunity, like the mare Cristy, who is now expecting a foal - by Cornado.

So Ehning has to fill a few gaps in the stable at the moment, but doesn't want to put as much pressure on himself as before. “I'm not 20 anymore,” says Ehning. “I also like to stay at home for a week.” But Aachen is Aachen. Everyone wants to ride there. It would have been Ehning's 17th Nations Cup in the Soers. But on Friday, despite his bad luck, he was clever enough to say: "I was lucky".