Event Rider Masters: next stop Barbury as Britain’s Sarah Cohen wins second leg in Germany
Photo copyright Benjamin Clark/Event Rider Masters
Britain’s Sarah Cohen celebrated her first Event Rider Masters victory leading an all-female podium at Leg Two of the series at Wiesbaden - the first time a leg of the ERM competition has been held in mainland Europe.
The next leg of the 2017 series will be during the St James's Place Barbury International Horse Trials (July 6-9.)
Following a brilliant and quick cross country riding Treason, Sarah Cohen scooped the 19,000 Euro (£16,000) first prize. The combination were always hot on the heels of the leaders across the two days and climbed from fifth to third after the show-jumping.
Posting the quickest cross country, with just 3.6 time penalties, as well as being one of only two double clear’s in the competition Cohen and Treason finished on 46.8 - securing the second win in the 2017 series by a British combination.
Sarah Cohen now leads the series with 51 points: “At the beginning of the year I wanted to give the series a go. We had a good time at Leg One, so I decided to come to Wiesbaden. I wanted to be competitive, but never thought I would win! I knew Treason was fit and he just wanted to gallop and jump today. I am over the moon with him".
Sarah Cohen, who is based in Leicestershire, came sixth in the first leg of the 2017 ERM series held at Chatsworth in May. A week after the Barbury leg, the ERM competition moves to Haras de Jardy just outside Paris. The series ends in September at its seventh location - Blenheim Palace.
Ingrid Klimke, who looked confident in the final stages of the cross country, left the home crowd in dismay as SAP Escada FRH glanced off the second last fence. The mistake plummeted them down the order and cost the combination the top spot on the ERM podium.
Julia Krajewski (Germany) made a remarkable recovery following a costly show-jumping round to climb back up the leader board to secure second place with Chipmunk FRH finishing on 54.2. Sweden’s Sara Algotsson Osholt riding Reality 39 took third place on the podium completing on a score of 55.8.
The field for the Wisebaden leg did not attract any of the international riders based in Britain. Sarah Cohen's winning penalty score of 46.8 was not as good her score of 45 for the Chatsworth leg of the ERM series. Britain's Gemma Tattersall riding Quicklook V won that first leg with a score of 36.9.